Sunday, December 18, 2011
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Introduction to Credit
Types of Credit Cards
Since each person's financial needs are different, it makes sense that there are different types of credit cards. Before you apply for a credit card, become familiar with the various kinds of credit cards to make sure you're choosing the best credit card for you.
Standard Credit Cards
The most common type of credit card allows you to have a revolving balance up to a certain credit limit. Credit is used up when you make a purchase and made available again once you've made a payment. A finance charge is applied to outstanding balances at the end of each month. Credit cards have a minimum payment that must be paid by a certain due date to avoid late-payment penalties.
Premium Credit Cards
These cards offer incentives and benefits beyond that of a regular credit card. Examples of premium credit cards are Gold and Platinum cards that offer cash back, reward points, travel upgrades, and other rewards to cardholders. Premium cards can have higher fees and usually have minimum income and credit score requirements.
Both standard credit cards and premium credit cards have specific types of credit cards. Student credit cards, zero percent interest cards, and travel cards are just a few types available.
Charge Cards
Charge cards do not have a credit limit. The balance on a charge card must be paid in full at the end of each month. Charge cards typically do not have a finance charge or minimum payment since the balance is to be paid in full. Late payments are subject to a fee, charge restrictions, or card cancellation depending on your card agreement.
Limited Purpose Cards
Limited purpose credit cards can only be used at specific locations. Limited purpose cards are used like credit cards with a minimum payment and finance charge. Store credit cards and gas credit cards are examples of limited purpose credit cards.
Secured Credit Cards
Secured credit cards are an option for those without a credit history or those with blemished credit. Secured cards require a security deposit to be placed on the card. The credit limit on a secured credit card is equal to the amount of the deposit made. Secured credit cards have revolving balances depending on the purchases and payments made.
Prepaid Credit Cards
Prepaid credit cards require the cardholder to load money onto the card before the card can be used. Purchases are withdrawn from the card's balance. The credit limit does not renew until more money is loaded onto the card. Prepaid cards do not have finance charges or minimum payments since the balance is withdrawn from the deposit. Prepaid cards are similar to debit cards, but are not tied to a checking account.
Business Credit Cards
Business credit cards are designed specifically for business use. They provide business owners with an easy method of keeping business and personal transactions separate. There are standard business credit and charge cards available.
Standard Credit Cards
The most common type of credit card allows you to have a revolving balance up to a certain credit limit. Credit is used up when you make a purchase and made available again once you've made a payment. A finance charge is applied to outstanding balances at the end of each month. Credit cards have a minimum payment that must be paid by a certain due date to avoid late-payment penalties.
Premium Credit Cards
These cards offer incentives and benefits beyond that of a regular credit card. Examples of premium credit cards are Gold and Platinum cards that offer cash back, reward points, travel upgrades, and other rewards to cardholders. Premium cards can have higher fees and usually have minimum income and credit score requirements.
Both standard credit cards and premium credit cards have specific types of credit cards. Student credit cards, zero percent interest cards, and travel cards are just a few types available.
Charge Cards
Charge cards do not have a credit limit. The balance on a charge card must be paid in full at the end of each month. Charge cards typically do not have a finance charge or minimum payment since the balance is to be paid in full. Late payments are subject to a fee, charge restrictions, or card cancellation depending on your card agreement.
Limited Purpose Cards
Limited purpose credit cards can only be used at specific locations. Limited purpose cards are used like credit cards with a minimum payment and finance charge. Store credit cards and gas credit cards are examples of limited purpose credit cards.
Secured Credit Cards
Secured credit cards are an option for those without a credit history or those with blemished credit. Secured cards require a security deposit to be placed on the card. The credit limit on a secured credit card is equal to the amount of the deposit made. Secured credit cards have revolving balances depending on the purchases and payments made.
Prepaid Credit Cards
Prepaid credit cards require the cardholder to load money onto the card before the card can be used. Purchases are withdrawn from the card's balance. The credit limit does not renew until more money is loaded onto the card. Prepaid cards do not have finance charges or minimum payments since the balance is withdrawn from the deposit. Prepaid cards are similar to debit cards, but are not tied to a checking account.
Business Credit Cards
Business credit cards are designed specifically for business use. They provide business owners with an easy method of keeping business and personal transactions separate. There are standard business credit and charge cards available.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Types of debit card systems
There are currently three ways that debit card transactions are processed: online debit (also known as PIN debit), offline debit (also known as signature debit) and the Electronic Purse Card System.
It should be noted that one physical card can include the functions of an online debit card, an offline debit card and an electronic purse card.
