Only 27% of US merchants will be EMV-ready by the October liability shift, representing a seven percentage point decline from a 34% estimation in March, research from The Strawhecker Group (TSG) reveals. “By December 2015, 44% of US merchants are expected to adopt EMV, however, EMV-readiness will not reach a threshold of at least 90% until 2017 — more than 15 months after the shift,” the company says.