Hardware and Software
A card terminal, also called EFT-POS terminal, consists of hardware and software components. The main hardware components are the security module, the PIN pad, the printer, the display, the magnetic card reader, the chip-card reader, the communication module and the power supply.
The software mainly consists of the operating system, the communication software, the software of the security module and various software modules for OPT (Online-Personalization of Terminals), EMV as well as additional applications such as prepayment, customer loyalty systems and remote administration. The most important element is the so-called security module, without which the terminal can only be used for electronic direct debit (EDD) transactions.
All card terminals working with the electronic cash system have to be certified by the ZKA (the German Central Credit Committee) in order to take part in cashless payment transactions. Terminals working exclusively with EDD do not require a ZKA certificate. Operating a card terminal requires a provider contract with the network operator. The data collected by the terminal is processed by the provider. For the time the terminal is in use the user (for example, the retailer) can contact the service provider. He can call a hotline and is guaranteed on-site technical support by a technician. He has a contact person who helps with questions about the account, transaction control, managing the contract, etc.
Read more about this topic: Electronic Cash
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