As I mentioned in my previous post, I’m currently in Santiago, Chile. One of the cool uses of wireless technology they have here is that their cards for accessing the Metro system are RFID-based, and pre-paid. You purchase the card at a kiosk, then you can refill it over and over. There are small terminals for adding money to them all over the place, including in all Metro (subway) stations, and next to a lot of bank-based ATMs.

Santiago bip! card

I particularly like the fact that on the buses here, the only way to pay is via bip! card. If you try to get on and pay cash, they tell you to get off. It means that boarding the bus happens at the fastest possible speed, because there’s no pause required for people to walk past and “bip” their card on the way through.