Pilsen card payment terminals
The project of a city multifunctional chip card in Plzeň was started on 1st May 2004. Since then it has been in continuous development, within which it was necessary to solve expansion of Pilsen card acceptance places with partner organizations, and also bonus system activation. The aim was to offer the card holders more options of the card utilization, not only within the traffic, and also to motivate them to use the bonus system of the card. The project also covered development of the Pilsen card SAM module.
Short story
- Implementation of the project within 145 days
- Compact payment terminal and supportive back-office
- Acceptance of both Pilsen and payment cards
- Loyalty system usage with the possibility of own configuration
- Operating costs minimization
Expanding the existing acceptance network
The original equipment of the Pilsen card acceptance place was based on a common personal computer with a screen which was interconnected with a (Pilsen) contactless chip card reader and a printer for printing the documents. However, not every partner had enough space for placing the PC with a printer, and together with high financial demands this made the expansion of acceptance places network impossible.
It was necessary to come with a solution that would be cheaper and also less demanding as for space, and which would make it possible and easy to expand the existing Pilsen card acceptance network. One of the criteria was also to enable third parties to use the payment terminal and to make the loyalty system available for them as well.
Compact payment terminal
The solution is based on a compact payment terminal and a robust /considerable supportive back-office. This terminal is able to accept not only the Pilsen card (Mifare Classicc and Mifare DESFire), but it is also prepared to accept banking cards. Comparing to classical terminals this one is equipped with a lock against theft. Connectivity of the terminal is provided through GSM, Ethernet or a telephone modem.
TELCON back-office and its modularity
TELCON Back-office ensures configuration of the whole system of payment terminals, it monitors and informs about operating conditions of individual devices via emails. It contains modules such as:
- Terminal users
- Subjects
- Types of terminals
- Back up
- Statistics and communication with an accounting centre (regular upgrade of blacklists, activation and deactivation of the device and completed transactions export)
- Distribution of application and firmware for terminals, etc.
Back office is based on WEB architecture with a database server. It enables access from any computer equipped with an internet browser.
Through the web interface of TELCON back-office the client´s partners can configure the loyalty system for the Pilsen card holders according to their needs (advantages for the card holders according to sales, number of transactions etc.)
The course of implementation
For the whole implementation there were only 145 days. After the implementing project had been accepted, implementation of the client´s requirements took place. Changes involved software for payment terminals and also supportive back-office. After the first phase of testing by the client there came pilot productive operation with an external partner, and after a week of full operation there came the final acceptance of the work.
Meeting the requirements and reducing demands on operating costs
The system enables very fast and easy equipping the partner´s business place with a payment terminal, and therefore enables the partner to accept the Pilsen city card, which was issued among 150 000 holders. Thus the partner can offer the card holder a loyalty system, which can be configured according to his needs thanks to the TELCON supportive back-office. In comparison with the previous solution, the system of payment terminals also minimizes demands on operating costs.