Although many debit cards are of the Visa or MasterCard brand, there are many other types of debit card, each accepted only within a particular country or region, for example Switch (now: Maestro) and Solo in the United Kingdom, Interac in Canada, Carte Bleue in France, Laser in Ireland, "EC electronic cash" (formerly Eurocheque) in Germany and EFTPOS cards in Australia and New Zealand. The need for cross-border compatibility and the advent of the euro recently led to many of these card networks (such as Switzerland's "EC direkt", Austria's "Bankomatkasse" and Switch in the United Kingdom) being re-branded with the internationally recognised Maestro logo, which is part of the MasterCard brand. Some debit cards are dual branded with the logo of the (former) national card as well as Maestro (e.g. EC cards in Germany, Laser cards in Ireland, Switch and Solo in the UK, Pinpas cards in the Netherlands, Bancontact cards in Belgium, etc.). The use of a debit card system allows operators to package their product more effectively while monitoring customer spending. An example of one of these systems is ECS by Embed International.
Online Debit System
Online debit cards require electronic authorization of every transaction and the debits are reflected in the user’s account immediately. The transaction may be additionally secured with the personal identification number (PIN) authentication system and some online cards require such authentication for every transaction, essentially becoming enhanced automatic teller machine (ATM) cards. One difficulty in using online debit cards is the necessity of an electronic authorization device at the point of sale (POS) and sometimes also a separate PINpad to enter the PIN, although this is becoming commonplace for all card transactions in many countries. Overall, the online debit card is generally viewed as superior to the offline debit card because of its more secure authentication system and live status, which alleviates problems with processing lag on transactions that may only issue online debit cards. Some on-line debit systems are using the normal authentication processes of Internet banking to provide real-time on-line debit transactions. The most notable of these are Ideal and POLi.
Offline Debit System
Offline debit cards have the logos of major credit cards (e.g. Visa or MasterCard) or major debit cards (e.g. Maestro in the United Kingdom and other countries, but not the United States) and are used at the point of sale like a credit card (with payer's signature). This type of debit card may be subject to a daily limit, and/or a maximum limit equal to the current/checking account balance from which it draws funds. Transactions conducted with offline debit cards require 2–3 days to be reflected on users’ account balances. In some countries and with some banks and merchant service organizations, a "credit" or offline debit transaction is without cost to the purchaser beyond the face value of the transaction, while a small fee may be charged for a "debit" or online debit transaction (although it is often absorbed by the retailer). Other differences are that online debit purchasers may opt to withdraw cash in addition to the amount of the debit purchase (if the merchant supports that functionality); also, from the merchant's standpoint, the merchant pays lower fees on online debit transaction as compared to "credit" (offline) debit transaction.
Electronic Purse Card System
Smart-card-based electronic purse systems (in which value is stored on the card chip, not in an externally recorded account, so that machines accepting the card need no network connectivity) are in use throughout Europe since the mid-1990s, most notably in Germany (Geldkarte), Austria (Quick), the Netherlands (Chipknip), Belgium (Proton), Switzerland (CASH) and France (Mon€o, which is usually carried by a debit card). In Austria and Germany, all current bank cards now include electronic purses.
Prepaid Debit Card
Prepaid debit cards, also called reloadable debit cards or reloadable prepaid cards, are often used for recurring payments.
The payer loads funds to the cardholder's card account. Prepaid debit cards use either the offline debit system or the online debit system to access these funds. Particularly for companies with a large number of payment recipients abroad, prepaid debit cards allow the delivery of international payments without the delays and fees associated with international checks and bank transfers.
Providers include Caxton FX prepaid cards,
Escape prepaid cards, Travelex prepaid cards
And Transcash prepaid cards
Whereas, web-based services such as stock photography websites (istockphoto), outsourced services (oDesk), and affiliate networks (MediaWhiz) have all started offering prepaid debit cards for their contributors/freelancers/vendors.
It should be noted that one physical card can include the functions of an online debit card, an offline debit card and an electronic purse card.
Although many debit cards are of the Visa or MasterCard brand, there are many other types of debit card, each accepted only within a particular country or region, for example Switch (now: Maestro) and Solo in the United Kingdom, Interac in Canada, Carte Bleue in France, Laser in Ireland, "EC electronic cash" (formerly Eurocheque) in Germany and EFTPOS cards in Australia and New Zealand. The need for cross-border compatibility and the advent of the euro recently led to many of these card networks (such as Switzerland's "EC direkt", Austria's "Bankomatkasse" and Switch in the United Kingdom) being re-branded with the internationally recognised Maestro logo, which is part of the MasterCard brand. Some debit cards are dual branded with the logo of the (former) national card as well as Maestro (e.g. EC cards in Germany, Laser cards in Ireland, Switch and Solo in the UK, Pinpas cards in the Netherlands, Bancontact cards in Belgium, etc.). The use of a debit card system allows operators to package their product more effectively while monitoring customer spending. An example of one of these systems is ECS by Embed International.
