IC-cards in transport : applications and standards.

This article describes the card types currently being used and their basic capabilities. Standardisation issues are also addressed. Card types range from simple embossed cards to multi-application cards, with increasing performance. Card applications in transport have clear links to applications in other sectors. Standardisation is following a stepwise approach, from the physical aspects to actual application standardisation. Most of the applications require portable file or payment card capabilities and thus memory card and processor cards respectively. Multi-application cards cover all card capabilities and allow applications to be combined into a limited number of entity bound physical cards; person-cards, vehicle-cards and freight-cards.