Although they are out there, you’d be hard pressed these days, to find a business that doesn’t accept credit and debit cards. These plastic cards have become so much a part of our world, that most people under the age of 25 rarely carry cash.

In October, the US laws for credit card processing are finally catching up with the rest of the world, and with all of the major credit card scandals, nearly half of all fraud taking place in the US,  it’s really about time.

If you haven’t already, it’s important that you make sure that you have updated your credit card processors to chip readers, one, so that your customers are protected, but two, so that you are protected. As of October 2015, if you do not have the chip-reading technology and there is credit card fraud due to using swipe and sign technology, your business will be liable for the fraud. That is as good of motivation as any.

Of course switching to the new technology does come at a cost, and the question of how frequently will this technology change, requiring businesses to purchase new equipment is a relevant one, but the fact is, you don’t want to be left holding the bag if fraud happens, so you have to ride the wave of change.