Online Debit System
Online debit cards require electronic authorization of every transaction and the debits are reflected in the user’s account immediately. The transaction may be additionally secured with the personal identification number (PIN) authentication system and some online cards require such authentication for every transaction, essentially becoming enhanced automatic teller machine (ATM) cards. One difficulty in using online debit cards is the necessity of an electronic authorization device at the point of sale (POS) and sometimes also a separate PINpad to enter the PIN, although this is becoming commonplace for all card transactions in many countries. Overall, the online debit card is generally viewed as superior to the offline debit card because of its more secure authentication system and live status, which alleviates problems with processing lag on transactions that may only issue online debit cards. Some on-line debit systems are using the normal authentication processes of Internet banking to provide real-time on-line debit transactions. The most notable of these are Ideal and POLi.
Offline Debit System
Offline debit cards have the logos of major credit cards (e.g. Visa or MasterCard) or major debit cards (e.g. Maestro in the United Kingdom and other countries, but not the United States) and are used at the point of sale like a credit card (with payer's signature). This type of debit card may be subject to a daily limit, and/or a maximum limit equal to the current/checking account balance from which it draws funds. Transactions conducted with offline debit cards require 2–3 days to be reflected on users’ account balances. In some countries and with some banks and merchant service organizations, a "credit" or offline debit transaction is without cost to the purchaser beyond the face value of the transaction, while a small fee may be charged for a "debit" or online debit transaction (although it is often absorbed by the retailer). Other differences are that online debit purchasers may opt to withdraw cash in addition to the amount of the debit purchase (if the merchant supports that functionality); also, from the merchant's standpoint, the merchant pays lower fees on online debit transaction as compared to "credit" (offline) debit transaction.
Electronic Purse Card System
Smart-card-based electronic purse systems (in which value is stored on the card chip, not in an externally recorded account, so that machines accepting the card need no network connectivity) are in use throughout Europe since the mid-1990s, most notably in Germany (Geldkarte), Austria (Quick), the Netherlands (Chipknip), Belgium (Proton), Switzerland (CASH) and France (Mon€o, which is usually carried by a debit card). In Austria and Germany, all current bank cards now include electronic purses.
Prepaid Debit Card
Prepaid debit cards, also called reloadable debit cards or reloadable prepaid cards, are often used for recurring payments.
The payer loads funds to the cardholder's card account. Prepaid debit cards use either the offline debit system or the online debit system to access these funds. Particularly for companies with a large number of payment recipients abroad, prepaid debit cards allow the delivery of international payments without the delays and fees associated with international checks and bank transfers.
Providers include Caxton FX prepaid cards,
Escape prepaid cards, Travelex prepaid cards
And Transcash prepaid cards
Whereas, web-based services such as stock photography websites (istockphoto), outsourced services (oDesk), and affiliate networks (MediaWhiz) have all started offering prepaid debit cards for their contributors/freelancers/vendors.
Automated teller machine
An automated teller machine (ATM), also known as a automated banking machine (ABM) or Cash Machine and by several other names (see below), is a computerized telecommunications device that provides the clients of a financial institution with access to financial transactions in a public space without the need for a cashier, human clerk or bank teller.
On most modern ATMs, the customer is identified by inserting a plastic ATM card with a magnetic stripe or a plastic smart card with a chip, that contains a unique card number and some security information such as an expiration date or CVVC (CVV). Authentication is provided by the customer entering a personal identification number (PIN).
Using an ATM, customers can access their bank accounts in order to make cash withdrawals, credit card cash advances, and check their account balances as well as purchase prepaid cellphone credit. If the currency being withdrawn from the ATM is different from that which the bank account is denominated in (e.g.: Withdrawing Japanese Yen from a bank account containing US Dollars), the money will be converted at a wholesale exchange rate. Thus, ATMs often provide the best possible exchange rate for foreign travelersand are heavily used for this purpose as well.
