Contactless Smart Card Payment System - Case Study Example

In Singapore, with rapid technological advancement payment processing has been made possible within a record time of 250 microseconds through the system of contactless smart card and public-key cryptography. This system has been proved effective for payments in public transport systems. A similar advancement is also found in the traditional Hawker centers that have been providing multi culinary services to the visitors as well as residents of Singapore changing their layout and style of functioning into ‘Food Courts’.

The choices of food range from Indian to French and Italian to Malay. (Singapore Expats) The form of the eatery’s areas different ranging from hawker or food centers, coffee shops, canteens and such eating places. The latest addition to this list is the food courts. The food courts are trendy in appearance and also made comfortable with the provision of an air-conditioned atmosphere. Singapore excels not only in the food being offered by it but also in the technological advancement especially in the Imation and communication technology.

Almost all the top information technology companies have their offices in Singapore. The technological awareness and excellence of Singapore can be seen in the development of a contactless smart-card technology that has taken off in a big way in the Public transportation of sector. (Retail Asia) However, this technology as not been favored retailers and hence has not got its recognition despite the convenience of the system. The contactless cards are not powered by a battery; thither, use of an induce built-in induct adductor captures the radio-frequency interrogation signal, which is passed on through the card and the inductor rectifies it to be used to power the electronics of the card.

Because of the simplicity and sophistication of the technology there is a distinct possibility this can be used for payments in the food courts which are the symbols of the technical excellence of Singapore in the provision of food. This report makes a detailed study into the contactless smart card system and the possibility of introducing such a payment system in the food courts. The objective of this chapter is to introduce the concept of ‘contactless smart card system’ and the concept of ‘food courts’ in Singapore to the readers.

This is aimed to be achieved by a detailed review of the available literature on the topic of contactless smart card system and the operation of food courts.