Smart card connector comprising a housing defining a smart card receiving slot communicating with a smart card ingress slit formed in the housing; and comprising a plurality of smart card connector contacts mounted within the housing and being configured for reading contact with a smart card when the smart card is inserted into the smart card receiving slot; a movable smart card contact mounting assembly as a contact block assembly supporting the plurality of smart card connector contacts and for positioning the plurality of smart card connector contacts in first and second different orientations including a first orientation when the smart card is fully inserted in the smart card receiving slot; and an actuation arm, characterized in that the actuation arm comprises a protrusion, arm portions (600, 602) and a cam arm portion, wherein the protrusion extends into the smart card receiving slot and is configured to be displaced within the housing when the smart card is fully inserted in the smart card receiving slot, the actuation arm is configured to transition from a retracted rest position to a fully rotated position when the smart card is fully inserted in the smart card receiving slot, the arm portions (600, 602) of the actuation arm extend within a first plane of the housing to the cam arm portion, and the cam arm portion extends within a second plane of the housing above the first plane, wherein the first and second planes are parallel to the smart card receiving slot; the cam arm portion extends orthogonal to one of the arm portions and parallel to the other of the arm portions, the actuation arm transitions from the retracted rest position to the fully rotated position by a rotation of the arm portions (600, 602) and the cam arm portion about a rotation axis, wherein the rotation axis is orthogonal to the smart card receiving slot. a plurality of smart card connector contacts mounted within the housing and being configured for reading contact with a smart card when the smart card is inserted into the smart card receiving slot; a movable smart card contact mounting assembly as a contact block assembly supporting the plurality of smart card connector contacts and for positioning the plurality of smart card connector contacts in first and second different orientations including a first orientation when the smart card is fully inserted in the smart card receiving slot; and an actuation arm, characterized in that the actuation arm comprises a protrusion, arm portions (600, 602) and a cam arm portion, wherein the protrusion extends into the smart card receiving slot and is configured to be displaced within the housing when the smart card is fully inserted in the smart card receiving slot, the actuation arm is configured to transition from a retracted rest position to a fully rotated position when the smart card is fully inserted in the smart card receiving slot, the arm portions (600, 602) of the actuation arm extend within a first plane of the housing to the cam arm portion, and the cam arm portion extends within a second plane of the housing above the first plane, wherein the first and second planes are parallel to the smart card receiving slot; the cam arm portion extends orthogonal to one of the arm portions and parallel to the other of the arm portions, the actuation arm transitions from the retracted rest position to the fully rotated position by a rotation of the arm portions (600, 602) and the cam arm portion about a rotation axis, wherein the rotation axis is orthogonal to the smart card receiving slot.