ATMs are known by various other names including automatic banking machine (or automated banking machine particularly in the United States) (ABM), automated transaction machine,cashpoint (particularly in the United Kingdom), money machine, bank machine, cash machine, hole-in-the-wall, autoteller (after the Bank of Scotland's usage), cashline machine (after the Royal Bank of Scotland's usage), MAC Machine (in the Philadelphia area), Bankomat (in various countries particularly in Europe and including Russia), Multibanco (after a registered trade mark, in Portugal), Minibank in Norway, Geld Automaat in Belgium and the Netherlands, and All Time Money in India.
Location
ATMs are placed not only near or inside the premises of banks, but also in locations such as shopping centers/malls, airports, grocery stores, petrol/gas stations, restaurants, or any place large numbers of people may gather. These represent two types of ATM installations: on and off premise. On premise ATMs are typically more advanced, multi-function machines that complement an actual bank branch's capabilities and thus more expensive. Off premise machines are deployed by financial institutions and also ISOs (or Independent Sales Organizations) where there is usually just a straight need for cash, so they typically are the cheaper mono-function devices. In Canada, when an ATM is not operated by a financial institution it is known as a "White Label ATM".
In North America, banks often have drive-thru lanes providing access to ATMs.
Many ATMs have a sign above them indicating the name of the bank or organization owning the ATM, and possibly including the list of ATM networks to which that machine is connected. This type of sign is called a topper.
Financial networks
Most ATMs are connected to interbank networks, enabling people to withdraw and deposit money from machines not belonging to the bank where they have their account or in the country where their accounts are held (enabling cash withdrawals in local currency). Some examples of interbank networks include PULSE, PLUS, Cirrus, Interac, Interswitch, STAR, and LINK.
ATMs rely on authorization of a financial transaction by the card issuer or other authorizing institution via the communications network. This is often performed through an ISO 8583 messaging system.
Many banks charge ATM usage fees. In some cases, these fees are charged solely to users who are not customers of the bank where the ATM is installed; in other cases, they apply to all users.
In order to allow a more diverse range of devices to attach to their networks, some interbank networks have passed rules expanding the definition of an ATM to be a terminal that either has the vault within its footprint or utilizes the vault or cash drawer within the merchant establishment, which allows for the use of a scrip cash dispenser.
A Diebold 1063ix with a dial-up modem visible at the base
ATM in Trogir, Croatia
ATMs typically connect directly to their host or ATM Controller via either ADSL or dial-up modem over a telephone line or directly via a leased line. Leased lines are preferable to POTS lines because they require less time to establish a connection. Leased lines may be comparatively expensive to operate versus a POTS line, meaning less-trafficked machines will usually rely on a dial-up modem. That dilemma may be solved as high-speed Internet VPN connections become more ubiquitous. Common lower-level layer communication protocols used by ATMs to communicate back to the bank include SNA over SDLC, TC500 over Async, X.25, and TCP/IP over Ethernet.
In addition to methods employed for transaction security and secrecy, all communications traffic between the ATM and the Transaction Processor may also be encrypted via methods such as SSL.
Hardware
An ATM is typically made up of the following devices:
CPU (to control the user interface and transaction devices)
Magnetic and/or Chip card reader (to identify the customer)
PIN Pad (similar in layout to a Touch tone or Calculator keypad), often manufactured as part of a secure enclosure.
Secure cryptoprocessor, generally within a secure enclosure.
Display (used by the customer for performing the transaction)
Function key buttons (usually close to the display) or a Touchscreen (used to select the various aspects of the transaction)
Record Printer (to provide the customer with a record of their transaction)
Vault (to store the parts of the machinery requiring restricted access)
Housing (for aesthetics and to attach signage to)
Recently, due to heavier computing demands and the falling price of computer-like architectures, ATMs have moved away from custom hardware architectures using microcontrollers and/or application-specific integrated circuits to adopting the hardware architecture of a personal computer, such as, USB connections for peripherals, ethernet and IP communications, and use personal computer operating systems. Although it is undoubtedly cheaper to use commercial off-the-shelf hardware, it does make ATMs potentially vulnerable to the same sort of problems exhibited by conventional computers.
Business owners often lease ATM terminals from ATM service providers.
Two Loomis employees refilling an ATM at the Downtown Seattle REI.
The vault of an ATM is within the footprint of the device itself and is where items of value are kept. Scrip cash dispensers do not incorporate a vault.
