Moreno then simplified the idea, introducing a plastic card with a microchip in 1975.

For example, he said, the time it takes to introduce a new card has fallen from 12 months two years ago to four months today.

The company introduced a calling card early this year that allows users to set up a conference call with up to 300 participants from any push-button phone.

"Instead of money, they introduce a card or a foreign object."

In 1995, the biggest greeting-card distributor introduced a card to celebrate St. George's Day on April 23.

It's stripping down the characters to the point where their relationships are becoming more meaningful, and it's introduced a real wild card at just the right time.

In 2010, PATH introduced a two-trip card costing $4.00 using the standard MetroCard form.

Pretec introduced a similar card, which also plugs into any USB port, but is just one quarter the thickness of the Lexar model.

The government is currently considering introducing such a card on a national scale - as a service to citizens and to a certain extent, of course, also to facilitate travel.

Alongside the clear advantages, however, I can also see a few objections to introducing a card of this kind.