Smart cards are coming into widespread use around the world. They contain a microcomputer that can identify a person's identity through his (PIN) Personal Identification Number. It has a memory capable of storing transactions as well as carrying them out and can communicate with other devices such as a host computer or a dumb visual display unit. This book examines the history of smart card development, the different types of cards and technologies available, and a great deal is spent on the numerous applications. The most interesting aspect of the smart card is that it is, in effect, the next generation of computer miniarturized for every day use. The book will inspire the imagination of the reader to enable him/her to plan for the exploitation of this new technology.