Portable billing systems go way back. The simplest being hand-held manual devices as used by bus conductors, for example. By moving a few levers into the right position and pressing a button to issue the ticket, you were charged the appropriate fare for your journey. It’s hard to believe that this was the method up until recent times!! Nowadays, it’s all electronic. Information is entered via a touchscreen and hey presto – out comes your ticket and with ongoing advances in technology, it is becoming increasingly easier to pay for services provided when on the move. More and more people don’t carry much cash with them anymore because payment can be made via a debit and credit card much more conveniently.
In a restaurant you are able to pay for your meal with a card of your choice by swiping it through a machine and entering your PIN number. The amount may be deducted immediately or charged to your credit card account.
Traffic wardens will issue fines by using hand-held devices which print out details of the offence committed, together with the details of the vehicle and it’s owner, who must then pay within a certain time period. Police will issue on-the-spot fines in a similar manner.
A more recent innovation is the method of photographing and charging vehicles, as is the case with the Congestion Charge introduced in London. As vehicles pass through one of a number of established checkpoints, a photograph is taken of the number-plate, which in turn is matched against a database of vehicle registrations. Ultimately, the owner of the vehicle will have to pay for entering the ‘restricted zone’.
In a restaurant you are able to pay for your meal with a card of your choice by swiping it through a machine and entering your PIN number. The amount may be deducted immediately or charged to your credit card account.
Traffic wardens will issue fines by using hand-held devices which print out details of the offence committed, together with the details of the vehicle and it’s owner, who must then pay within a certain time period. Police will issue on-the-spot fines in a similar manner.
A more recent innovation is the method of photographing and charging vehicles, as is the case with the Congestion Charge introduced in London. As vehicles pass through one of a number of established checkpoints, a photograph is taken of the number-plate, which in turn is matched against a database of vehicle registrations. Ultimately, the owner of the vehicle will have to pay for entering the ‘restricted zone’.