US electronic payment services company First Data has released First Data TransArmor, a payment security service available to merchants located in the US through its network of resale partners.

First Data’s TransArmor application is set to protect consumer payment card data against identity theft. Leveraging the RSA SafeProxy architecture, the TransArmor solution encrypts and transports cardholder data to First Data and replaces it with a token as part of the transaction authorization process.

Moreover, the features of the token allow merchants to continue to handle their business functions such as returns, recurring billing, loyalty programs and other analysis, without enabling card data to be used for fraudulent transactions.

First Data completed the pilot testing for its TransArmor product in June 2010 in various merchant point-of-sale (POS) environments.

Most recently, First Data's STAR Network, a PIN-secured debit network which provides transaction processing services, has rolled out STAR CertiFlash, a new PIN debit application set to ensure point-of-sale (POS) security using one-time card number technology.