Shaping the Future of Payments: Highlights from the Sommet CB 2025

What a fantastic time in Paris for the recent Sommet CB!

In March, industry leaders gathered for the prestigious Carte Bancaires Summit. This premier event serves as a cornerstone for stakeholders and professionals within the payment card and mobile payments ecosystem, emphasizing innovation, security, and inclusivity—all which reflect the values that have allowed CB to flourish as France’s preferred payment method for over four decades.

Ellipse was there exhibiting our EVC technology with a slew of EVC-Ready partners who were also in attendance.

The Strength and Reach of CB Cards in France

According to the market insights from J.P. Morgan, an impressive 77 million CB cards circulate within France as of 2024, making them a major player in the country. Consider that France’s population is just shy of 70 million, so there are more CB cards circulating than citizens! Nearly everyone in France over 16 years of age has at least one payment card, while one-third carries multiple cards.

As Carte Bancaires recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, these numbers show that consumers are willing to put their trust in CB due to its ongoing commitment to innovation and customer care.

This is why we at Ellipse were excited to attend Sommet CB, showcasing our EVC technology in partnerships with Giesecke+Devrient, our card manufacturing partner, to great success. Not only was EVC very well received by the Sommet CB attendees, but we were highlighted in a panel discussion about payment technology and fraud prevention:

The Vision of Modern Payment Cards – Insights from G+D ePayment Services

At Sommet CB, Nisha Ahilan from G+D ePayment Services presented a compelling vision of the future for payment cards, positioning them not merely as transactional tools but as central to an enriched, personalized consumer experience. G+D sees payment cards as key enablers in integrating digital advancements with human experiences.

According to Ahilan, modern card innovation is guided by three principles:

• Security and Reassurance: Ensuring peace of mind with secure, fraud-resistant cards.

• Inclusivity and Accessibility: Guaranteeing that advanced payment solutions remain available and practical for all users.

• Stylish and Modern Designs ("Glow Up"): Reflecting personal identity and style, making cards an extension of the user’s personality, rather than simply functional tools.

  
  

It goes without saying that when Giesecke+Devrient, one of the leaders in payment technology, state that payment cards can offer more features and value to cardholders that they do today, the industry is listening… and evolving.

Tackling Online Fraud – The Revolutionary EVC Innovation

Ellipse and G+D’s Convego® SecureCode showcases the advanced use of EVC (Ellipse Verification Code) technology to protect everyday cardholders from fraud. In a time when ecommerce transaction fraud has been skyrocketing all over the world, this innovation represents a substantial leap forward in the ongoing fight against card-not-present (CNP) fraud, specifically designed to adapt seamlessly into the evolving payment ecosystem.

Understanding the Game-Changing Impact of EVC

EVC technology is quickly becoming the standard for on-card security, taking the payment card industry from first-generation static CVC/CVVs to truly dynamic, highly adaptable second-generation security codes. EVC represents this next generation of dynamic CVC/CVVs by offering:

• Eco-Friendly Design: Unlike earlier iterations of the technology, EVC micromodules do not require a battery, significantly reducing environmental impact. The security code refreshes automatically after each contact-based, contactless, or ATM transaction, leveraging existing user interactions to maintain security.

• Privacy Mode: Users now have the option to conceal their EVC on demand. This "invisible mode" significantly boosts personal security and privacy, empowering consumers in managing their digital footprints.

• User-Controlled Security Refresh (optional): Cardholders can choose to gain greater autonomy, empowered to manually refresh their EVC via an optional smartphone app whenever desired, enhancing user confidence and control over their security.

  
  

Currently, EVC technology is undergoing live pilot testing by several Issuers. Early feedback underscores its potential for mass adoption. By bridging physical card transactions and digital security seamlessly (call it ‘phygital’ if you will), EVC embodies the future of payments—secure, user-friendly, and universally accessible. It represents a powerful example of how collaboration and innovation can deliver solutions finely attuned to consumer expectations and evolving market conditions.

The Road Ahead – Mass Deployment and Beyond Sommet CB

The live pilot phase marks a critical milestone, serving as the final validation step before large-scale implementation. The positive response at Sommet CB clearly signals a strong market appetite for this technology, promising to redefine the security and user experience standards across the payments landscape.

As CB and its partners continue to push the boundaries of payment technology, innovations like EVC will ensure the ecosystem remains dynamic, secure, and profoundly consumer-centric. The Sommet CB showcases why CB has maintained its leadership role over the past four decades—and why it will likely continue to shape the payment solutions of tomorrow. Here’s to EVC being a part of it all!