Design and Implementation of an Online ATM Card Request and Delivery System with Tracker

Design and Implementation of an Online ATM Card Request and Delivery System with Tracker

(A Case Study of Guarantee Trust Bank Plc)

ABSTRACT

Online ATM Card request and delivery system with tracker is a system designed to assist bank customers and financial institutions computerize the process of customers requesting for Automated Teller Machines (ATM) cards and verifying the customers’ records with an embedded tracker to speed up the process considering the problems faced by doing this manually. The system was studied and relevant officials were interviewed to acquire the required data. This designed system allows for easy retrieval of information that is accurate for effective and efficient allocations of ATM cards to financial institutions customers. It has easy maintenance of information as well as time saving and reduction in operation. The system designed in HTML, CSS, MYSQL and PHP is interactive, menu-driven and user friendly. It provides timely information about customers without their ATM cards. Most ATM operations are recorded and stored in the computer and retrieved as will. It ensures security as users must just request once before the issue of the ATM Card.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

The evolution of payments in recent history has gone from cash to cheques, and then to payment cards such as credit cards and debit cards. Interestingly, ATM cards are the most rapidly growing method of payments in several countries around the world. Information and communication technology (ICT) have also provided new products and value-added services to be delivered using the same electronic infrastructure. In order to remain competitive, most companies invest a lot of money in modern ICT infrastructure. ICT has also changed drastically the way businesses are done in these modern times. In recent years, the use of different channels for banking and financial services has changed the whole way bank customers and their banks interact. With the increasing popularity of the internet, more and more industries are seeking ways to utilize this popular medium in an effort to keep up with the changing technological preferences of their customers. These days you can do just about anything online from grocery shopping to making a free phone call to a friend in Tokyo through your PC. The possibilities of the internet are seemingly endless and the banking industry has decided that it will not be left behind. While most people have at least heard of online banking, the majority of them have probably not tried it yet. Maybe it’s because we find more comfort in working with real people and real paper when it comes to money matters rather than performing transactions in the seemingly impersonal universe of the World Wide Web. A number of authors and experts have defined e-banking services as a contemporary facility that provides conventional bank products and services through a new medium i.e. IT.

It is entirely automated facility based on IT delivery mechanism to conventional banking users’ products and services. It provides online medium of conducting and providing various banking services, such as, online accessibility of bank account, online fund transfer facility, online bills paying facility etc. The benefits provided by e-banking medium have resulted into swift growth of banking sector worldwide.

The internet facility has transformed the business world in terms of managing business. According to Abu Shanab et al. (2010), internet has transformed the entire business pattern for people as well as for businesses. Although, technological advancements are happening everyday but not every advancement has been welcomed and adapted by financial sector; but financial sector that enjoying advantages of this new mode of service delivery, has adapted the e-banking phenomenon from its introduction only. Originally it was used for online banking promotional activities of their products and services; but as the e-banking concept developed, banks have started enjoying its various other advantages, such as, reduced per transaction cost, enhanced customer service, raised long term returns by providing ‘anytime anywhere’ banking to the banking customers.

Technological advancement specifically, in IT is always seen as the main source of changes taking place around the globe. The entire banking industry has entered into an unparalleled competitive form facilitated by new ICT infrastructure, because of universal and gradual development of ICT.

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The development of banking ATMs (Automatic Teller Machines) industry has received much attention in recent years, mainly due to growing ATM networks. Recent scholarship has studied whether its growth has maximized consumer welfare. The concern is rooted in the network effects that depend on total number of users or customers patronizing banking ATMs. Because the form of banking ATMs of both banking cards for depositors and differentiated banking ATMs can be regarded as network effects. Online ATM card request and delivery System with tracker is an application which generally allows bank customers apply for Automated Teller Machines cards used to withdraw money at ATM machines or perform cashless transactions without visiting the bank, This application will be used by financial Institutions (Banks) to create and manage customers ATM card request using a computerized system where the customers can apply for their ATM cards anywhere in the world, without visiting the bank and more importantly verify and speed up the request time for getting the ATM card with a tracker, to aid speed up of the entire process, with this computerized system there will be no queues in banks, no hassle and stress to get ATM cards from our banks across the country. If a customer needs an ATM card to perform cashless transactions, the customer is able to apply for this card over the web without visiting the bank, all these modules are able to help the bank to manage and create an ATM for customers with more convenience and in a more efficient way and it also help in the cashless policy initiated by the central bank of Nigeria.

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The aims and objectives are as follows:

1. To resolve the issue of manual application of ATM Cards.

2. To provide a platform for bank customers to request and speed up the collection of ATM Cards in a secured environment.

