What is a smart card used for?

Functionally, the use of smart cards can be classified into the following four points:

1. Identification - use the built-in microcomputer system to perform mathematical calculations on the data to confirm its uniqueness.

2. Payment tool - the built-in counter (counter) is replaced by currency, bonus points, etc., digital data.

3. Encryption/Decryption - With the rapid development of the network, the utilization rate of e-commerce has also grown significantly. Some manufacturers said that the most important thing about online consumption lies in the authenticity of identity, the integrity of data, the undeniable and legality of transactions, By means of cryptographic mechanisms such as DES, RSA, MD5, etc., in addition to increasing the security of the card, offline operation can also be used to reduce the communication cost on the network.

4. Information - Due to the popularization of GSM mobile phones, the demand for SIM cards has greatly increased, and the technological development of smart cards has been accelerated, making mobile phones extend from the original simple telephone function to today's network connection and other functions. Its information storage function makes it have a wide range of commercial applications such as:

Personal financial records

The competition among banks is becoming more and more fierce. In order to increase customer loyalty and attract more new customers, banks have launched various bonus offers and improved customer service systems. With the use of smart cards, not only can they reach 24 hours a day Free transfer function, and can reduce the time of bankers and customers' paperwork procedures. Many banks in the market have issued smart cards, and the two major credit card groups, MasterCard and VISA, are about to issue smart cards.

Medical records

Once the health insurance card is integrated into an IC, personal medical records can be stored in the chip. No matter which hospital you go to see a doctor, you can know your personal medical condition. The doctor can immediately know the patient's medical record, and the patient can also save the time for filling out the report. , and reduce the maintenance cost of hospital medical records. In addition, the national identity card can also be IC, and all personal identification information such as fingerprints, birthday, personal files are stored in the chip, and it can also be used as a passport, which has been used by the governments of Singapore and Malaysia.

Access control

Access control is very important for companies and schools. In addition to being used for general access control, smart cards can also store small sums of money, cooperate with general stores to spend, and improve the functionality of the card. For example, a British access control system manufacturer will use it originally. The smart card used in the access control can be applied to the cash machine at the same time, which combines the functions of the access control and the electronic wallet.

Related standards

ISO 7816 (Contact smart card, specifies various aspects such as specifications/electrical characteristics/communication protocols/components)

ISO 14443 (Contactless Smart Cards)