Simple PrePay/Checkout System Using MagCards? 18
An Anonymous Coward asks:
"I help at a small youth club that has various events on different
nights. For awhile now we have had a snack bar of sorts and have been
thinking of developing a pre-paid system. We have access to plenty of
computers and magnetic card readers (wit blank cards) but any ideas
on the software? Also, would there be any way of also using this to
keep track of a CD sign-out system?"
Re:Yikes. (Score:2)
Obvious security issues... (Score:4, Insightful)
Extra Layer of securiy req'd (Score:4, Informative)
This somewhat stupifies the usage of the mag cards as you could just as easily use a barcoded card to track the users and keep all information local.
CD borrowing system could work just like any library system now. Each user has a barcoded card (easily could be a mag card) that has a user id of some sort. Then the server keeps track of the rest. An added bonus to using the barcode is people could "log-in" from home and check account status. With a mag card the users would need an additional user id printed on the card. (Or assigned one in the application process).
Just my two clams from above the border.
Helping (Score:1)
Texas A&M Aggie Buck System (Score:2)
BTW, here is a link [tamu.edu] for businesses involved. I know this doesn't help directly with the software, but it proves it has been done on a wide scale with great success. You may want to contact those involved in implementing this, or learn from their example. Good luck.
JOhn
Mag cards... (Score:2, Informative)
1) Avoid sequential numbering.
2) The Mag stripe should have information that's not printed on the card.
3) Printed information on the card should be verified against data from the swipe.
4) Mag card numbers should be independent of any specific user information.
This might be overkill but... (Score:2)
If you do it right the security is better. Readers aren't that expensive (~$50) and they also function as writers. Also cards are getting pretty cheap. $3 for Java card, less that $1 for some file system cards. Obviously this is more expensive than mag-stripe, but also much cooler.
disclaimer: I do smart card work full time so I am biased.
Re:This might be overkill but... (Score:1)
iButton (Score:3, Informative)
Should be relatively trivial to write a program to interface with a database every time it's touched to your terminal, depending on what sort of transaction you wish to take place.
Re:iButton (Score:1)
I have done some iButton programming in the past and found it fairly simple to create a little app that watched for contact on the iButton receptacle (or BlueDot), read relevant data from the iButton, and did its thing.
Security on those little buggers is impressive (especially the lengths to which they went ensuring the physical security of the can).
They're pretty cheap too.
Re:iButton (Score:1)