" ITREALMS: Supercard introduces GoCard

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Supercard introduces GoCard

Reputed information technology (IT) company with specialty on electronic card technology, the Supercard Limited, has introduced Go Card into the nation’s electronic-based (e-based) service market, even as the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) presented the company with International Standards Orgnisation (NIS ISO-9001-2000) certificate.

Supercard, a subsidiary of Chams Nigeria Plc is famous for its avalanche of cards solutions currently in the Nigeria’s market.

Speaking at the occasion, Director-General, SON, Dr. John Ndanusa Akanya, who was represented at the occasion, commended Supercard for achieving the feat of certification for ISO 9000-2000 and urged the company to continue to strive for better services for its customers.

In his introduction of the Supercards latest in shelf, Go Card, the Assistant General Manager, Mr. Michael Folarin said that GoCard is the first of its kind in the country, mostly because it comes with contactless electronic payment (e-payment) solution for the transport industry.

According to him, with Go Card, Nigerians no longer need to carry cash when entering any form of transport, though they are starting from the sea and land.

He explained that the power of GoCard is embedded in an electronic ticketing (e-ticket) formula that could be used in any Nigerian cities, especially on public transport services.

GoCard, he also said, could serve as a credit card because it comes with storable value which could be loaded into the card due to its contactless feature, through designated agents who are authorized by Supercard or affiliate transport companies.

As matter of fact, he said that potential Nigerian passenger who uses GoCard need not to pay cash when entering transport, saying that it could be flashed through on the turnstile gate on entry and could be perfectly read by a device, which will authenticate the card and make the relevant deductions for a given fare.

“You can also flash your card on balance display to check your balance,” he declared.
Listing the benefits of GoCard, the AGM said it is convenience, accurate secured transaction and his company has deployed balance display at every terminus, be it a station, jetty or even airport.

“It is easy, fast and no loss of cash or change,” he said, stressing that it has its own peculiar merits for transport companies, including improved cash management, security, service level agreement, increased revenue margin, service delivery and better branding, because it could be customized to meet the taste of individual companies.

“Transaction reports can be requested on the web as online reports,” he said.
Enlightening further, he said that the GoCard offer equally comes in various components, encompassing passengers’ card, staff card, agent service card, terminals, turnstiles and server.

“Passengers card comes in card type category, for example, adult, student cards respectively with values of Naira can be loaded on it immediately after purchase,” he said, pointing out that the staff card enables the card to be used for starting off a given system where he or she is in-charge, whereas the agent service card allows an accredited agent to store more value and its value could be transferred into passenger’s cards for retailing.

On the turnstiles, he said, it’s an automated barriers that debits the toll fare from a passenger’s card, thus allowing such a holder passage when the transaction is successful, while the server is the back-end that facilitates report module for online generation.

The special guest at the occasion, Transport Secretary at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Segun Awolowo, who was represented at the occasion, applauded Supercard for this initiative while pledging the support of FCT administration in this effort at improving the transport sector, especially making it electronic, saying that its less stressful.

He enjoined Nigerians to support the initiative by accepting the evolution, noting that since the world has become a global village, Nigeria cannot afford to remain in dark while the world goes on development electronically.

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