There has been much debate across the United States about adopting a certain system that is already in wide use in other parts of the world. This isn't the metric systems but EMV — a chip-and-pin payment method for credit cards. Unlike the metric system, however, EMV actually has a deadline for U.S. adoption and it is creeping up faster than most retailers realize.

A recent article from Nerd Wallet examined how the preparation for adoption is going and if the system can even work in the U.S. According to the piece, 73 percent of Western Europe is already using EMV technology instead of the magnetic stripes that are popular in the states.

The U.S. is lagging behind and the main reason could be the cost of adoption. According to the piece, for all U.S. retailers to replace mag stripes would cost $3 billion. It will be an additional $2.5 billion to replace all of the payment equipment that would be needed to handle the new systems.

All of this money does not need to be paid at once, and retailers will need to be ready when the official time comes to make the switch.

"Though EMV has years before becoming standard in the States, it doesn't hurt to be an early adopter," the article reads. "There are a number of worthwhile credit cards that come equipped with smart chip technology.".

With the help of a payment solution provider, any merchant can take the steps to adopting EMV before it becomes a mad rush at the last minute.