sQuid in the news
"Electronic purse"
July 2007 — Scottish Grocer
Bolton's Smart card holders could find themselves "quids in" when looking for small change.
A deal being worked out with sQuidcard, the e-money provider, will mean that card users could have an electronic purse, so they'll never be scrambling for small change.
Under the proposals the sQuid link will allow money to be stored on the Bolton Smart card. Users would typically load £10 or £20 onto the card purse, which can be spent on "small change" items at premises displaying the sQuid logo. The card could perhaps also be used for hiring CDs or DVDs at libraries or paying for a swim. The council is also working with the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive to have the card accepted on buses.
Council chiefs have given the go-ahead for officers to grant sQuidcard a licence which would allow the Bolton Smart card to provide the money service. The e-money facility will be free to card holders.
The card has been available since November last year and gives people access to libraries and leisure services. It's hoped that the new sQuid scheme could go live in autumn which would mean people would have once card also giving them access to an e-money facility and potentially bus travel too.
Council leader Cliff Morris said that the council had been approached by sQuid following its successful introduction of the Bolton Smart card: "Incorporating the e-money facility into the card means that many more services could be offered and the involvement of sQuid opens up an extremely useful new facility for users. For example, future uses could include a school 'purse' for lunches.
It's not a credit card so people would not be running up a debt. They can only spend the amount the have credited to it, and if a card is lost it can be 'frozen'."
