Cash Card Payment System
The Objectives
The client provides a store value card (similar to a gift card) that is sold primarily through convenience stores. The procedure of card usage is as follows: a customer purchases the card, pays the vendor in cash and the vendor then adds the money to the card. The sales person in the store adds funds to the card using either a web-based application or a swipe terminal that is connected to the client's system. Once the money is added to the card, the customer can use the card as an ATM card or as a telephone card. In accordance to the marketing research the target segment for the card are the 30 million un-banked American residents. The revenue for the client is formed by transaction charges and overdraft fees.
Currently the client has an ASP/MS SQL solution in operation (v1). However new requirements for communication with partners, data security and funds control lead to the necessity of expanding and enhancing this system.
The major partner of the client is eFunds corporation, which is responsible for handling transactions from outside clients (ATMs, etc) and passing them to the client. The client's card system also communicates with banks for accounts information handling, and other external systems (described below), such as NCN. NCN is responsible for verifying checks being cashed by the system.
The Solution
After careful analysis of project's goals, TDS has come up with the solution that will allow implementing new requirements and reusing some parts of the existing system. The new version of the system is getting developed by TDS based on a fundamentally new architecture. Main principles of the user interface are inherited from the legacy system.
TDS also participates in defining requirements for the new system and refining its client's new business processes.
The Result
The development process is approaching the first system release at this time. The team is getting ready to migrate legacy data and release the new version of this system in to operation. The system is already certified by eFunds and NCN.
Improving the system's usability and a complete, end-to-end testing has been the main priority for now.
TDS is also helping the client maintain the legacy system.
Software Features
Core
The system is built around a flexible and high-performance core, based on a Microsoft SQL database, and a set of .NET based business object. This core processes requests from other parts of the system, performing essential system-wide functions.
Web UI
The web-based user interface of the system provides an opportunity for the client to have full control over different kinds of users' data: staff, associates, resellers, cardholders. The client provides a set of reports which allow them for advanced data analysis and planning.
eFunds integration
Transaction handling from ATMs and other external withdrawals.
ConnectService
Web Service which allows external systems to perform transactions with this system.
Checks scanning and verification
Currently the experiences overhead with entering processing and cashing checks, which involves inputting check data. One of the new requirements was integrating this system with a set of check scanning products (EZ-Scan corp., RDM corp.), and also with NCN. These services are used to verify checks validity and efficiently input check information. All essential check information that comes into the system, gets verified, and then fed into the system.