The British Retail Consortium is urging banks to brief retailers to ensure that the chip and PIN anti-fraud programme is not hit by delays.
BRC deputy director-general Mark Bradshaw has voiced concerns that only a few of the card-issuing banks have contacted store groups to discuss the implementation of the crime-beating technology.
Bradshaw said: 'We recognise what a huge job the banks have in terms of not just contacting retailers, but all the different merchant groups as well. But there needs to be solid progress made that we can see evidence of. We would be happy to work alongside the banks in a non-commercial way about raising awareness of chip and PIN.'
The BRC also wants retailers to start addressing the repercussions of chip and PIN implementation, and not to wait until the end of the pilot scheme in Northampton, which is set to start in March and run for 15 weeks.
'Retailers need to start thinking about it now,' added Bradshaw.
The BRC will send information packs about chip and PIN to retailers in the next few weeks. Implementation of the system is due to be completed by January 2005 at an estimated cost to UK retailers of up to£400 million. Card fraud costs£465 million a year.
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