Get smart – SHARP expands its “Smart Card Systems” range

Anyone paying with the Smart Card can take advantage of useful extra services when making the payment with his personal card. Automatic discounts can be availed of with every purchase or points can be collected for a bonus programme. One can pay with the bonus points that have already been collected or the balance saved on the Smart Card can be used for cash-free payments. Furthermore, the Smart Card also makes a suitable present: just load a balance onto the card and the “gift certificate” is ready for action. Special customers, for example VIP guests, can also be granted special discounts through the Smart Card.

With the Smart Card System, Sharp gives cash register operators the opportunity of integrating intelligent extra functions elegantly into the invoicing procedure. Other than the cash register, the Smart Card only requires an affordable card reading device and the respective chip cards. A central server or additional PC hardware is not necessary. All relevant customer data is saved on the card. This information is accessed within the framework of the payment process. The customer receives the current overview of his Smart Card status with every cash register invoice.

Independent of their industry, cash register operators have the opportunity of implementing an affordable and solid yet flexible and, at their own discretion, adjustable solution for customer loyalty from the very beginning.
The Smart Cards are serviced directly at the cash register. All cards are “approved” directly in the cash register system and can only be used in the operator’s cash register systems. This also makes it possible to expand this solution to cover a large network of stores. Due to the fact that the data is written onto the chip with every purchase, the customer always “carries” his current “status” with him and is personally responsible for his card.

The intelligent cash register landscape can easily be expanded through the integration of the cash register communication programme KAKOM for purchase data administration and for the consolidation of cash register turnover.

It is also worthwhile for schools or cafeterias in small companies to implement such a solution. The operator of a Smart Card System can employ a cash-free payment solution without setting up expensive terminals in the cafeteria and having to administer the cash fed into them there.

In addition to the UP-600 and UP-700 devices, the Sharp Smart Card System is now also available for the UP-800 and UP-3500 series.