On Tue, 25 Nov 2008, Matthew Dickinson wrote:

This is, of course, a really good question, but it's one that i suspect
that nobody on this group can actually answer. Is there a technical
reason why it's hard to make ticket machines or ticket office equipment
capable of activating auto top-up? Something to do with the software in
it, or the kind of network connection it has? If so, that would be your
answer. If not, then i can't think of a good reason. But without
knowing about the technical details of the machinery involved, we can't
answer it. I don't know about that, and i assume from the fact that
we're having this discussion that none of the other participants do
either!

There is someone on this group who's posted some more insider stuff about
oyster before - who was that? Does he have any ideas?

The fundamental reason is that the card processors insist that the
inital setup transaction is processed in the same way as the ongoing
transactions (that is, as a Customer Not Present transaction using CVV
and address checking), and it isn't practical to carry out this type of
transaction at a ticket office.

But there's no need to - that's not what we're talking about. The idea is
that you could do the transaction online, and then pick up the activation
at the station. No transaction, in the credit card sense, would take place
there.

tom

--
Mpreg is short for Male Impregnation and I cannot get enough. -- D