Contactless Smart Cards, RFID, Payment, Transit and Security

USA Technologies launches new ePort devices

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

USA Technologies has launched ePort Generation Eight and ePort Edge which offer cashless transaction solutions for unattended point of sale appliances, such as vending or laundry machines.

The Generation Eight integrates a new quad-band radio, contactless card reader with the traditional swipe card process and also provides the same benefits as the ePort G7 but at a lower price. The ePort Edge has been re-engineered into a one piece design developed specifically for those in the vending industry who want a magnetic swipe-only cashless system.


USA Technologies’ new ePort G8 accepts both traditional magnetic stripe credit cards and credit cards with tap-and-go technology, including contactless cards from MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Discover.

Some of the G8’s new features include: – A newly designed control unit that is 65% smaller than the previous ePort G7. This makes the G8 easier to install and compatible with a wider variety of unattended point of sale devices. – Improved design features, including universal mounting, preassembled cables and plug in antenna, which facilitate even faster installation and activation. – Over the air (OTA) update capability.

The ePort Edge marks the company’s first redesign of this device in nearly a decade. This slimmed down design is built on a new hardware and software platform enabling some of the ePort Edge’s new features that include: – One piece design (card reader and processor combined) that enable magnetic swipe card transactions. – Faster transaction processing due to a more powerful processor. – Over the air update capability. [end] 

Oracle has released a new version of Oracle Retail Point-of-Service that aims to increase security, operational efficiency and functionality in part by integrating biometrics.

Oracle partnered with DigitalPersonal to add integrated biometrics to the POS package. Users of the software will login using their fingerprint, which will replace the need for PINs or passwords. This feature intends to reduce fraud by eliminating the possibility of unauthorized employees using a manager ID or swipe card to access the POS and approve overrides.

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GlobalPlatform has launched the first in a series of online guides that will explain in simple terms the association’s current projects and technologies.

Up now on the GlobalPlatform Web site, the first guide covers Trusted Execution Environments (TEE), or the hardware and software on a mobile device that ensures that sensitive data is stored, processed and protected.

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Raptor Identification Systems unveiled two new mobile biometric devices. The two new solutions, called RaptorONE-TM and RaptorPAD-TM, both run on the Android Mobile Operating System with one being powered by a smart phone and the other a tablet.

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SML Group Ltd announced the launch of its new “ViziT” RFID item visibility solutions for the retail apparel and item tracking applications.

The ViziT solutions include a range of RFID/EAS enabled paper and woven labels, as well as tickets and sticker that can be attached to garments and stacked items. Using the SML ViziT IT cloud based data management software also provides for semi automated inventory control, as well as improved loss prevention by triggering alarms and item identification at the store exit.

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Superdrug, one of Britain’s largest beauty and health retailers, has introduced contactless payment for its in-store customers, according to Retail Gazette.

Created by Streamline and Visa Europe, the contactless system will enable customers to make payments of up to £15 (approx. USD $23) by simply waving their contactless bank card at the more than 50 participating Superdrug stores in London and Liverpool.

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In Europe, the Association for Retail Technology Standards (ARTS) and EPASOrg has developed a new global standard to help accommodate changes in new payment technologies, according to SupermarketNews.com

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