Abstract: In a transaction terminal, a credit card reader is used not only to enter data from cards of customers, but a special card is used to place the terminal in supervisory modes in at least one of which it will accept data from further special cards which are used to input data used in the transaction mode, particularly alphanumeric data for printing on transaction slips. The terminal has a customer accessible auxiliary keyboard which may be used for data entry, at a location remote from the main unit, allowing for point of sale data entry, including private entry of a customer's Personal Identification Number, either to validate a transaction or during selection of a PIN for encryption by the terminal. Data captured by the auxiliary keyboard is only retained for so long as a customer's card resides in a slot in the auxiliary keyboard, and PIN numbers are encoded as part of a sequence in which data is downloaded to the main unit.

Abstract: In a transaction terminal system including a central computer and a number of remote intelligent terminals in intermittent communication with the central computer, the central computer periodically updates local hot card files at the terminals from a master hot card file. Hot card data stored at the central computer includes additional data indicative of the likelihood of a particular hot card being presented in a particular locality such that this additional data can be used to select subsets of hot card data for downloading to individual terminals, the subsets including data on hot cards deemed most likely to be presented in the locality of each terminal concerned.

Abstract: In a transaction terminal, a credit card reader is used not only to enter data from cards of customers, but a special card is used to place the terminal in supervisory modes in at least one of which it will accept data from further special cards which are used to input data used in the transaction mode, particularly alphanumeric data for printing on transaction slips. The terminal has a customer accessible auxiliary keyboard which may be used for data entry, at a location remote from the main unit, allowing for point of sale data entry, including private entry of a customer's Personal Identification Number, either to validate a transaction or during selection of a PIN for encryption by the terminal.