3. To design and implement a system where Bank Customers can easily track their ATM card request application.

4. To aid financial institutions perform at their best with the use of modern digital ways to speed up service delivery.

5. To easily confirm the authenticity of any customers’ ATM Card.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The problems found during customers’ application for ATM cards was so much that there were cases of customers spending lot of time in bank queues in order to get their ATM cards, Lack of effectiveness in their methods of keeping customers ATM application records and long days before the ATM cards is finally issued, further compounds the problem.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study will contribute immensely to the banking sector of Nigeria especially, in the area of ATM card request and delivery. With the proposed technology, bank customers will request for ATM cards at their convenience in a secured manner.

The study will also serve as a foundation for other student researchers who have keen interest in the subject matter.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

To fully understand what the study is all about, important and dispensable terms have been chosen and due definition given to them.

ATM Card: is a payment card or dedicated card or dedicated payment card issued by a financial institution which enables a customer to access automated teller machines.

Tracker: system used to observe of person or objects on the move and supplying a timely ordered sequence of location data for further processing.

Customers: a party that receives or consumes products (goods or services) and has the ability to choose between different products and suppliers.

Financial institution: A financial institution (FI) is a company engaged in the business of dealing with financial and monetary transactions, such as deposits, loans, investments and currency exchange.

Computerized: equipping something with or the usage of and associated automation by computers and software.

Operation: an act or instance, process, or manner of functioning or operating.

Manually: by hand rather than automatically or electronically.

e-banking: Online banking also known as internet banking, it is an electronic payment system that enables customers of a bank or other financial institution to conduct a range of financial transactions through the financial institution website.

Records: to set down in writing or keep evidence of something.

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

INTRODUCTION

2.1 ATM

ATM is an acronym for automated teller machine, it is a computerized telecommunication device that provides the customers of a financial institution with access to financial transaction in a public space without the need for a human clerk or bank teller. On most modern ATMs, the customers are identified by inserting a plastic ATM card with a magnetic strip or a plastic smartcard with a chip, that contains a unique card number and some security information such as an expiration date.

Security information such is provided by the customer entering a personal identification number (PIN).

Using an ATM, customers can access their bank account in order to make cash withdrawn (or credit card cash advances) and check their account balance as well as purchasing mobile cell phones prepaid credit.

ATM are known by various other names including automated banking machine, money machine, bank machine, cash machine, hole-in the wall, cash point, bank comet (in various countries in Europe and Russia), multibanco (after a registered trademark, in Portugal). And any time money (in India)

HISTORY OF ATM

The first mechanical cash dispenser was developed and built by lurther George Simjian and installed in 1939 in New York City by the City Bank of New York, but removal after six (6) Months due to the lack of customer acceptance.

Therefore, the history of ATMS pursed for over 25 years, until De La Rue developed the first electronic ATM, which was installed first in fulfilled town in North London, United Kingdom on 27 June 1967 by Barclays Bank.

This instance of the invention is credited to John Shepard Barron, although various other engineers were awarded patents for related technologies at the time John Shepard Baron was awarded an OBE.

In the 2005 New Year’s Honors List: The First person to use the machine was the British Variety artist and actor Reg Varney. The first ATMs accepted only a single use token or voucher which was retained by the machine.

These worked on various principle including radiation and low-Coercively Magnetism that was wiped by the card reader to make fraud move difficult. The machine dispensed pre-packed envelopes containing ten pounds sterling. The idea of a PIN (personal Identification number) stored on the card was developed by the British Engineer James Goodfellow in 1965.

However, Donald Wetzel a departmental head at an automated baggage- handling company called docutel, Networked and pioneered the ATM in Dallas, Texas in 1968. Then in 1995, the Smithsonians National Musecum of American History recognized docutel and Wetzel as the inventors of the Networking ATM.

ATMs first come into wide UK use in 1973; the IBM 2984 was designed at the request of Lloyd’s banks.

The 2984 CIT (cash Insuring Terminal) was the first cash point is still in function to today’s machine; cash point is still a registered trademark of Lloyds TSB in the UK. All were online and issued a variable amount. A small number of 2984s were supplied to a US bank. Notable Historical model of ATMs includes the IBM 3624 and 473x Series, die bold 10xx and TABs 9000 series and NCR 5xxx series.

JOHN PARTCER 2001

PARTCER 2001

LOCATION

ATMs are placed not only near or inside the premises of banks but also in locations such as shopping centers/smalls, airports, grays stores, petrol/gas stations, restaurants, schools in any places large numbers of people may gather. There are two types of ATM installation.

