Barnes International supplies laboratories, banks, fintechs, card manufacturers and personalisation bureaus across the continent with powerful quality-control and certification platforms that accelerate EMV, ISO 7816, CQM and GlobalPlatform compliance while cutting test-cycle costs. From contact to contactless, dual-interface, magstripe and NFC wallets, its modular solutions verify that every card, handset or wearable issued in Africa meets Visa, Mastercard, SPAN, national-scheme and ISO standards before it reaches the market.
Core test tools & analysers
- CPT 3000v3 Personalisation Validation Tool – automates script-based testing of EMV data for contact, contactless and magstripe cards, flagging errors before formal scheme certification.
- CPT 3000v3 ML – extends CPT functionality to NFC mobile-payment applications, simulating SWP and handset interfaces for full end-to-end testing.
- CAT 3000v3 & EMV Level 1 suites – electrical and protocol analysers that ensure chip-card circuitry and ATR responses conform to ISO/IEC standards.
- Magnetic-Stripe Analysers – precision readers that measure coercivity, jitter and bit density to guarantee legacy stripe quality for multi-technology cards.
- CQM & GlobalPlatform modules – add-on scripts that validate card durability parameters and secure-element lifecycle management against latest scheme specs.
Services & support
- EMV and NFC training programmes for issuers, processors and card bureaus.
- Consultancy for card-issuance migration, script development and custom test automation.
- Annual calibration, firmware updates and rapid global help-desk to keep test labs audit-ready.
Proven African impact
- First National Bank, South Africa leveraged Barnes CPT tools to pre-validate over 60 million EMV cards, speeding certification and reducing field failures.
- Multiple card-personalisation bureaus in Johannesburg, Nairobi and Lagos use Barnes CAT/CPT platforms for daily batch QC, ensuring seamless Visa and Mastercard issuance (trusted by clients in 120+ countries).
Value for African payment stakeholders
- Accelerated go-live – in-house pre-certification slashes scheme testing rejections and project timelines.
- End-to-end coverage – single vendor for contact, contactless, magstripe and mobile wallet validation.
- Lower total cost of ownership – script updates and calibration extend hardware life while maintaining compliance.
- Regulatory confidence – detailed, scheme-aligned reports satisfy central-bank, PCI and ISO auditors.
