British Airways takes steps to secure credit card transactions

By Emma Pritchard

British Airways (BA) has implemented Chip and Pin on board all flights, making it the first UK airline to achieve "end-to-end" Chip and Pin accreditation.

From now on customers on board British Airways flights can purchase goods using the Chip and Pin system, which was first introduced throughout the country last year to allow customers to make payments without passing their credit card over to anyone else.

BA's move has made it the first UK airline to meet the stringent requirements laid out by EMV (Europe, MasterCard and Visa), PCI (Payment Card Industry), APACS (Association for Payment Clearing Services) and acquiring banks, ensuring that every step in the payment process is secure.

The new devices being used by BA, Clue Trader's SkyPort Plus, are designed specifically to fulfil on board requirements. They have an extended battery life, an integrated printer, a barcode scanner and a wireless handset to allow access to all passengers, even those sitting in window seats.

The SkyPort Plus can also store information from the Credit Card Hotlist, allowing all transactions to be checked against fraudulent credit cards in under a second. According to Richard Cushing, retail business manager at BA, this, together with the Chip and Pin system, has already helped "to reduce the level of fraud substantially".