Index Launches Semi-Integrated Payments and Hosted Gateway to Bring Flexibility, Reliability and Security to In-Store Retail

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 26, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Index, a leading retail software company that brings personalization and measurement to the offline world, today launched Index Semi-Integrated Payments for Verifone and Ingenico devices, and Index Hosted Gateway for First Data, Vantiv, Chase Paymentech and Worldpay. These new offerings provide retailers with turnkey solutions for EMV, point-to-point encryption (P2PE), processing flexibility and value-added services including customer analytics and personalized marketing.

"We're building smart, innovation-ready solutions that make payments more secure, improve in-store experiences and ultimately transform retail," said Jonathan Wall, Index Co-Founder and CTO. Marc Freed-Finnegan, Index Co-Founder and CEO, added, "We leverage the strong partnerships we've established with leading payment processors, PIN pad providers and point-of-sale (POS) solutions to enable retailers to stay focused on their customers."

Index Semi-Integrated Payments routes payment data directly from the PIN pad to the processor, removing the POS from the critical path. Unlike traditional solutions that pass card data through the POS, Index enables the POS to fully delegate payment to the PIN pad. With Index, an IP-connected PIN pad collects tender, requests settlement, and returns a simple approval to the POS. Index PIN pad software drives the in-store user experience, and Index cloud services enable payment routing and a range of value-added services.

Key benefits of Index Semi-Integrated Payments include:

• Reduced PCI Scope and Improved Security - Because payment data never enters the POS, the POS is fully removed from PCI scope. With the POS out of the payment flow path, Index makes it simple to deploy critical security improvements like P2PE and EMV.
• Flexibility to Evolve Quickly - Simplifying the communication between the PIN pad and POS makes it easy to deploy new payment and loyalty services. Significantly, the PIN pad becomes an independent device that can be easily upgraded, serving as a powerful point of customer engagement.
• Robust Device Management - Centralized configuration and remote PIN pad management makes it fast and convenient to deploy software and content updates.

Index Hosted Gateway provides a robust link from any POS environment to any payment processor. Unlike traditional solutions that require retailers to manage the technical and compliance burden of a direct processor integration or an on-premise server, Index assumes that responsibility. In addition, the Index Hosted Gateway supports a wide range of tender types including credit, debit, EMV, EBT, eWIC, Apple Pay and Android Pay, so retailers can easily accept new and diverse forms of payment.

Key benefits of the Index Hosted Gateway include:

• Fault-Tolerance and Reliability - With traditional gateways, card data routes through an on-premise server in each store, a costly solution that creates a single point of failure. With Index, card data routes directly to the Index Hosted Gateway, a cloud-based, fault-tolerant solution.
• Processing Flexibility - Index empowers retailers to select any processor of their choice. Changing processors no longer requires updating in-store devices or recertification — Index simply updates routing preferences.
• Simplified PCI Compliance - Because Index provides a fully hosted PCI Level 1 Gateway, it simplifies the PCI controls and procedures required of retailers with on-premise solutions.

The combination of Index Semi-Integrated Payments and Index Hosted Gateway provide retailers with tremendous flexibility, reliability and enhanced security for their in-store environments. With Index, retailers not only future-proof their payment environment, but also have access to a wide range of value-added analytics, loyalty and personalization services to elevate customer relationships and improve revenue growth.

"With unique data insights and analysis, Index's cloud-based platform is enabling us to create truly personalized and engaging customer experiences," said Michelle Lantow, CAO of New Seasons Market. "Index has uncovered important trends, from customer preferences and shopping frequency to store performance. This has been incredibly valuable as we expand our business to new locations, since our customers are always our top priority."

To learn more about Index's offerings, visit www.index.com.

About Index
Based in San Francisco, Index is a leading retail software company that brings personalization and measurement to the offline world. Index powers lifelong customer relationships through actionable insights and relevant shopping experiences. Index helps retailers to meet and greet customers on the channels where they engage, and harnesses the potential of mobile to elevate and expand these relationships. With its secure payment solutions, Index ensures the highest level of protection for retail brands and their customers. For more information visit www.index.com and follow @index.

SOURCE Index

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