Credit Cards 101

Did you know that more than half of the UK has a credit card? Discover a variety of facts about credit cards, their history, and how they are made.
Find out how credit cards have developed over the past century, from their introduction in 1920 to the emergence of contactless payments in 2007.
Source: http://www.sainsburysbank.co.uk/money-matters/credit-card-101.shtml

History of Credit Cards

When did the world start using plastic instead of cash? Have a look at how credit and credit cards have developed over the years.
Did you know that the first hologram to be used on a credit card was introduced just 30 years ago?

Source: http://www.sainsburysbank.co.uk/money-matters/credit-card-history.shtml

South Yorkshire moves a step closer to all over smart

PUBLIC transport users in South Yorkshire are a step closer to benefiting from new smart ticketing products. Because annual TravelMaster Gold tickets became available on smartcards in November. 

South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) and partners Yorcard and TravelMaster say this is the first step to introducing a fully comprehensive and wide-ranging ITSO-compliant multi-modal and multi-operator smart ticketing system in the region. 

Many buses have already been fitted with necessary equipment to process ‘smart’ transactions, and handheld devices are available to be used by tram conductors. 

Read the full article from ITSO here.

Southern takes ITSO ticketing to London Victoria

NEWLY-APPOINTED Transport Minister Baroness Kramer was on hand on 21 October to launch an industry first for Southern Railway. That was the day when Southern’s ITSO-compliant smartcard – the key - became live in London.

This involved the first step in the DfT- funded ITSO on Prestige project designed to upgrade Transport for London (TfL) ticketing systems around London to accept ITSO as well as Oyster cards, and has meant close partnership working between Southern, TfL and Cubic Transportation Systems.

Southern’s smartcard can now be used by point-to-point season ticket holders to travel to East Croydon, Clapham Junction and London Victoria from Southern stations south of Gatwick Airport.

In the months ahead, other products including Travelcards and single and return tickets to London terminals will be introduced.

Read the full article from ITSO here.

New Busway will be just the ticket

TRANSPORT MINISTER Norman Baker officially opened the £91 million Luton Dunstable Busway last week (24 September). The Minister cut a ribbon on the 4.8-mile concrete guideway, part of a 13.4km largely segregated bus route, and unveiled a plaque at the new Luton Station bus-rail passenger interchange.

Local councils expect the busway services to deliver around 2 million passenger journeys a year within two years.

Read the full article from ITSO here.

Stagecoach Supertrams go ITSO smart in Sheffield

SUPERTRAM passengers in Sheffield are to benefit from smarter travel following the launch of Stagecoach’s smartcard ticketing scheme in the area.

The StagecoachSmart scheme - which is now live across the city's tram network - allows Supertram passengers to store their travel on an ITSO-compliant electronic card instead of using paper tickets.

Read the full article from ITSO here.

Manchester’s new smart ticketing will ‘get you there’

THE NEW smart ticketing scheme for the Greater Manchester area will be called get me there.

The name has been chosen to reflect how the combination of ITSO-compliant smart ticketing with the option to use contactless bankcards on Metrolink will make journeys by public transport easier, more accessible and more flexible, whether by tram, bus, train – or any combination of the three.

The Government, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and its local partners, including major transport operators Arriva, First and Stagecoach, are investing several million pounds in the scheme. The objective is that the ticketing system should keep up to date with the latest technology and provide an integrated system that in the future could be linked in to real time information: That way journeys could be planned and paid for ‘on the hoof’ using a smartphone or smartcard.

Read the full article from ITSO here.