Definitions for "Smart cards"
stored value cards with embedded integrated computer chips and capability to store data and replenished electronically
Card with magnetic strip/chip for containing and receiving data.
Smart cards are a portable medium for carrying personal information and other data in an encrypted form. The information is stored on a semiconductor chip embedded in a plastic card, which is why smart cards are also known as IC cards. The main applications of smart card technology in Japan are credit cards, worker identification cards and the cards for the national resident registry network popularly known as Juki Net. Smart cards are also finding use as a form of digital certification over the Internet. About 66.58 million smart cards are already in use in Japan, and their presence is expected to rapidly spread through society. Smart cards can be divided into three broad categories depending on the way the information on them is read. Some cards are passed through a reader, others are read via radio signals, and a third kind can present information both ways. These multifunctional cards are more expensive and thus not as widespread. Compatibility remains a problem, as there are currently two different operating systems in use for smart cards.