Australia - Electronic Purses - Projects, Developments

Synopsis

Australia, unlike Europe, has long been lagging behind in smart card developments. By the late 1990s it was not the Australian banks, nor the credit card companies, but Telstra who was taking the lead in this market. The Bank for International Settlements global survey of e-money developments – ‘CPSS Survey of Electronic Money Developments November 2001’ – reported that the use of smart cards in Australia remains limited to various trials. The most significant developments have been in electronic ticketing, a sector that has an international focus. Some of the major past projects and those underway in 2002 are presented here.

Table of Contents

• 1. Synopsis
• 2. Introduction
• 3. Visa Cash
• 4. Mastercard Mondex
  • 4.1 Mondex in Australia
• 5. MULTOS
• 6. Telstra’s Chipper System
• 7. ERG Group
  • 7.1 Proton World
  • 7.2 ECard
  • 7.3 NSW Transport system (Phase 1)
  • 7.4 Large-scale smartcard project for Sydney (Phase 2)
  • 7.5 TAFEcard
  • 7.6 La Trobe University cards
  • 7.7 Hospital Benefit Fund
  • 7.8 Geraldton Hospital
  • 7.9 ERG Stored Value Card
• 8. ACTSMART
• 9. eCash (formerly DigiCash)
• 10. Technocash
• 11. The Catuity System
  • 11.1 Transcard closure
  • 11.2 Queensland Rail
  • 11.3 Westbus
• 12. Policy framework