E3

E3 Provides the Highest Degree of Security Available … With No Extra Fees
Heartland Payment Systems®, one of the nation’s largest payments processors, leveraged its unique experience and knowledge to develop E3 end-to-end encryption. E3 technology protects your customers’ credit and debit card data from the moment of card swipe and through the Heartland network — not just at certain points of the transaction flow.

Unlike other solutions, E3 features layers of security using both software and tamper-resistant hardware — as well as Advanced Encryption Standard — AES — the most secure encryption available. E3 encrypts all Track 1 and 2 data housed on a card’s magnetic stripe the moment it is converted from analog to digital data and enters your system as encrypted gibberish … never storing card numbers or passing them through your system or network.

Easy and Cost-Effective to Implement
Implementing E3 is easy. You get increased security with no changes to your daily routine or the speed of your transactions. And, you don’t need to make a large equipment investment. All you need to do is purchase an E3 terminal or PC-based magnetic stripe reader/wedge* at — or below — the prices of standard, less-secure processing equipment on the market today. E3 devices include EMV/chip card technology capabilities — which may be coming to the United States — and the ability to update encryption technology.

Once the hardware is installed, you continue normal business operations. In fact, you’ll save time and money because E3 automates the process of continually changing the encryption keys that convert sensitive account information to and from encrypted data at no extra cost to you.

No Extra or Recurring Charges
Unlike other processors and equipment manufacturers who charge additional fees to keep you secure, Heartland does not charge any extra fees and taxes for this state-of-the-art security. We invested millions of dollars to develop this technology with the belief that you shouldn’t have to pay more to be secure. That’s why there are no added transaction fees, no monthly encryption fees, no key management fees, no activation fees, no insurance fees — or any other “junk” fees that may bring you no extra value … saving you money.

It’s important to know what you are paying — and to whom — so you can control your card processing expenses and save money. Click here to see portions of actual merchant statements from major payments processors. Beware of these charges and other possible security-related “junk” fees that may be on your statement.

Reduced Cost of PCI Compliance and Risk of Non-Compliance
When you accept credit and debit cards at your business, you are subject to the standards of the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Council. These Data Security Standards (DSS) regulate how sensitive data is stored, processed and transmitted. Most owners of small and mid-sized businesses are on their own to ensure they meet the more than 230 PCI standards. Heartland helps the vast majority of merchants who use E3 complete the appropriate Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) required for PCI compliance — so you don’t have to decipher the complexities by yourself.

E3 does more than just safeguard data … when combined with our SAQ assistance services, E3 reduces the cost of PCI compliance and the risk of non-compliance for business owners.

Guaranteed Protection and Reimbursement
In the unlikely event of a data breach while using E3, Heartland — with its “E3 End-to-End Encryption Warranty” — will reimburse your breach-related fines**.

* PC-based POS systems may require some integration by your POS provider.

**Reimbursement is subject to the terms and conditions of Heartland’s “E3 End-to-End Encryption Warranty.”

Is E3 true end-to-end encryption?
Heartland Payment Systems has a unique perspective on end-to-end encryption. We believe true end-to-end encryption is defined by the points where the encryption — or scrambling — of payment account numbers (PANs) starts and ends.

With E3, encryption begins the moment of card swipe and through the Heartland network. This includes four zones of the card processing ecosystem:

1. From data entry/card read at a business location to the payments processor’s authorized network;
2. From entry to that network and throughout the entire processor/sub-contractor network where data is in motion;
3. While the data resides in a central processing unit (CPU) or a host security module (HSM). An HSM is a specialized server that locks down information;
4. In storage where data is at rest.

Any encryption solution that does not start at the card swipe and include all of these four zones is not end-to-end; it is “point-to-point.” Point-to-point solutions protect data at certain points in the lifecycle of a transaction flow — and expose them at others.

Want to know more about E3 technology?
Download this white paper for an in-depth look at the complete security solution. This paper addresses how information is handled in each zone, innovative key management, and includes important questions to ask of other security solutions.
Download now

Click here for more technical insights related to E3.