Group items tagged

Smart card transactions can be quicker, because the terminal and card communicate with each other -- the terminal verifying that the card is authentic and vice versa -- instead of the terminal having to communicate via Internet or wireless with the card issuer to verify that the card is real and hasn't been reported lost or stolen, says Randy Vanderhoof, executive director of the Smart Card Alliance, a nonprofit organization that works to promote the adoption of smart card technology.

Also, when a card leaves the cardholder's physical presence, it can be compromised, using a hand-held information-stealing device called a skimmer,

in which information is encoded into a magnetic stripe on the back of the card, and the newer so-called smart cards, which contain a computer chip that holds information.

The cards were designed to hold personal biometric data on an encrypted chip, including name, a photograph and fingerprints.

The supporting National Identity Register was designed to hold up to 50 pieces of information.

The ID-card scheme was launched in October 2009 but cancelled 16 months later and the database destroyed.

For the smart card technology to work, it must be backed up by fingerprint and eye-scanners in banks, shops, estate agents, hotels, and public services such as hospitals. To check your identity they in turn must have 24hr access to the National Identity Register (NIR). Every time the card is used, information about when, where, and how it was used is stored on the database in the form of an audit log.

The new cards contain an embedded microchip, which stores the bearer's information electronically.

credit-card machine generally run around HK$165

20% of ad returns to the drivers

cause drivers to lose about five cents per kilometer

MICROS OPERA

customer relationship management.

expandable modules

This is, I imagine, true. However, it's also complicated. I'm sure that what the Zapp guys are thinking is that NFC is much easier and more appealing for customers than QR codes, so the Zapp app will be indifferent: if the POS has an NFC interface then the customer can tap, if not they can scan (or use Bluetooth or whatever). The Samsung owners can smugly tap and go, the Apple owners can pfaff about scanning. Again, though, not that simple. The NFC interfaces on the existing terminals are used for EMV (ie, NFC card emulation mode), which is why they will need upgrading to do cool stuff with Zapp (hence the appeal to acquirers).