Image: iStockphoto.com/Albert Lozano
About This Quiz
No more time-consuming credit card swiping. Credit companies want to save us the annoyance of both swiping and signing our names during credit card transactions. Blink technology may do just that. Take our fun quiz and see if this clever innovation is for you.
What's the difference between a blink contactless credit card and a regular credit card.
The blink card is blue.
The blink card is round.
The blink card can be read by a special machine.
Blink credit cards do everything a regular credit card does. The key difference is that the blink card can be read by a special machine from a few inches away, eliminating the need to hand over your card to a store employee for swiping.
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What are the obvious advantages of a blink card for the consumer?
privacy
speedy checkouts
both of the above
You can keep your blink card in your hand at all times. Embedded within your blink card is a small RFID (radio frequency identification) microchip that is read quickly by the terminal, which checks with your bank and confirms payment.
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Which technology did Mobile introduce in 1997 to speed up payment at the gas pumps?
Speedpass
You can use Speedpass to pay for your gas without ever taking a credit card out of your pocket. Just wave your special keychain fob in front of the Speedpass logo on the gas pump and the cost of the gas will be deducted from your account.
Slowpass
Roadpass
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At which of the following places do people most hate to stand in line?
the library
the doctor's office
A JPMorgan Chase & Co. survey found that the top two places people hate to wait is at the doctor's office and at the department of motor vehicles. Blink technology is touted as an important innovation that will save you time waiting on lines.
the pharmacy
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Blink uses a specific kind of RFID microchip developed under International Standard 14443. What makes it suited for use with credit card information?
Its data is encrypted.
Its transmission range is short.
both of the above
The transmission range of data transmitted by ISO 14443 is about 4 inches (10 cm) and all data transmitted by it is encrypted (in code). It is particularly suited to keeping private data private.
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Induction is the process whereby a magnetic field can produce _____current.
an electric
In 1831, Michael Faraday discovered that a magnetic field can produce an electric current in wires passing through the field. This is known as Faraday's Law of Induction.
a magnetic
a radio
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In RFID devices such as blink cards, engineers use induction to power the:
microcell
microchip
The blink card's microchip gets its power from the voltage generated by induction in the terminal's magnetic field rather than by a battery. This process is known as inductive coupling.
microcomputer
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When using a blink card, _____is not required.
a photo ID
a signature
both of the above
Requiring a signature would slow down the blink process and isn't necessary, because of the blink card's built-in security provisions including encryption.
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The biggest problem with blink cards is the possibility that a terminal will read your card accidentally. What precautions might be implemented to prevent this from happening?
positioning the terminals carefully
using RFID blocking wallets
both of the above
If you're worried that you may end up paying for someone else's purchases by simply getting too close to a blink terminal, you've got reason to be concerned. Check to be sure stores have taken proper precautions and store your blink card in a wallet or sleeve lined with metal to protect you from all unwanted blink card activity.
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What is the proper reading range of a blink terminal?
4 inches (10.2 centimeters)
You should hold your blink card no more than 4 inches from the reader terminal.
24 inches (61.0 centimeters)
48 inches (121.9 centimeters)
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Blink speeds up transactions by as much as_____percent.
two
20
Though Chase claims that blink transactions are 20 percent faster than regular credit card transactions, this is probably due to the fact that signatures aren't necessary.
50
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What motivation besides innovation might Chase have for introducing blink cards?
People spend more money with blink cards.
One motivation for Chase's interest in promoting blink cards might be that research has shown that people spend more with blink cards than with regular credit cards. Banks need people to use their cards for spending.
People are happier with blink cards.
People are more economical with blink cards.
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Which of the following have introduced RFID cards?
MasterCard
American Express
both of the above
In addition to Chase's blink card, you might want to try MasterCard's PayPass or American Express' Express Pay, two contactless credit cards that have been introduced in certain markets.
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Which of the following might replace standard plastic credit cards in the future?
keychain fobs
Without the restrictions of a magnetic strip, you can expect contactless credit "cards" to take many new forms. Look for keychain fobs, toys, coins and more in the future.
shoes
underwear
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The processor in your blink card transmits information to the reader terminal at a _____of 13.56 MHz.
frequency
A frequency of 13.56 MHz is suited to inductive coupling, is resistant to environmental interference and claims a low absorption rate by human tissue.
speed
rate
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You Got:
/15
iStockphoto.com/Albert Lozano
