The future of European payments is sovereign, interoperable, and secure—and the CPACE kernel is at the heart of this transformation.
Developed by the European Card Payment Cooperation (ECPC), CPACE (CPA Contactless Extensions) is a standardized, open kernel designed to enable seamless contactless and mobile payments across Europe, independent of international card schemes. It’s not just a technical specification; it’s a strategic move toward technological independence and pan-European interoperability for domestic payment schemes.
What is CPACE?
CPACE is a generic, EMV-compliant kernel that supports contactless transactions for cards, wearables, and SoftPOS solutions. Unlike proprietary applications, CPACE is built to ensure that payment terminals and SoftPOS applications can accept transactions from any European domestic card scheme—whether in France, Germany, Spain, Bulgaria, Portugal and Belgium. This means:
- One kernel, many markets: Deploy your solution across Europe without being tied to a single national network or international scheme.
- Security by design: CPACE leverages EMV-level security, ensuring robust protection for every transaction.
- Lower costs: by supporting local payment schemes to optimize your scheme fees and increase your conversion rate for your clients.
Why Supporting CPACE kernel Matters for Your Business
By supporting CPACE, Amadis empowers payment companies (SoftPOS providers, hardware manufacturers, transit operators, …) to:
✅ Break free from dependency: Reduce reliance on proprietary solutions and international schemes, giving you full control over your roadmap.
✅ Expand your reach: A single CPACE-certified solution opens doors to multiple European markets, simplifying cross-border deployment.
✅ Accelerate innovation: With CPACE, you can focus on building differentiated features, not navigating fragmented standards.
✅ Ensure sovereignty: CPACE is a European initiative, for European players—strengthening local ecosystems and reducing external dependencies.
Why Partner with Amadis?
We don’t just support CPACE—we help you leverage it. Our expertise in kernel integration and certification means you get:
- Faster time-to-market: Seamless integration into your payment solution (SoftPOS or PCI-PTS devices) and rely on our L2 LOA for your SoftPOS solution,
- Expert guidance: Navigate certification and compliance (for PCI-PTS) with confidence thanks to our Level 2 expertise,
- Ready to be certified: Our CPACE kernel meets all the requirements defined in its specification and test plan, so you can speed up your L2 certification process (for PCI-PTS) with the right testing and precertification environment.
➡️Ready to address the European market? Let’s discuss how CPACE can accelerate your expansion.