Mechanisms found inside the vault may include:
Dispensing mechanism (to provide cash or other items of value)
Deposit mechanism including a Check Processing Module and Bulk Note Acceptor (to allow the customer to make deposits)
Security sensors (Magnetic, Thermal, Seismic, gas)
Locks: (to ensure controlled access to the contents of the vault)
Journaling systems; many are electronic (a sealed flash memory device based on proprietary standards) or a solid-state device (an actual printer) which accrues all records of activity including access timestamps, number of bills dispensed, etc. - This is considered sensitive data and is secured in similar fashion to the cash as it is a similar liability.
ATM vaults are supplied by manufacturers in several grades. Factors influencing vault grade selection include cost, weight, regulatory requirements, ATM type, operator risk avoidance practices, and internal volume requirements.
Software
With the migration to commodity PC hardware, standard commercial "off-the-shelf" operating systems and programming environments can be used inside of ATMs. Typical platforms previously used in ATM development include RMX or OS/2. Today the vast majority of ATMs worldwide use a Microsoft OS, primarily Windows XP Professional or Windows XP Embedded.
A small number of deployments may still be running older versions such as Windows NT, Windows CE or Windows 2000. Notably, Vista was not widely adopted in ATMs.
Linux is also finding some reception in the ATM marketplace. An example of this is Banrisul, the largest bank in the south of Brazil, which has replaced the MS-DOS operating systems in its ATMs with Linux. Banco do Brasil is also migrating ATMs to Linux.
Common application layer transaction protocols, such as Diebold 91x (911 or 912) and NCR NDC or NDC+ provide emulation of older generations of hardware on newer platforms with incremental extensions made over time to address new capabilities, although companies like NCR continuously improve these protocols issuing newer versions (e.g. NCR's AANDC v3.x.y, where x.y are subversions). Most major ATM manufacturers provide software packages that implement these protocols. Newer protocols such as IFX have yet to find wide acceptance by transaction processors.
With the move to a more standardized software base, financial institutions have been increasingly interested in the ability to pick and choose the application programs that drive their equipment. WOSA/XFS, now known as CEN XFS (or simply XFS), provides a common API for accessing and manipulating the various devices of an ATM. J/XFS is a Java implementation of the CEN XFS API.
Security
Security, as it relates to ATMs, has several dimensions. ATMs also provide a practical demonstration of a number of security systems and concepts operating together and how various security concerns are dealt with.
On most modern ATMs, the customer is identified by inserting a plastic ATM card with a magnetic stripe or a plastic smart card with a chip, that contains a unique card number and some security information such as an expiration date or CVVC (CVV). Authentication is provided by the customer entering a personal identification number (PIN).
Using an ATM, customers can access their bank accounts in order to make cash withdrawals, credit card cash advances, and check their account balances as well as purchase prepaid cellphone credit. If the currency being withdrawn from the ATM is different from that which the bank account is denominated in (e.g.: Withdrawing Japanese Yen from a bank account containing US Dollars), the money will be converted at a wholesale exchange rate. Thus, ATMs often provide the best possible exchange rate for foreign travelersand are heavily used for this purpose as well.
ATMs are known by various other names including automatic banking machine (or automated banking machine particularly in the United States) (ABM), automated transaction machine,cashpoint (particularly in the United Kingdom), money machine, bank machine, cash machine, hole-in-the-wall, autoteller (after the Bank of Scotland's usage), cashline machine (after the Royal Bank of Scotland's usage), MAC Machine (in the Philadelphia area), Bankomat (in various countries particularly in Europe and including Russia), Multibanco (after a registered trade mark, in Portugal), Minibank in Norway, Geld Automaat in Belgium and the Netherlands, and All Time Money in India.
Location
ATMs are placed not only near or inside the premises of banks, but also in locations such as shopping centers/malls, airports, grocery stores, petrol/gas stations, restaurants, or any place large numbers of people may gather. These represent two types of ATM installations: on and off premise. On premise ATMs are typically more advanced, multi-function machines that complement an actual bank branch's capabilities and thus more expensive. Off premise machines are deployed by financial institutions and also ISOs (or Independent Sales Organizations) where there is usually just a straight need for cash, so they typically are the cheaper mono-function devices. In Canada, when an ATM is not operated by a financial institution it is known as a "White Label ATM".
In North America, banks often have drive-thru lanes providing access to ATMs.
Many ATMs have a sign above them indicating the name of the bank or organization owning the ATM, and possibly including the list of ATM networks to which that machine is connected. This type of sign is called a topper.
Financial networks
Most ATMs are connected to interbank networks, enabling people to withdraw and deposit money from machines not belonging to the bank where they have their account or in the country where their accounts are held (enabling cash withdrawals in local currency). Some examples of interbank networks include PULSE, PLUS, Cirrus, Interac, Interswitch, STAR, and LINK.
