The applications are numerous, from parking and laundry to gaming, as well as all retail and entertainment uses. Home delivery of service is encrypted and decrypted per subscriber access. Digital video broadcasts accept smart cards as electronic keys for protection. Smart cards can also act as keys to machine settings for sensitive laboratory equipment and dispensers for drugs, tools, library cards, health club equipment etc. E-Commerce Smart cards make it easy for consumers to securely store information and cash for purchasing.
Cards can manage and control expenditures with automatic limits and reporting.
Internet loyalty programs can be deployed across multiple vendors with disparate POS systems and the card acts as a secure central depository for points or rewards. As banks enter competition in newly opened markets such as investment brokerages, they are securing transactions via smart cards at an increased rate. Customers can use secure smart cards for fast, 24-hour electronic funds transfers over the Internet. The explosion of health care data brings up new challenges to the efficiency of patient care and privacy safeguards. Smart cards solve both challenges with secure storage and distribution of everything from emergency data to benefits status.