And, because of our partnerships, this pilot is unique in that it is being conducted without cost to the Marine Corps or any part of the federal government. The Marine Corps Smart Technologies Pilot demonstrates our commitment to helping the Government and Government Agencies 'do more' through valuable and convenient services and products. The pilot marks one of American Express' first implementations of Banksys' electronic purse technology, Proton. This allows them to load personal funds from their Marine Federal Credit Union account to their smart card. They can then use the smart card to make purchases at popular locations on base, including the Officers'Club, bowling alley, barber shop and vending machines.
Marines can reload funds as needed into the E-purse.
The Marine Corps Smart Technologies Pilot is American Express' second government smart card project. The Marine Corps Smart Technologies Pilot also is American Express' second multi-application smart card. In May, the Company announced the Hilton Smart Card pilot , a multi-function smart card that allows business travelers to automatically check in and check out at designated Hilton Hotels. Besides the e-purse application, Marines can use The Marine Corps Smart Technologies card for a variety of functions. To effectively track the issuance and retrieval of weapons, the Marines are using the smart card to enhance the process of checking weapons in and out of the armory.