Major Middle East FEC operator Al Othaim is leading the way in new technology by installing the only reader in the debit card industry that is capable of accepting three different payment methods.
The new Intercard i3 Reader will accept the traditional magnetic stripe, RFID proximity cards/wristbands and smartphones. The US-based company’s debit cards are extensively used in arcades and family entertainment centres across North America, Europe and the Middle East.
The ability to offer all three choices to operators and players has set Intercard apart from its competitors. Because it has installed thousands of readers and hundreds of systems around the world, Intercard has gained a unique perspective on technology adoption rates.
“In the not-too-distant future, everyone will be using their phones,” said Scott Sherrod, Intercard’s CEO, “but we’re still one to two years away from phone usage becoming dominant. RFID and NFC technologies are too expensive for many businesses.
“So the businesses that are not early adopters need to modernise their sites with something they can use right now, yet allow them to transition to RFID or phone-based NFC when the time is appropriate for them. That’s why Intercard created the i3 Reader.”
Two FECs in the US have already purchased and installed Intercard’s i3 Reader: Game Time in Miami and Razzmatazz Family Fun Center in Chicago. Also, 1,200 of the i3s are being installed in seven Al Othaim locations located in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
