Stored-Value Card

Common Questions

Who uses stored-value cards?

Employees, soldiers, contractors, and others at Government sites. Where available, the cards are used as payment in post exchanges and post offices, ships stores, and vending machines, and for morale welfare and recreation. Applications are on Army and Air Force bases in the United States wherever a basic training operation exists, overseas at several bases with deployed troops, as well as on ships at sea. Clients include the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines.

How does the card work?

It varies by application. In some cases cards are pre-loaded with a fixed amount of money that can then purchase goods and services up to the amount on the card. The SVC and the back-end processor "automatically" track the card balance until all value has been exhausted, at which time the card can be discarded.

Other applications allow the cardholder to direct how much money to place on a card and "replenish" it as needed. Some cards also can serve as a debit card and allow cardholder access to automated teller machines (ATM) around the world.

How secure are the cards?

Security is one of the great advantages. The cards use multilayered integrated chip circuitry to control access to funds. It's more secure than the magnetic-stripe technology used to authenticate credit and debit cards. Both the card and the user can be authenticated using a combination of encrypted security "keys" and user PINs.