Contactless Smart Cards, RFID, Payment, Transit and Security

Green powered smart cards

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

There are an estimated four billion smart cards being shipped, annually worldwide, say Electronic Products & Technology. Printed electronic technology such as the displays and batteries in these smart cards are projected to revolutionize the portable electronic industry in the next few years.

These battery-powered cards utilize color-changing displays and integrated circuits to store account information, authentication codes, and any other data that are used to meet the demand for interactive ID security and authentication. They do so using a thin film battery that is low in voltage and environmentally friendly.


Unlike batteries containing lithium, mercury or other batteries, the thin carbon-zinc batteries on these smart cards are lead-free and contain no toxic substances, meeting full compliance of the European Union’s Restrictions on Hazardous Substances Directive.

These battery-powered cards act as contactless credit and debit cards, retail loyalty cards and secure identification card and badges for access control in buildings or at events.

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Blackpool, a seaside town situated along England’s west coast, has installed a number of Parkeon contactless-enabled parking pay stations.

For the installation, Blackpool Council opted for the Parkeon Strada pay station terminal. This new, solar-powered terminal is equipped with contactless card readers, accepting contactless payment-enabled mobile phones and various wave and pay bank cards.

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Mobile payment solution provider I Love Velvet announced that it has reached the second level of EMV certification (EMV2) which authorizes PIN and integrated chip payments from debit, credit and smart cards around the world.

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Identive Group Inc. has announced a deal to acquire a majority stake in Hamburg, Germany-based payment solution AG, a cashless payment system provider for stadiums, arenas and other types of entertainment venues.

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Turkcell, Turkey’s largest mobile operator, has announced the launch of a SIM-based NFC road toll payment application on the Turkcell T11 smart phone.

Developed in collaboration with Bank Asya, the app allows users to migrate their plastic KGS toll payment cards onto their T11 smart phone to pay for fares when crossing bridges and freeway turnpikes.

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As more and more schools make the transition to smart cards, it’s easy to forget that some universities are quite happy with their mag-stripe cards. An article at Assa Abloy’s Future Lab Web site points out that some colleges have withstood moving to smart cards, either because it’s too expensive or students and faculty haven’t asked for them.

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A pilot program is in the works to replace the New York City MetroCard with a chip-enabled smart card, according to the New York Times.

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