Lithos™

Lithos is a web-based test automation platform designed to validate entities such as Acquirers, Networks, Issuers, and Payment Terminals that communicate using ISO 8583:1987 and ISO 8583:1993 messages. It is primarily used for performing certification or pre-certification (debug) tests on these entities. Lithos helps streamline the testing process, improve test coverage, and ensure adherence to compliance requirements defined by payment schemes and processors.

Based on the system under test (SUT), Lithos simulates the other required entities to complete an end-to-end ISO 8583 transaction. For example, if an Acquirer is under test, Lithos simulates the corresponding payment scheme and Issuer. It provides intuitive utilities to configure the request or response messages exchanged with the SUT and validates the messages received from the SUT against the compliance rules defined by the payment scheme. Lithos also enables users to define explicit checks on the ISO 8583 message received from the system under test, allowing precise validation against expected behaviour and compliance standards.

In addition to its core testing capabilities, Lithos supports the integration of a full certification workflow, making it a powerful platform for payment schemes to establish and manage their certification programs. It allows payment schemes to centrally define test plans, monitor certification progress, and manage the overall workflow in one place. Lithos empowers Acquirer and Issuer members by enabling them to perform self-tests, reducing the dependency on certification managers. This leads to faster time-to-certify, improved transparency, and greater control over the certification process.

The core testing modules of Lithos assist Acquirers, Issuers, and Processors during their development and testing phases. Its flexible message configuration features—such as the ability to include or exclude specific data elements—enable users to easily construct ISO 8583messages tailored to their testing needs. Built-in HSM simulators simplify the computation and validation of cryptograms, significantly reducing the effort required to prepare test data. Lithos also includes pre-built test cases aligned with payment scheme compliance, helping users avoid repetitive test preparation and eliminating unnecessary iterations during formal certification. Additionally, with its SaaS-based delivery model, Lithos allows users to subscribe only when needed, providing cost-effective access.

Lithos is designed with extensibility in mind. It supports a configuration-driven approach where new transaction types can be introduced without requiring major development effort. Users can define the structure, data elements, and validation rules for new message types directly within the platform. This flexibility allows organizations to quickly adapt to evolving scheme requirements, support custom transaction flows, and onboard proprietary use cases with minimal effort and turnaround time.

Lithos is actively used by several global and regional payment schemes as part of their certification programs. Its reliability, ease of configuration, and ability to support self-testing have made it a preferred platform for managing certification workflows. Payment schemes leverage Lithos to onboard Acquirers, Issuers, and Processors, define compliance test plans, and streamline the end-to-end certification process. Its growing adoption reflects its effectiveness as a trusted and scalable platform in the payments industry.