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Stored-value card
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<p>A stored-value card (SVC) or cash card is a <a href="/facts/Payment_card/m5MvC4vG">payment card</a> with a monetary value stored on the card itself, not in an external account maintained by a financial institution. This means no network access is required by the payment collection terminals as funds can be withdrawn and deposited straight from the card. Like <a href="/facts/Cash/otNQFSaI">cash</a>, payment cards can be used anonymously as the person holding the card can use the funds. They are an electronic development of <a href="/facts/Token_coin/cXYPmGnT">token coins</a> and are typically used in low-value payment systems or where network access is difficult or expensive to implement, such as parking machines, public transport systems, and closed payment systems in locations such as ships. </p><p>Stored-value cards differ from <a href="/facts/Debit_card/A9C9sNeB">debit cards</a>, where money is on deposit with the <a href="/facts/Issuer/C901TkJf">issuer</a>, and <a href="/facts/Credit_cards/7pKSB5LD">credit cards</a> which are subject to credit limits set by the issuer and are connected to accounts at financial institutions. Another difference between stored-value cards and debit and credit cards is that debit and credit cards are usually issued in the name of individual account holders, while stored-value cards may be anonymous, as in the case of <a href="/facts/Gift_card/wf2SvhuF">gift cards</a>. Stored-value cards are prepaid money cards and may be disposed when the value is used, or the card value may be topped up, as in the case of <a href="/facts/Telephone_card/l0UcfbCP">telephone calling cards</a> or when used as a <a href="/facts/Public_transport/DXhqazz5">fare card</a>. </p><p>The term <i>closed-loop</i> means the funds and/or data are physically stored on the token or card in the form of binary-coded data. This is unlike payment cards where data is maintained on the card issuer's computers. Like payment cards, value can be accessed using a <a href="/facts/Magnetic_stripe_card/1mcYEQoT">magnetic stripe</a>, chip or <a href="/facts/Radio-frequency_identification/4CnmIV2b">radio-frequency identification</a> (RFID) embedded in the card; or by entering a code number, printed on the card, into a <a href="/facts/Telephone/P7uEgWQX">telephone</a> or other <a href="/facts/Numeric_keypad/S92eFIVP">numeric keypad</a>. </p>