Verifone VX520 End of Life and Gift Cards: What Should I Do?
In 2020, Verifone announced that their popular VX520 terminal was going “End of Life”, meaning that they would no longer manufacture or sell the device. As of January 31, 2024, Verifone will cease to provide security and useability updates to the device.
If your business is still using the VX520, this leaves you at increased security risks and the chances of EMV fallbacks, which can result in fines from Visa and Mastercard. While our team will continue to support our customers with issues, replacements and updates are no longer possible. Therefore, we recommend contacting us to replace your terminal as soon as possible.
But what if you’re a Gravity Payments merchant using the VX520 for gift card transactions?
Gift Card Transactions: Alternatives to the VX520
For merchants affected by this Verifone announcement, we have three solutions to continue to accept gift cards. As always, we will walk you through any of the following options step-by-step to ensure the smallest possible impact to your business.
Note: Your options depend on your gift card provider
Gravity Payments partners with Smart Transaction Systems (STS) and Valutec for gift cards. Each of these providers bill you directly, so it should be easy to identify. If you do not know which provider you use, you can call our support team at (866) 701-4700 and we’ll help!
Merchants using Smart Transaction Systems (STS) Gift Cards
1. Use the Gift & Loyalty smartphone or tablet app
You can download the Gift & Loyalty App from STS for free on the App Store (iOS) or the Google Play Store (Android). This turns any smartphone or tablet into a processing device. There is no additional cost or paperwork to begin using this app.
2. Use the Smart Transactions WebTerminal
Activate and redeem gift cards from any browser using WebTerminal. Log on to view reports, send e-gift cards, transfer card balances, register cardholders and more. There is no additional cost or paperwork for this solution.
Note: Having trouble logging in? Visit https://www.smarttransactionsystems.com/support/ for assistance.
3. Accept physical gift cards in store on a terminal with Valutec
If you wish to accept gift cards on a terminal in-store, our PAX A80 and PAX A920 devices are compatible with Valutec’s solution. This would require switching providers and purchasing a terminal. Depending on the number of existing gift cards requiring conversion to Valutec, additional fees apply. Conversion and onboarding takes an estimated 2 weeks.
Next Steps
If you have more questions, please contact your Gravity Payments representative or our Support Team at [email protected] and (866) 701-4700. We’ll be happy to answer any questions and facilitate these changes.
Merchants using Valutec Gift Cards
1. Upgrade your device
To continue using your service with minimal interruption, you will need to upgrade your device to the PAX A80 or PAX A920. Please contact us at [email protected] or (866) 701-4700 to get started.