Smart cards are quickly being embraced by many industries as a way into the future. The technological upgrade is used mainly to streamline and secure data and payments. The affordable, easy-to-use technology can give your business the boost it needs.
Hotels
The hotel industry aims to make every stay as stress-free as possible, so it would make sense that they are embracing smart cards for more than just payment.
On top of making the paying process quicker and easier, modern hotels have updated locks on room doors to work with contactless cards, eliminating the moving parts between lock and key and therefore the irritating moment when the key inevitably doesn’t work.
Inside your room, you’ll again find the smart card can be of help, with usually the same keycard giving access to the safe and the minibar.
Leisure
Hand-in-hand with the hotel industry is the leisure industry, who are alsoadding smart cards to their establishments.
Gym and spa lockers are now fitted with smart card readers, as are the entrances to the facilities. Keycards can often double as membership cards, making the experience feel even more exclusive and gyms, in particular, are adopting a ‘wearable’ smart card embedded in a wristwatch-like device to keep the experience hands-free. The cards can be programmed to allow access for a certain amount of time, providing security as well.
The latest tech can also have Near Field Communications (NFC) which enables the use of your mobile to access all these perks. Look out for the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) notification when booking.
Education
Schools, colleges, and universities are eagerly adopting smart cards for a variety of uses throughout their establishments.
Smart card readers at school entrances with a card that doubles as a student ID keeps a track of attendance and allows physical access control to labs and libraries, as well as carrying next of kin or emergency details. Smart cards providing access to IT systems means never forgetting that password that was scribbled in a notebook last exam term and streamlines library access and taking out books and papers.
Entertainment
It falls on entertainment operators to assure that gamblers are of age, confirm their identity and that they are engaging in due diligence. Smart cards can store all those details, providing proof of identity, allow access to the establishment and act as a tool for auditing accounts to monitor their spending.
The smart card also allows gamblers to top up their money in-store with cash or online transactions and can double as a loyalty card, ensuring you take care of your customers as they take care of you.
Smart card technology is popping up all over businesses, especially in the service industry, as a way to impress customers with how fast and easy everything can be, with a system that eliminates the middleman in the process. Consider it for your next business upgrade.
