Roland Perry wrote:
>> I'm also a sceptic (see my other posts on this thread) but there is a
>> whole new wave (excuse the pun) of micro-payments on the way... the
>> Barclaycard OnePulse card, to be launched this september in London,
>> will include wave-and-pay RFID technology for purchases under ВЈ10, as
>> well as Oyster card capability (the balance held in the virtual Oyster
>> purse will be separate from the wave-and-pay system).
>>
>> Incidentally wave-and-pay would appear to be the generic term -
>> Visa calls it "Visa payWave":
>> (
http://usa.visa.com/personal/cards/paywave/index.html)
>> and Barclays appear to call the technology "OneTouch".
>>
>> The ThriftyScot article (first link below) says that the Royal Bank of
>> Scotland (owners of NatWest) and American Express plan cards using
>> this technology.
>
> I do see a troublesome few years ahead. Having finally got out of the
> woods with every store trying to thrust loyalty cards at you (I'm sure
> the schemes still exist, but most seem to have stopped actively
> recruiting new shoppers), we'll soon have a wallet full of one-purpose
> rfid cards.
>
> They are converting the Amsterdam public transport to some sort of
> Oyster-like system quite soon now. So less moaning about the problems of
> finding a ticket machine there that'll take credit cards, but it's one
> more bit of dedicated plastic to carry everywhere
Though presumably that is the card that will - in theory - one day -
work on almost all public transport in the Netherlands (not sure about NS)?
(and to add to the
> Brussels metro carnet card, the Oyster, my Nottingham City transport bus
> pass, at least one door key, and who knows what else). And not just
> that, but each of those (apart from the door key) has its own billing
> system, or its own bit of prepay cash sitting in limbo.
>
> They say all the ATOC cards [or is it phones] are going to be compatible
> with each other, but I wouldn't take bets on it.
--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK
