Information Technology: Smart Card vs. Voucher Long and Short-Term Costs

Over the long-term smart cards are more affordable than vouchers for customers, sanctuaries and shops because they retain their value over time and continue working without further investment. Vouchers however while perhaps more affordable for customers initially, require pre-payment and additional payments once a voucher is used.

They may prove more expensive in the long-term if lost or stolen, at least to customers. While the sanctuary or shop may invest more money in the short-term to utilize smart cards, over time the investment will actually pay for itself and then some with respect to the added security benefits smart cards offer and the long-term benefits use of these cards offer compared with vouchers (Clark, 1990).

Economic and Social Benefits

Smart cards are considered useful in a variety of applications, making...

Consumers often view smart cards as an attractive way to access services they are authorized to use, hence consumers or customers to the sanctuaries and charity will likely find smart cards extremely efficient and beneficial.
Vouchers and smart cards are both economic and affordable, but smart cards offer customers, sanctuaries and shop owners more security because they are traceable and can be de-activated if lost or stolen. If a voucher is lost the customer has no resource to collect compensation.

Technical or Practical Implications

Smart cards offer many technical applications. They can allow shops owners and sanctuary owners and employers physical access to buildings and outlying structures using computer systems control access (Clark, 1990). Smart cards offer much security and prevent "fraudulent use" of materials or access to in…