UK Food Retailer The Co-Op Turns to ACI Worldwide to Tackle Mobile Payments Fraud

The issue of fraud in mobile payments isn’t just for the end users, though it’s very frequently on their minds. No, it’s also a problem for the businesses that offer mobile payments access. That in turn also proves a problem for users who are less inclined to do business with fraud victims, whether out of concern for their own safety or a general loss of face. The good news for mobile payments, however, is there are plenty of security measures to take in response. ACI Worldwide recently tipped us off about one such event in which UK food vendor The Co-Operative (Co-Op) started using ACI tools as a means to protect itself against fraud.

More specifically, The Co-Op turned to ACI’s ReD Shield, part of ACI’s UP Merchant Payments solutions, for protection here. The Co-Op actually boasts just over 2,600 locations to its credit, so it was clear that a solution that was capable of handling high volume traffic was needed. ReD Shield’s level of flexibility and real-time fraud management capabilities made it a worthwhile buy to The Co-Op.

Additionally, since The Co-Op had already turned to ACI for protective measures and other operations tools previously, ACI had the name recognition factor and the positive reputation required to drive the decision-making process. The Co-Op had previously been the first chip-and-PIN retailer in the UK, as well as the first to accept contactless cards. Both measures called for support from ACI, and The Co-Op was more than willing to turn in that direction.

Of course, some here might wonder why The Co-Op went with all those other features of ACI’s without bringing in the security tools right away, but then, it was also a pretty safe bet that they had their own security features that held off potential fraud and trouble to begin with. This latest move seems to be more of an augmentation than an active filling of a security hole, so that should be taken as a relief.

Sometimes it just becomes clear that greater security is needed. Whether it’s a preventative measure as it seems to be here, or as a response to previous assaults, the end result is the same: The system is that much safer for the addition, and in the end, The Co-Op has that much more protection and it’s thanks to ACI.