ATMs rely on authorization of a financial transaction by the card issuer or other authorizing institution via the communications network. This is often performed through an ISO 8583 messaging system.
Many banks charge ATM usage fees. In some cases, these fees are charged solely to users who are not customers of the bank where the ATM is installed; in other cases, they apply to all users.
In order to allow a more diverse range of devices to attach to their networks, some interbank networks have passed rules expanding the definition of an ATM to be a terminal that either has the vault within its footprint or utilizes the vault or cash drawer within the merchant establishment, which allows for the use of a scrip cash dispenser.
A Diebold 1063ix with a dial-up modem visible at the base
ATM in Trogir, Croatia
ATMs typically connect directly to their host or ATM Controller via either ADSL or dial-up modem over a telephone line or directly via a leased line. Leased lines are preferable to POTS lines because they require less time to establish a connection. Leased lines may be comparatively expensive to operate versus a POTS line, meaning less-trafficked machines will usually rely on a dial-up modem. That dilemma may be solved as high-speed Internet VPN connections become more ubiquitous. Common lower-level layer communication protocols used by ATMs to communicate back to the bank include SNA over SDLC, TC500 over Async, X.25, and TCP/IP over Ethernet.
In addition to methods employed for transaction security and secrecy, all communications traffic between the ATM and the Transaction Processor may also be encrypted via methods such as SSL.
Hardware
An ATM is typically made up of the following devices:
CPU (to control the user interface and transaction devices)
Magnetic and/or Chip card reader (to identify the customer)
PIN Pad (similar in layout to a Touch tone or Calculator keypad), often manufactured as part of a secure enclosure.
Secure cryptoprocessor, generally within a secure enclosure.
Display (used by the customer for performing the transaction)
Function key buttons (usually close to the display) or a Touchscreen (used to select the various aspects of the transaction)
Record Printer (to provide the customer with a record of their transaction)
Vault (to store the parts of the machinery requiring restricted access)
Housing (for aesthetics and to attach signage to)
Recently, due to heavier computing demands and the falling price of computer-like architectures, ATMs have moved away from custom hardware architectures using microcontrollers and/or application-specific integrated circuits to adopting the hardware architecture of a personal computer, such as, USB connections for peripherals, ethernet and IP communications, and use personal computer operating systems. Although it is undoubtedly cheaper to use commercial off-the-shelf hardware, it does make ATMs potentially vulnerable to the same sort of problems exhibited by conventional computers.
Business owners often lease ATM terminals from ATM service providers.
Two Loomis employees refilling an ATM at the Downtown Seattle REI.
The vault of an ATM is within the footprint of the device itself and is where items of value are kept. Scrip cash dispensers do not incorporate a vault.
Mechanisms found inside the vault may include:
Dispensing mechanism (to provide cash or other items of value)
Deposit mechanism including a Check Processing Module and Bulk Note Acceptor (to allow the customer to make deposits)
Security sensors (Magnetic, Thermal, Seismic, gas)
Locks: (to ensure controlled access to the contents of the vault)
Journaling systems; many are electronic (a sealed flash memory device based on proprietary standards) or a solid-state device (an actual printer) which accrues all records of activity including access timestamps, number of bills dispensed, etc. - This is considered sensitive data and is secured in similar fashion to the cash as it is a similar liability.
ATM vaults are supplied by manufacturers in several grades. Factors influencing vault grade selection include cost, weight, regulatory requirements, ATM type, operator risk avoidance practices, and internal volume requirements.
Software
With the migration to commodity PC hardware, standard commercial "off-the-shelf" operating systems and programming environments can be used inside of ATMs. Typical platforms previously used in ATM development include RMX or OS/2. Today the vast majority of ATMs worldwide use a Microsoft OS, primarily Windows XP Professional or Windows XP Embedded.
A small number of deployments may still be running older versions such as Windows NT, Windows CE or Windows 2000. Notably, Vista was not widely adopted in ATMs.
Linux is also finding some reception in the ATM marketplace. An example of this is Banrisul, the largest bank in the south of Brazil, which has replaced the MS-DOS operating systems in its ATMs with Linux. Banco do Brasil is also migrating ATMs to Linux.
Common application layer transaction protocols, such as Diebold 91x (911 or 912) and NCR NDC or NDC+ provide emulation of older generations of hardware on newer platforms with incremental extensions made over time to address new capabilities, although companies like NCR continuously improve these protocols issuing newer versions (e.g. NCR's AANDC v3.x.y, where x.y are subversions). Most major ATM manufacturers provide software packages that implement these protocols. Newer protocols such as IFX have yet to find wide acceptance by transaction processors.
