Visa clashes with retailers over standards for credit card safety

The credit card security debate is coming to a head.

According to the most recent data, fewer than half of major retailers were on track to meet a Sept. 30 deadline set by Visa USA to tighten the security on their data systems, increasingly targeted by hackers and scam artists.

The low rate means many merchants face higher fees from Visa, the largest credit card network, and potentially fines from banks that handle payments when customers use plastic at the cash register.

In response, the National Retail Federation, a trade group representing the largest merchants, yesterday called on credit card security officials to change procedures under which they store some data, which they said creates many of the vulnerabilities.

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