Newland gets TSYS Certification for PayExplorer in North America

By Vriti Gothi

Newland Payment Technology (NPT) has completed Level 3 (L3) certification on the TSYS Sierra platform for its PayExplorer payment application, extending the approval across its attended Android terminal portfolio in North America.

The certification verifies that Newland’s terminals and payment application meet the technical and security standards required to operate on the TSYS processing network. It applies to devices including the N950 series, X800 and N750, which are deployed across retail and food service environments.

Under the new framework, Newland assumes responsibility for payment application certification and associated compliance requirements through its PayExplorer platform. Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) integrating with Newland’s SDKs and devices can therefore avoid undertaking separate L3 certification processes when deploying on supported hardware.

The shift is designed to reduce onboarding friction for ISVs, enabling them to remain out of PCI scope and accelerate time to market. In North America’s payments ecosystem—where ISVs play a central role in embedding payments into vertical software for retail and hospitality—simplifying certification pathways can materially lower operational overhead and shorten deployment cycles.

Heather Hatch, Head of Solutions at Newland NPT, said the milestone strengthens the company’s position in the region. “By taking responsibility for payment application certification and security through our platform, we’re removing a significant barrier for ISVs – allowing them to stay out of PCI scope, move faster, and focus on delivering value to their customers,” she said. “It’s a clear signal of our commitment to supporting ISVs long-term, with the scale, portfolio breadth, and technical depth they need to deploy with confidence.”

Level 3 certification is typically required to validate that a payment application can securely process transactions on a given acquiring or processing platform. For ISVs, achieving and maintaining this approval can be resource-intensive, particularly as PCI standards and network requirements evolve. By addressing these obligations at the platform level, terminal providers can assume a greater share of the compliance burden.

The announcement aligns with Newland’s broader expansion strategy in North America, where it has built out a team based in Atlanta and added senior hires focused on supporting ISVs and payment partners. The company is positioning its Android-based terminal portfolio as compliant with current PCI standards and aligned with evolving Android specifications, as software-driven payments continue to replace legacy, closed systems.

The TSYS certification comes as terminal vendors and software providers increasingly compete on ecosystem integration and compliance support, rather than hardware alone, reflecting the growing importance of embedded payments and streamlined deployment models across the sector.