With the move to a more standardized software base, financial institutions have been increasingly interested in the ability to pick and choose the application programs that drive their equipment. WOSA/XFS, now known as CEN XFS (or simply XFS), provides a common API for accessing and manipulating the various devices of an ATM. J/XFS is a Java implementation of the CEN XFS API.
Security
Security, as it relates to ATMs, has several dimensions. ATMs also provide a practical demonstration of a number of security systems and concepts operating together and how various security concerns are dealt with.
Visa Debit
Visa Debit is a major debit card issued by Visa in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and other nations of the European Union.Prior to October 2004, the debit card was known as Visa Delta. Since June 2009, the major banks in the UK have begun issuing Visa Debit. Barclays, Bank of Scotland/Halifax, Lloyds TSB, and Santander have already issued the card. HSBC, RBS (including NatWest and Ulster Bank) are currently in the process of migrating to the card from the Maestro debit card.
The scheme is also used by many smaller banks and building societies (some of whom had also previously been Switch issuers) including the Co-operative Bank, First Trust Bank, Alliance & Leicester, Northern Rock, Reliance Bank, Nationwide and Coventry Building Society. In October 2010, CIBC became the first bank in Canada to offer a debit card (the CIBC Advantage Card) that offers access for point of sale shopping internationally, over the internet or by mail or telephone orders using the Visa debit network. It also provides access to the Interac network for point of sale shopping in Canada.
System
The card can be used just like a Visa credit card both internationally and in the UK. Retailers in some countries can however accept the card as a debit card rather than a normal Visa card. In this case, the store is not charged a percentage, but rather a small fixed charge of around £0.50 per transaction. All transactions are in any case processed through the Visa clearing system, using the same card number, distinguishing it from other national debit card schemes which can be combined with Visa on a credit card. Customers might be charged a fee by their bank, for example, when buying foreign currency in the UK (up to 2%)
Market competition
he competitors to Visa Debit in the UK debit card market are Maestro and Debit MasterCard debit cards. Maestro is issued by Yorkshire Bank and Clydesdale Bank. Yorkshire Bank and Clydesdale Bank have also begun to issue Debit MasterCard.
In the Republic of Ireland, currently only Ulster Bank, Permanent tsb (and Halifax who are soon to withdraw from the Irish market) offer Visa Debit cards, whereas most other banks issue Laser or Maestro cards (often co-branded).
Visa and MasterCard debit cards are more widely accepted in the UK and internationally than Maestro, as both use either the Visa or MasterCard clearing systems for card payments. (LINK is used for domestic UK Debit Card ATM transactions).
The scheme is also used by many smaller banks and building societies (some of whom had also previously been Switch issuers) including the Co-operative Bank, First Trust Bank, Alliance & Leicester, Northern Rock, Reliance Bank, Nationwide and Coventry Building Society. In October 2010, CIBC became the first bank in Canada to offer a debit card (the CIBC Advantage Card) that offers access for point of sale shopping internationally, over the internet or by mail or telephone orders using the Visa debit network. It also provides access to the Interac network for point of sale shopping in Canada.
System
The card can be used just like a Visa credit card both internationally and in the UK. Retailers in some countries can however accept the card as a debit card rather than a normal Visa card. In this case, the store is not charged a percentage, but rather a small fixed charge of around £0.50 per transaction. All transactions are in any case processed through the Visa clearing system, using the same card number, distinguishing it from other national debit card schemes which can be combined with Visa on a credit card. Customers might be charged a fee by their bank, for example, when buying foreign currency in the UK (up to 2%)
Market competition
he competitors to Visa Debit in the UK debit card market are Maestro and Debit MasterCard debit cards. Maestro is issued by Yorkshire Bank and Clydesdale Bank. Yorkshire Bank and Clydesdale Bank have also begun to issue Debit MasterCard.
In the Republic of Ireland, currently only Ulster Bank, Permanent tsb (and Halifax who are soon to withdraw from the Irish market) offer Visa Debit cards, whereas most other banks issue Laser or Maestro cards (often co-branded).
Visa and MasterCard debit cards are more widely accepted in the UK and internationally than Maestro, as both use either the Visa or MasterCard clearing systems for card payments. (LINK is used for domestic UK Debit Card ATM transactions).
