Card Transaction Qualifiers (CTQ)

What it is

The Card Transaction Qualifiers (CTQCard Transaction QualifiersEMV tag 9F6C — a 2-byte bitmap the card returns to the terminal, declaring the card’s contactless requirements (e.g. online PIN, signature).View in glossary →) is a 2-byte contactless bitmap the card returns to state its requirements for this tap: whether online PIN or signature is required, when to go online or switch to contact if offline data authentication fails, and whether on-device CVMCardholder Verification MethodHow the cardholder is verified — for example offline PIN, online PIN, signature, or no CVM required.View in glossary → (CDCVMConsumer Device Cardholder Verification MethodCardholder verification done on the consumer’s own device — e.g. phone biometrics or passcode — instead of at the terminal.View in glossary →) was performed. The reader uses it together with its own TTQTerminal Transaction QualifiersEMV tag 9F66 — a 4-byte bitmap the contactless reader sends to the card, declaring what the terminal supports and requires.View in glossary → (9F66) to finalise CVMCardholder Verification MethodHow the cardholder is verified — for example offline PIN, online PIN, signature, or no CVM required.View in glossary → and the online/offline decision.

Where it appears

Returned by the card (typically in the GPOGet Processing OptionsThe EMV command that starts a transaction; the card responds with the AIP and the records to read.View in glossary → response or a record); read by the terminal to finalise CVMCardholder Verification MethodHow the cardholder is verified — for example offline PIN, online PIN, signature, or no CVM required.View in glossary →.

Specification reference

Defined in: EMVCo Contactless Book C-3 (Kernel 3 / Visa); reused by Kernels 6–7

Bit-level definitions below follow: EMVCo Contactless Book C-3 (Kernel 3 / Visa) — Card Transaction Qualifiers (2 bytes)

Bit & value breakdown

Example values

Meaning by contactless kernel

Decode & build this tag

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