 Many of today's Internet surfers and potential e-commerce customers are still wary of online security or lack thereof. Even those of us who purchase online regularly often find the hassle of multiple passwords overwhelming. On top of that, filling out that name/address/credit information form over and over again is aggravating. Granted, there are single sign-on services like Exlogin.com and Digitalme, which store your user Ids and passwords. There are even e-wallet solutions like Microsoft's Passport and Passlogix's V-Go which address some of these issues. Yet, the best solution may be to update an old technology; the credit card itself.
Diners Club and American Express launched their first versions of "plastic money" in the USA in 1950. When the magnetic strip became standardized in 1970, the now-common plastic card became an integral part of our lives. Yet, in the last thirty years, credit cards have remained pretty much the same. All of that may change, however, with introduction of Blue, a new American Express credit card. Blue is a simple solution that updates the old credit card technology to allow it to function more easily in the online world.
Blue resembles your everyday credit card. In fact, you can use it just like any other credit card, but it has a smart chip with the card number, address, and other information embedded into it. By the way, if you are interested, unlike other American Express cards, Blue allows you to carry a monthly balance. It has no annual fee and some attractive interest rates.
When I got my Blue card, I went online and ordered the free card reader (Amex may charge for these sometime in the future). The card reader was delivered the next day. It is a device not much bigger than a credit card with cables that attach to the serial port and the keyboard port. While the set up was easy, it should be noted that a free serial port and a PS2 keyboard port (the small round connection) are required for the reader to be installed properly. I then installed the software and changed the Personal Identification Number (PIN) to a number of my own choosing. Again, this was a fairly easy installation with adequate instructions. Now I was ready to make my first online purchase with Blue.
I surfed over to Amazon.com. I chose the book I wanted to buy and inserted Blue into the card reader. I then clicked on the Amex icon that the installation program had placed in the lower right hand corner of my browser. After entering my PIN, all of my credit card and delivery information was transferred automatically. No forms to fill out and no credit card information to worry about. One nice feature about Blue is that it also allows you to see everything that you purchased so you can easily confirm that you have included all the items you wanted to buy. .
Blue offers an additional level of security since the Smart Chip is used in combination with a PIN code, somewhat like an ATM machine. Blue makes online purchases more secure since the Smart Chip in the card is virtually tamper-proof and holds a certificate that uniquely identifies you to your Online Wallet.
Is this the wave of the future or just a flash in the pan? As I look into my crystal ball, I must note that while smart cards like this are becoming more and more popular in other countries, they have been very slow to catch on here in America. Blue made my online purchase much easier and also added a layer of security that I didn’t have to initiate or even think about. The only problem is that, at this time, there are a limited number of online stores that accept Blue.
This card can be used at major online retailers like Amazon, Bloomingdale, and Brooks Brothers. However, the real usefulness will come when Blue gains widespread acceptance and when card readers become standard on personal computers and Internet appliances. This will only happen if banks and credit card companies continue to push for acceptance of cards of this type. I hope it happens. I like my new Blue.
|
