Verband der ZVT-Host-Schnittstellen-Anwender e.V. (“ZVT-H”) manages and licenses the ZVT Host Interface Protocol, an interface between a PoS terminal and the host system of a PoS network operator.
The ZVT Host Interface Protocol formerly went under the name Poseidon® ZVT Protocol (Poseidon being a registered trademark of equensWorldline SE) and was issued by equensWorldline SE (formerly Worldline GmbH). The protocol was outsourced to an independent association as the result of a package of commitments which Worldline offered the EU Competition Commission in the context of the merger with Equens and its subsidiary PaySquare. As the latter is a PoS network operator, it competes with other PoS network operators that use the ZVT Host Interface Protocol.
When the association was formed, a number of details of the declaration of commitment had to be taken into account which were then – together with the representatives of the network operators, terminal vendors and other market participants – laid down accordingly as premises in statutes and an association charter, and submitted for examination to the EU Commission’s appointed trustee.
Once the trustee had approved the statutes, Verband der ZVT-Host-Schnittstellen-Anwender e.V. (“ZVT-H”) was formed in Frankfurt am Main and registered in the Frankfurt am Main Register of Associations (VR 15899) on October 12, 2016.
The agreement to transfer the rights to the protocol from equensWorldline to ZVT-H was signed on December 8, 2016, on the occasion of the BecN convention that was being held at equensWorldline in Aachen (see picture). The interface was renamed the "ZVT Host Interface".
from left to right: Helmut Reisen (equensWorldline SE), Jörg Stahl (ZVT-H 1st Chair), Nicolas Adolph (ZVT-H 2nd Chair), Winfried Honecker (ZVT-H Secretary)
Membership is open to interested third parties including network operators, terminal manufacturers, authorities and non-profit associations. Only so-called "legal persons" can become members of the ZVT-H, i.e. companies, authorities etc. who are represented in the association's committees by authorized representatives of the respective member.
The conditions for membership are regulated in the statutes of the association and can be requested from the ZVT-H board.
Due to equensWorldline's obligation to enable an exclusive and non-transferable or assignable right of use to the protocol, the ZVT-H Association has been given the right to manage the ZVT host interface and to grant third parties sub-licenses for the use / use of the To grant protocol. The association determines the amount of the license fee required on the basis of an open, transparent and non-discriminatory manner in order to be able to guarantee future maintenance and further development of the ZVT host interface. These chargeable licenses then contain the rights to use this interface. If you are interested in acquiring the license, please contact the ZVT-H board.
Decisions regarding the maintenance of the interface result from transparent decision-making processes and - as is usual in internal procedures of standardization organizations - must be based on a consensus of opinion of the members, but without a veto right for any member. For the evaluation of inquiries and requirements, as well as the development of the interface for future requirements, an advisory board was established in the ZVT-H, which significantly coordinates the work and evaluates the expansion requests of the members and coordinates the implementation. In addition, the association will make its decision-relevant information publicly available on this homepage and present its decisions and updates here.
The founding members of the Association of ZVT Host Interface Users are:
Telecash GmbH & Co. KG, InterCard AG, BS PAYONE (ehem. B+S Card Service GmbH) , Elavon Financial Services DAC, HUTH Elektronik Systeme GmbH, cardtech Card & POS Service GmbH, CCV Group B.V., Scheidt & Bachmann GmbH, PaySquare SE, Ingenico Payment Services GmbH, Verifone GmbH und equensWorldline SE (ehemals equensWorldline GmbH).
The following board was elected at the inaugural meeting in 2016:
Due to the requirements of the European Commission for the association structures, the two chairmen must be replaced by a new election in a cycle of a maximum of 6 months. The treasurer and secretary are elected for a three-year term. Further information on this subject is available on the DG Competition website in the public register under the number M.7873.
You can find the current board of the ZVT-H in the ZVT-H e.V. section of our homepage.
The following members have joined the association since it was founded:
WEAT Electronic Datenservice GmbH, FEIG ELECTRONIC GmbH, SIX Payment Service, Worldline Germany GmbH, transact Elektronische Zahlungssysteme GmbH, DAFÜR GmbH, CardProcess GmbH, Ingenico GmbH