Debit card cashback
Debit card cashback (known as 'cash out' when using EFTPOS in Australia and New Zealand) is a service offered to retail customers whereby an extra amount of money is added to the total purchase price of a transaction paid by debit card and the customer receives the extra amount in cash along with their goods. For example, a customer purchasing $18.99 worth of goods might ask for twenty dollars cashback. They would pay a total of $38.99 ($18.99 + $20.00) with their debit card and receive $20 in cash along with their goods. Many customers find this a useful way to obtain cash, instead of making a separate trip to a cash machine. The idea was originally hatched by British-based retail chain Tesco in order to reduce the amount of cash banking the stores needed to carry out, the customer service aspect being a side effect of this.
The service is offered by both banks and merchant service providers in countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Belgium, Canada, Poland and the Netherlands because of the fee structures in use in these locales:
When accepting payment by debit card, merchants pay a fixed commission fee (as opposed to a percentage) to their bank or merchant service provider. (This is because the commission paid by the merchant for accepting debit cards, unlike credit cards, does not need to fund interest free credit or other incentives).
Accepting payments in cash can be costly for merchants, given that many British banks charge around 0.5% for depositing cash into a business bank account, along with the costs of transporting and insuring the cash.
The combination of these two points means that the retailer can save money by offering the cashback service. It does not cost the retailer more in commission to add cashback to a debit card purchase, but in the process of giving cashback, the retailer can "offload" cash which they would otherwise have to pay to deposit at the bank.
Merchants do not offer cashback on payments by credit card because they would pay a percentage commission of the additional cash amount to their bank or merchant service provider.
Some vendors enforce a minimum purchase amount or add a fixed fee when providing cashback to a customer.
In many cases, retailers require customers to initial the cashback entry on the till receipt to confirm they have received the cash. This system is used to prevent cashiers surreptitiously adding cashback amounts to a transaction and keeping the money for themselves (or accusations of same), but more importantly, to ensure that customers cannot return to the store with allegations that the attendant "forgot" to hand over the requested cash.
Cashback can have benefits for the customer in many scenarios. In locations where there are no cash machines nearby, or the nearby machines are out of order or empty, a local retailer may be able to supply the required cash instead and to offer more flexibility in note denominations. Sometimes it is simply more convenient to combine the transactions at the retailer and ATM into a single cashback transaction with the retailer.
Additionally, although fees for debit card ATM usage are very rare in countries such as the UK, where cashback originated, this is not the case in some other countries. In Canada, fees of $1~2 are typical when using an ATM from a different bank than the one with which the customer has an account, which gives rise to another potential cashback advantage for the consumer: by making use of the cashback procedure, this ATM fee can be avoided for the cardholder.
The service is offered by both banks and merchant service providers in countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Belgium, Canada, Poland and the Netherlands because of the fee structures in use in these locales:
When accepting payment by debit card, merchants pay a fixed commission fee (as opposed to a percentage) to their bank or merchant service provider. (This is because the commission paid by the merchant for accepting debit cards, unlike credit cards, does not need to fund interest free credit or other incentives).
Accepting payments in cash can be costly for merchants, given that many British banks charge around 0.5% for depositing cash into a business bank account, along with the costs of transporting and insuring the cash.
The combination of these two points means that the retailer can save money by offering the cashback service. It does not cost the retailer more in commission to add cashback to a debit card purchase, but in the process of giving cashback, the retailer can "offload" cash which they would otherwise have to pay to deposit at the bank.
Merchants do not offer cashback on payments by credit card because they would pay a percentage commission of the additional cash amount to their bank or merchant service provider.
Some vendors enforce a minimum purchase amount or add a fixed fee when providing cashback to a customer.
In many cases, retailers require customers to initial the cashback entry on the till receipt to confirm they have received the cash. This system is used to prevent cashiers surreptitiously adding cashback amounts to a transaction and keeping the money for themselves (or accusations of same), but more importantly, to ensure that customers cannot return to the store with allegations that the attendant "forgot" to hand over the requested cash.
Cashback can have benefits for the customer in many scenarios. In locations where there are no cash machines nearby, or the nearby machines are out of order or empty, a local retailer may be able to supply the required cash instead and to offer more flexibility in note denominations. Sometimes it is simply more convenient to combine the transactions at the retailer and ATM into a single cashback transaction with the retailer.
Additionally, although fees for debit card ATM usage are very rare in countries such as the UK, where cashback originated, this is not the case in some other countries. In Canada, fees of $1~2 are typical when using an ATM from a different bank than the one with which the customer has an account, which gives rise to another potential cashback advantage for the consumer: by making use of the cashback procedure, this ATM fee can be avoided for the cardholder.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)