Embed International

Embed International is a supplier and manufacturer of debit card systems including management applications for the amusement, leisure and retail industries. The Embed Card System is now used throughout the world at over 350 operating locations in 18 countries including Australia and the United States. Embed was started by and maintains close ties to the Leisure and Allied Industries Group (LAI). LAI builds amusement machines and operates centers throughout Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

Embed operates out of offices in Perth (Australia), Dallas (USA), and Dubai (UAE). Embed currently employs approximately 35 people worldwide. Their tasks include designing the Embed Card System hardware, writing the Embed Card System software application, installing the system at customer sites and providing customer support.

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Solo (debit card)

Solo is a debit card in the United Kingdom. It is a sister to the Maestro debit card. Solo was launched in 1997 for use on deposit accounts, as well as by customers who do not qualify for a Switch (now Maestro) card on current accounts.

Solo is issued as a multifunction cash card by NatWest and The Royal Bank of Scotland to customers over the age of 11 and by HSBC Bank (formerly Midland Bank) to customers over the age of 13. Like its main rival, Visa Electron, Solo cards require all transactions receive electronic authorisation from the issuing bank. Such authorisation will not be given if there are insufficient cleared funds in the cardholder's account. Upon successful authorization, the funds are either immediately transferred or placed on hold for later transfer.

Acceptance is not as widespread as Maestro, but has increased substantially in recent years. Solo cards usually function as Maestro for use abroad.

Solo cards are linked to the Switch processing system (now re-branded as Maestro); however, some merchants differentiate between Solo and Switch through their numbering scheme to prevent under 18s from purchasing online. Due to their availability to minors, they can be used as a simple age-vetting mechanism; for example, when online grocers Ocado accepted Solo, they refused to sell razor blades or alcoholic beverages to those paying with the card (the service no longer explicitly accepts Solo, however it does not check for Solo card numbers if Switch is selected as the payment method).

Solo cards are also issued to people with a bad credit history to reduce the liability for the issuing bank.

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Switch (debit card)

Switch is a former debit card in the United Kingdom, now re-branded as Maestro. It was a sister to the Solo debit card.

Switch was launched in 1988 by Midland Bank, National Westminster Bank and the Royal Bank of Scotland as a multifunction cheque guarantee and cash card. The brand was merged with Maestro, an international debit card brand owned by MasterCard Worldwide, in 2002. This merger has been referred to as the "penguin wedding," with distinctive advertisements of penguins in different international settings created by Joel Veitch.

The merger was also intended to increase the acceptance of foreign Maestro cards in the UK. However, despite the Maestro brand name, transactions in the UK are still processed by Switch Card Services Limited. Consequently many retailers who advertise that they accept Maestro can only accept UK-issued cards, i.e. former Switch cards. This situation can cause some confusion for visitors to the UK who may have their Maestro cards declined at the point of sale.

Switch/Maestro cards issued by certain banks, notably the HSBC group, carry an issue number on the bottom of the card corresponding to the number of times a card has been issued on a particular account. This is usually because the current account number the card is linked to actually forms a large part of the card number, and therefore the card number cannot be readily changed in case of loss or the card expiring.

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Debit card

A debit card (also known as a bank card or check card) is a plastic card which provides an alternative payment method to cash when making purchases. Functionally, it can be called an electronic check, as the funds are withdrawn directly from either the bank account (often referred to as a check card), or from the remaining balance on the card. In some cases, the cards are designed exclusively for use on the Internet, and so there is no physical card.

The use of debit cards has become widespread in many countries and has overtaken the cheque, and in some instances cash transactions by volume. Like credit cards, debit cards are used widely for telephone and Internet purchases.

Debit cards can also allow for instant withdrawal of cash, acting as the ATM card for withdrawing cash and as a cheque guarantee card. Merchants can also offer "cashback"/"cashout" facilities to customers, where a customer can withdraw cash along with their purchase.

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Embed Card System

The Embed Card System is a total operating solution for Family Entertainment Centers (FEC). Replacing tokens and currency, the Embed Card System allows for cashless operation of vending, redemption and video games by using a swipe card to deduct value for each game played. This system also provides admission control for any FEC attractions (e.g., Mini Golf, Go Karts, Laser Tag, etc.) by providing the guest a card to swipe on a reader (see Color-Glo swiper information below). If the FEC plans to have retail, food or beverage sales, the Embed Card System can be used as a stand-alone Point of Sale system, or integrated to work with other Point of Sale systems such as Micros and Aloha. Fully customizable and touch-screen driven, the Embed Point of Sale system allows for sales of play cards, admissions, food and beverage, package sales, retail merchandise, and party/group reservations. A valuable benefit of the system is the ability to create detailed reports which allow for in-depth and comprehensive marketing planning, as well as monitoring staff usage and activity.

With a card system, the FEC guests are encouraged to “Load and Go”; load a value onto a magnetic stripe card and go to any game or attraction and swipe to play. When a guest swipes their card, their value balance is checked, then a play on a game or admission to an attraction is issued. Games issue redemption tickets straight to the card instead of using paper tickets, eliminating the use of ticket counter machines. The guest is encouraged to keep the card for future use; all cash and ticket values are stored in the system and accessed via the swipe card. Cards that are lost can be reissued with the same credit as when it was reported lost.

Debit card systems, such as the Embed Card System, allow operators to offer differential pricing for regular customers, timed-play sessions, and VIP programs that promote repeat visits

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ATM card

An ATM card (also known as a bank card, client card, key card or cash card) is an ISO 7810 card issued by a bank, credit union or building society.

It can be used:

at an ATM for deposits, withdrawals, account information, and other types of transactions, often through interbank networks
Some ATM cards can also be used:

at a branch, as identification for in-person transactions
at merchants, for EFTPOS (point of sale) purchases
Unlike a debit card, in-store purchases or refunds with an ATM card can generally be made in person only, as they require authentication through a personal identification number or PIN. In other words, ATM cards cannot be used at merchants that only accept credit cards.

However, other types of transactions through telephone or online banking may be performed with an ATM card without in-person authentication. This includes account balance inquiries, electronic bill payments or in some cases, online purchases (see Interac Online).

In some countries, the two functions of ATM cards and debit cards are combined into a single card called a debit card or also commonly called a bank card. These are able to perform banking tasks at ATM's and also make point-of-sale transactions, both functions using a PIN. Canada's Interac and Europe's Maestro are examples of networks that link bank accounts with point-of-sale equipment.

Magnetic stripe cloning can be detected by the implementation of magnetic card reader heads and firmware that can read a signature embedded in all magnetic stripes during the card production process. This signature known as a "MagnaPrint" or "BluPrint" can be used in conjunction with common two factor authentication schemes utilized in ATM, debit/retail point-of-sale and prepaid card applications.

ATM Cleaning Cards are the primary means of cleaning ATM machines to ensure that the machine stays functioning properly.

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Products and services described above may vary by state and are not available in all states. Insurance is offered through HSBC Insurance Agency (USA) Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of HSBC Bank USA, National Association and an indirectly wholly owned affiliate of HSBC Holdings plc. This website is not intended for use by consumers outside of the United States.
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