Hello,

I've ran into a site where users would gain credits through visiting
or successful transactions on the web site where they will be asked to
place their member SmartCard into the reader and the software on the
site would update their card and credit them points or update the
information on it as relevant to the site.

I would appreciate the following:

1. Reference to a development kit in the market to prototype the
solution which should be a few cards, a reader and some software to
enable the web application to talk to the remote card and
reader/writer via a browser.

2. Affordable SmartCard type out there and possible low volume sources
to do a pilot loyalty project.

3. Affordable card reader/writer to send to users to plug into their
machines.  Hopefully there will be models with serial and USB
connections and a sample pricing on them.

4. Specs of the above recommended cards and how much data they can
hold and what sort of security do they use or can support.

5. Mini readers to provide to our partners to be able to check the
card contents for an appropriate code or credit amount before serving
the customer for example.

6. What sort of compatibility issues exist as far as the web
servers/broswers are concerned.

Thank you.

-Dusty

<Development kits.
There are a number of development kits on the market. These range in
price from $79.00 to over $300.
The best value kit that I could find is from TX Systems. They provide
a development pack for $79.00 which includes API software,
documentation, 3 smart cards and one chipdrive micro 120. They only
work with PC/SC interface and will not with DSS programming software.
The kit supports Windows 3.1,95,98,Me,NT,2K, and XP.
http://www.txsystems.com/swproducts_descriptions.html#devpack

AC-Kit Smart Card Development Kit. $99.00.
Contains 2 readers, 20 smart cards and software. 
http://www.didya.com/product_detail.asp?pid=2

Waves in motion kit $189.00
http://www.wmotion.com/smartcard/

ACR-50 development kit $199.95
http://www.smartcardsupply.com/Content/Hardware/ACR-50.htm

Smart Toolz kit $299.00
http://www.smarttoolz.com/


Cards.
TX Systems supplies smart cards in packs of 10 from $18.50 per pack of
10. They have a variety of cards ranging in memory size from 1Kbit to
256Kbit. They also supply PIN protected memory cards.  They also offer
a sample pack of 8 different cards for $39.95 which will allow you to
try out each card in order to find the best solution for your
application.
http://www.txsystems.com/cards.html

Cards – prices from $0.75
http://www.micromodule.com/Prices_OrderForm/Prices.html

Cards from $2.25
http://www.didya.com/products.asp?id=3

Pack of five $20.00
http://store.gemplus.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/BrowseCatalog-Start;sid=xcRHocs73ylHrPRBabyHCa41zxNlor0D-OY=?CatalogCategoryID=FFYKBQCcV2MAAAD0CzW_1fgy&BuyerClass=B2C

Card specs.
There is a wide choice of cards and security options. Straight memory
cards are the cheapest options. The greater the processing power,
flexibility and memory, the greater the cost. The CPU/MPU
Microprocessor Multifunction Cards contain a microcontroller chip
which is basically a mini computer.

Smart card basics describes the various types of cards, card readers,
security, and system planning and deployment.
http://www.smartcardbasics.com/typesofchips.html


Card readers/writers.
I have found prices for readers from $29.00
http://www.scmegastore.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/st_main.html?p_catid=6

For orders of 100+ the price drops to $25.00 per unit.
http://www.scmegastore.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/st_prod.html?p_prodid=134&p_catid=&sid=3TZJ680mS2T@Dfr-52103401046.23

Smart card terminal $39.95
http://www.txsystems.com/chipdrive.html#micro100


Smart card readers.
From $29.95
http://www.didya.com/products.asp?id=2

Smart card readers $34.00
http://store.gemplus.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/BrowseCatalog-Start;sid=xcRHocs73ylHrPRBabyHCa41zxNlor0D-OY=?CatalogCategoryID=zoEKBQCc_nEAAAD0mi%2e_1fgy&BuyerClass=B2C&Template=category_2B2C


Card reader $39.00
http://www.smart-cardsys.com/products/scr131.htm

Card reader $39.00
http://www.smart-cardsys.com/products/scr331.htm

Smart card reader/writer $49.00
http://www.smart-cardsys.com/products/SCR100Serial.htm


How to Select a Reader
http://www.reflexreaders.com/Products/How_to_Select_a_Reader/how_to_select_a_reader.html

Technical help.
Schlumburger provides a technical forum for the discussion of smart
card technology.
http://www.flexforum.com/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi>


<Additional links:>

<Will Americans learn to love smart cards?>
<http://news.com.com/2008-1082_3-1020807.html>

<Smart card update>
<http://www.intelecard.com/features/03features.asp?A_ID=270>

<Book – Smart Cards: The Developer’s Toolkit. $44.99.>
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0130937304/103-3807980-4747067?v=glance&s=books#product-details>

<Smart card links.>
<http://www.dice.ucl.ac.be/crypto/card.html>

<Search strategy:>
<"smart card systems">
<://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=%22smart+card+systems%22>

<"smart card systems" loyalty>
<://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&q=%22smart+card+systems%22+loyalty>


<Hope this helps.>

Great answer, focused on what I needed and a bit more. :-)

Are you sure that this is not a scam?

There are A LOT of folks out there who are trying to capture confidential info.

Bryan

No, it wasn't a scam.  The card is a loyalty card for a company which
gave you points for every visit to their web site and it limits the
points to a few per day.

When you go to their store, they have readers that attach to a
keychain with a slim LCD screen which shows your points.

The web site was for a movie rental or a movie theatre if I'm not
mistaken.  I felt that was a pretty practical way of using the
technology.

I'm also aware that some gaming companies do this and give you access
via the web site and their card access to hidden places in their games
on game consoles which I'm going to presume are smart card enabled.

:-)

-Dusty