How does a gate or bus validator check whether a rider's card is
valid? Checking the card number against a negative list is standard
but that usually has to be done online. A much faster solution is
to have a local copy of the negative list at the gate. The patented
negative list fraud prevention technology works as follows: a local
computer in each gate or farebox compares a rider's smart card number
to a list of invalid credit card numbers, updated daily or more often,
and permits or restricts access based on this list. (All the card
numbers are, of course, encrypted.) This local negative list technology
is the best anti-fraud system available.
The whole authorization process is automated. The clearinghouse
receives updated negative lists from financial institutions on a
daily basis and uploads that to each agency's central server. From
the central server, all station servers receive the updated negative
list and relay it to terminals at the gates or bus validator modules.
If a cardholder's info is on the negative list, that transaction
is not authorized.
The negative list check conducts the following activities within
0.25 seconds at the gate:
Negative list check
Security check certification
Card number certification
Input entry station and time
Fare accounting
If any of above fails, then the transaction is declined.