On and off promise

On premise ATMs are typically move advanced multifunction machines that complement an actual bank branches capacities and thus more expensive off premise machines are deployed by financial institutions and also (independents sales organizations) where there is usually just a  straight need for  cash, so they typically are the cheaper mono function devices.

Many ATMs have a sign above them indicating the name of the bank or organization owing the ATM and possible including the list of ATM networks to which that machine is connected to this type of sign is called a topper.

FINANCIAL NETWORKS

Most ATMs are connected to Inter-bank networks, enabling people to withdraw and deposit money from machines not belonging to the bank where they have their account or in the country where their accounts are held (enabling cash withdrawals in the Local Currency). Some examples of inter-bank networks include PULSE, PLUS, CIRRUS, Interall and LINK ATMs rely on other authorizing institution Via the communications network. This is often performed through an ISO 8583 messaging system.

Many banks’ charges ATM usage fees. In some cases, these fees are changed solely to users who are not customer of the bank were the ATM is installed. In other cases, they apply to all users.

ATM typically connect directly to their ATM Controller via either a dial-up modern over a telephone line or directly via a leased line. Leased lines are preferable to POTS lines because the required less time to establish a connection. Lease lines may be comparatively expensive to operate versus a POTS line, meaning less-trafficked machines will usually rely on dial-up modern.

That dilemma may be solved as high speed internet VPH connection become more ubiquitous. Common lower-level layer communication protocols used by ATMs to communication back to the bank include SHA over SDLC. TC500 over syne, X.25 and Tcp/Ip over ether net.

The use of ATM machine in Nigeria by banks to enhance transaction started in early 2002. Although, it took a lot of orientation of the customers before the ATM could gain wide acceptance. Today people still see the ATM as an avenue for bank exploit them.

2.3. COMPONENTS OF ATM

An ATM is typically made up of the following component Battery back-up.

Card reader

Communications

GPIO

LCD Display Control

Machine Control.

Motion detectors

Power supply

Real-time clock

Rs-232

RS-485

Secure Micro Controller

Temperature Sensors

USB

Video

Warranty

Watchdog time.

An ATM is typically made up of the following devices.

*.     CPU (to control user interface and transaction device)

*.     Magnetic and (or chip card reader (to identify the customer.

*.     PIN pad (similar in layout to a secure enclosure

*.     Secure crypto processor, general written a secure enclosure.

*.     Display (used by the customer for performing the transaction).

*.     Function key buttons (usually close to the display) or a touch screen (used to select various aspect if the transaction record printer (to provide the customer with a record of their transaction).

*.     Vault (to store the parts of the machinery requiring restricted access).

*.     Housing (for aesthetics and to attach signage to).

Recently, due to heavier computing demands and the falling price of computer like architectures using microcontrollers and/or application-specific integrated circuits to adopting a hardware architecture that is very similar to a personal computer – many ATMs are now able to use operating systems such as Microsoft window and limit. Although it is undoubtedly cheaper to use commercial off the shelf hardware, it does make ATMs vulnerable to the same sort of problems exhibited by conventional computers.

2.4 FUNCTIONS OF ATM

Although ATMs were originally developed as just cash dispensers, they have evolved to include many other bank related functions. In some countries, especially those which benefit from a fully integrated cross-bank ATM network (e.g. Multibanco in Portugal), ATMs include many functions which are not directly related to the management of one’s own bank account such as:

*. Deposit currency recognition, acceptance and recycling.

*. Paying routine bills, fees and taxes (utilities, phone bills, social security, legal fees, taxes etc).

*. Printing bank statements

Updating passbooks

Loading monetary value into stored value cards

*. Purchasing postage stamps.

*. Lottery tickets

*. Train ticket

*. Concept ticket

*. Shopping small gift certificates

*. Games and promotional features

*. Donating to charities

*. Cheque processing module

*. Adding prepaid cell phone credit.

Increasing banks are seeking to use the ATM as a sales devices to deliver pre-approved loans and targeted advertising using product such as ITM (Intelligent Teller Machine)

From CRz or Aptra Relate from NCR. ATMs can also act as an advertising channel for companies to advertise their own products or third-party products and services.

REFERENCES

Okoh sc (2004); Software methology, principle and practice

Orji. J (1996); Business Research Methology, Enugu Meteston publicity Co. (revised edition)pg 325

Tony Gunton (1988, A Dictionary of IT and Computer science, Blackwell oxford

Akin Bowale. S. (2004); Introduction to winner mixdorf, ATM Products (Unpublished material) corpareti printing publishers Lagos

Luther Klein (2004) Automated Teller Machiner.

Appendix