Smart Card with Statue of Libery graphicThe use of chip-on-card technology (smart cards) has been in use for well over ten years throughout the world in numerous debit and credit card transfer systems. In the New York metropolitan area, Hercules has over a quarter of a million smart card users. Smart card technologies for laundry rooms is installed in most of the better buildings throughout the tri-state area.

Smart Cards work like a pre-paid toll ticket or EZ-Pass. Each smart card has a small embedded chip which information can be added to or deleted from. The card is inserted into a card reader on the washer or dryer and the proper amount is automatically deducted. The starting balance and then the remaining balance on your card is automatically shown to you on the card reader display.

The Smart Card system has three main components:

  • The re-usable plastic credit-card sized card with the embedded chip.
  • The Card Transaction Station (CTS) which among other things, allows you to transfer cash to the card which records the transaction.
  • The individual card readers on each and every machine in which the card is inserted, just as coins, to start and operate.

Dryer with Smart Card slotNo coins in the laundry room means no coin-box targets for vandalism and robberies, which significantly eliminates costly repairs and down-time of the washers or dryers. Most importantly, there is no postponing or interrupting of your laundry room chores when the supply of quarters runs low or out.

You can view a short video on how to use the smart card system. To view the videos, click below, or right-click (control-click on Mac) to save.

Smart Card (WMV Format 3.7MB)
Smart Card (Quicktime Format 4.5MB)