Smart Card systems also known as (Smart Chip) systems are designed so that all of the customer balance information is stored on the card itself. These memory chips embedded onto the customer card are rewritten every time the customer slides their card into a card reader. When the customer leaves the store the balance leaves with them. The bulk expense of a smart card system is in the cost of the cards themselves, the equipment to read and write to the cards have been traditionally considered to be very affordable. But the costs associated with the individual cards can be significantly higher than other options. Smart card costs vary from $2 to $5 per card depending on purchase quantity and vendor. It's not uncommon for an average 3,000 square foot laundry to use as many as 5,000 cards a year, at $3.00 per card this means the store owner is obligated to a $15,000 per year expense that is often difficult to justify. Multiply this over 5 years and the Laundromat owner would have spent $75,000 in cards alone. Some smart card stores often will charge Laundromat customers a deposit for the cards to help offset the expense of replacing the cards, this often causes resentment by the Laundromat customers as they have to 'Pay' to be customers.
Mag stripe systems work differently then chip based systems at the cards do not contain any specific balance information. Each card contains an account number that links to the customers account balance and other information. All of the customers information is stored in a central database located on a computer inside the store, each of the card readers are networked to the central computer. Because there is no specific customer information stored on the card there is no need for security at the card level. There are many advantages to a Mag stripe system, including easier access to system data as everything is funneled through the central database. Mag stripe cards are far more affordable than chip based cards, with average per card cost generally less than $.70 each. Mag stripe store owners also benefit from availability of live system information, machine activity, sales information, equipment pricing, and even individual card balances can all be viewed, edited, and analyzed with out having to audit each machine individually.
Utilizing the advantages associated with networked systems LaundryCard™ is able to provide real time, remote access to all aspects of the Laundromat business. CCI has been at the forefront of this technology and continues to develop and innovate software to help store owners automate and be more profitable.