Money, money circulation and credit - стр. 29
As can be seen from the above it plays role of a sort of a money vault electronically. Due to its limited capacity its loss doesn’t result any heavy losses thus it doesn’t require any costly systems of protection and holder identification, i.e. it is anonymous.
Nowadays magnetic cards are most popular. But experts say that smart cards are future. Recently a substantial increase of exactly this type of cards usage as a mean of payment is observed.
Cards could be separated according to identification information spread method (card holder name, number, term of validity, etc.). These data could be inserted by an embossed print (pressed) by a special machine (embosser) and this card is called embossed.
On non-embossed cards this information is burned out and as a rule such cards are intended only for an electronic usage.
According to the functional characteristics banking cards are separated on credit cards and debit cards. Credit card allows its holder to receive a definite credit during the payments for goods or services the cost of which is higher than a bank account balance pegged to the card (card account).
The debit card owner can make payments for the purchased goods and services and to cash it in the cash machines only up to the amount available on the card account. In the USA the credit cards prevail, in Kazakhstan – debit cards which consist the bigger part of all payment cards.
Both credit and debit cards can be individual and corporate. The individual cards (Customer cards) are issued only to private persons and corporate – only to companies (enterprises).
Corporate card is linked to a companies’ account and can be issued only on a companies’ employee for payment of expenses coming from his business activity and official trips.
In a frame of cards classification on individual and corporate to a separate type the family cards could be divided. They are issued as individual only to private persons but also as corporate could be issued separately for every family member of a card account owner. Family cards in some specified sense are analogue to corporate – the right of making payments under the fixed limits is allowed to the card’s holder family members. Whereby the additional users are supplied with separate personalized cards.
Banking cards could be either separated according to payment systems or Card Associations in frames of which services are rendered. The most widely spread in the world are the cards of the following systems: VISA, EuroCard/MasterCard and American Express (AMEX). One card could be supported and served only by one payment system.