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Glite Dictionary
smart card

smart card

3 3.7
A small plastic card with a chip that stores money or ID
  • noun
  • /smɑrt kɑrd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : tarjeta inteligente
  • Using a smart card, Hardy accessed a private elevator.
  • use smart card
  • smart card transaction
  • carry smart cards

So we're going to be looking at credit cards, debit cards, special smart cards, and also a couple of prepaid cards as well for you.

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Examples

  • Passengers pay with smart cards.

    Academic text (1999)

  • A common example is the use of a smart card (something the user has) and a PIN number (something the user knows).

    Blog text (24)

  • You carry around a smart card and spend it just like cash.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • You can also check with your credit union to see if it issues "smart cards."

    Blog text (6)

  • "The learners use smart cards to register attendance, open their digital lockers, and track calories they consume."

    Academic text (2006)

  • You can use your smart card to pay for groceries at the store quickly and securely.

  • In many hotels, your room key is actually a smart card that unlocks your door and tracks your expenses.

  • Many public transport systems allow passengers to use a smart card for convenient access and fare payment.

Synonyms

card
vssmart card
∞ 1.0

A small rectangular piece of plastic or cardboard for showing identity and for paying

is a specific plastic version with a microchip that stores and processes data securely

How Secure

smart card
  • Specialized
3 3.7
magnetic stripe
  • Specialized
1 4.6

Surface Forms

smart card singular
smart cards plural

Morphology

smart + card

The compound is compositionally transparent: it denotes a card that is "smart" (i.e., having electronic/intelligent functionality). A B1 learner who knows 'smart' in the technological sense and 'card' can infer it is a card with advanced electronic features used for payments or ID, and similar constructions exist in many languages, supporting predictability.

Etymology

The noun smart card comes from a small plastic card with a tiny chip inside that makes the card smart because it can work like a little computer and 'store' and 'check' information. So, because the chip lets the card do jobs like pay for things or open doors, the name means 'a card that keeps and handles information safely'.