Integrated circuit card (smart card) – memory card. Instead of magnetic stripe it has a built in microcircuit (microprocessor) which itself keeps an information about holder’s banking account current status and confirms availability (or absence) of required sum. As a result the speed of such cards authorization in passing through a terminal station is much higher – 5-10 seconds. Their information capacity is much bigger than the cards with magnetic stripes have but they are more expensive.

One of modifications of smart cards is «an electronic wallet». The conception of its creation is quite new and only high-powered card systems make its issue. Unlike the common plastic cards the electronic wallets are not linked to the client’s current banking account absolutely. It is «charged» on a definite sum of money thus the settlements made with its help do not require any authorization.

During an electronic wallet purchase in bank in the form of a definite type of card it is «empty». It could be purchased by a some money place to a common account which wouldn’t be refilled before the full write-off this sum. This sum is an amount of an electronic wallet’s «charge», i.e. this sum is at holder’s disposal during the purchases of goods and services. When the sum will be exhausted an electronic wallet could be «charged» again.

As can be seen from the above it plays role of a sort of a money vault electronically. Due to its limited capacity its loss doesn’t result any heavy losses thus it doesn’t require any costly systems of protection and holder identification, i.e. it is anonymous.

Nowadays magnetic cards are most popular. But experts say that smart cards are future. Recently a substantial increase of exactly this type of cards usage as a mean of payment is observed.

Cards could be separated according to identification information spread method (card holder name, number, term of validity, etc.). These data could be inserted by an embossed print (pressed) by a special machine (embosser) and this card is called embossed.

On non-embossed cards this information is burned out and as a rule such cards are intended only for an electronic usage.

According to the functional characteristics banking cards are separated on credit cards and debit cards. Credit card allows its holder to receive a definite credit during the payments for goods or services the cost of which is higher than a bank account balance pegged to the card (card account).

The debit card owner can make payments for the purchased goods and services and to cash it in the cash machines only up to the amount available on the card account. In the USA the credit cards prevail, in Kazakhstan – debit cards which consist the bigger part of all payment cards.

Both credit and debit cards can be individual and corporate. The individual cards (Customer cards) are issued only to private persons and corporate – only to companies (enterprises).

Corporate card is linked to a companies’ account and can be issued only on a companies’ employee for payment of expenses coming from his business activity and official trips.

In a frame of cards classification on individual and corporate to a separate type the family cards could be divided. They are issued as individual only to private persons but also as corporate could be issued separately for every family member of a card account owner. Family cards in some specified sense are analogue to corporate – the right of making payments under the fixed limits is allowed to the card’s holder family members. Whereby the additional users are supplied with separate personalized cards.