After a rigorous testing process, Visa certifies Felix EMV cloud kernel, making it L2 certified. The Visa Level 2 certification is globally recognized and presents Felix as a world leader in payment innovation. The certification criteria are evaluated against the Visa Ready Tap to Phone Kernel Specification: 1.0 and the Visa Contactless Payment Specification: 2.2.

This certification allows Felix to gain valuable market traction in the emerging Tap to Phone market, a promising development in the payments industry enabling merchants to accept contactless payments with consumer-grade smartphones, eliminating the need for an external dongle.

So, what is an EMV kernel?

An EMV kernel is a means of processing payment data for a specific card type required for an EMV transaction.

The EMV kernel performs all the logic for processing contact and contactless transactions inside a payment terminal. Traditionally EMV kernels, from major card brands like Visa, Mastercard, Amex, and Discover, are housed inside the payment terminal hardware.

Due to most terminal devices connected in a one-to-one relationship with the kernel, maintaining and supporting terminal infrastructure is costly. In addition, each terminal requires upgrades to maintain compliance with evolving standards and market requirements.

Felix created the first 100% cloud-based L2 certified contactless EMV kernel, which means that 100% of the processing logic is cloud-based. The concept behind the EMV cloud kernel addresses several pain points in the payment industry, delivering a centralized processing infrastructure that removes hardware dependency and improves certification and terminal maintenance processes.

EMV cloud kernel features & benefits

Felix’s cloud kernel technology delivers several unique benefits compared with the traditional processing model:

  • The kernel is installed and managed in a hosted environment
  • A hardware-agnostic solution that enables acceptance on any device
  • It reduces the compliance burden for device manufacturers with a pre-approved L2 certified kernel in the cloud
  • Centralizes the maintenance and support of terminal infrastructure using a one to many cloud framework
  • Cloud environment allows for instant and superior efficiency compared with device-based processing
  • Opens the pathway for payment acceptance on different devices, such as smartphones, terminals, transit, IoT, Kiosks, Pay at Pump, and Vending.
  • Takes the limits off of devices, processors and third-party applications to enable cardholder payments.
  • Create cardholder adoption in regions and markets previously unavailable.

Felix is approved to deploy its cloud EMV kernel to address a growing demand for payment acceptance on consumer-grade mobile devices. The launch of our Tap to Phone (Felix.Terminal: SoftPOS application) works in conjunction with our 100% cloud-based EMV kernel to enable businesses of all sizes to have a secure, scalable, and cost-effective POS payment experience.

Throughout 2021 we will be maintaining a close association with the card brands as we deploy our products through pilots and transform millions of smartphones into payment terminals.

The Felix patented cloud-based implementation provides us with a distinct advantage of deploying our technology to any remote terminal. With the vision to create an authentic omni commerce payment experience for merchants and consumers by delivering the security of traditional terminals with the scalability and flexibility of a cloud-based infrastructure creating a new foundation for future payment innovations.

For additional information, contact our customer success team, and they can explain how your business can benefit from this patented state-of-the-art payment infrastructure.*

*When granted, Visa’s recognition of compliance with certain specifications is provided by Visa to verify operational characteristics important to Visa’s systems as a whole, but Visa recognition of compliance does not under any circumstances include any endorsement or warranty regarding the functionality, quality or performance of any particular product or service. Visa does not warrant any products or services provided by third parties. Visa’s recognition of compliance does not under any circumstances include or imply any product warranties from Visa, including, without limitation, any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for purpose, or non–infringement, all of which are expressly disclaimed by Visa. All rights and remedies regarding products and services which have received Visa’s recognition of compliance shall be provided by the party providing such products or services, and not by Visa.