Electronic commerce has grown over the years, and smart cards bring two essential enhancements to this rapidly growing marketplace. These are enhanced security and portability.

Smart cards offer far greater security protections to the consumer than magnetic stripe cards. This enhanced security enables the authentication of the card and its data, thereby eliminating the use of false cards. It simplifies the authorization process by providing an efficient mean of cardholder identification - having the secret code (or PIN) and the card number inscribed in the chip. It guarantees non-repudiation by the consumer who has provided the code and, finally, it secures the cardholder since access to the Secure Electronic Transaction certificate is possible only if the card is present and the code verified.

The smart card will also ensure the portability of the Secure Electronic Transaction certificate, enabling payment from personal computers, public kiosks, self-service terminals, and cyber-cafes. It allows consumers to make secure electronic commerce purchases anytime, anywhere they go.

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