Quote:
Originally Posted by wco81
So it would be the same number format as the scratch off cards then?
|
Probabaly yes.
Quote:
|
OK, because in the US, the stores sell gift cards and prepaid credit cards the same way.
|
That's how it worked in Germany until a couple of years ago, too. But nowadays that cash points are all IP-connected it's probably cheaper to print out recharge codes at the register instead of producing and handling those scratch cards, which notably can be stolen.
Quote:
|
They have displays with dozens of them and you take the ones you want to the cashier and pay them.
|
Actually we still have such over here, e.g. for amazon or iTunes but no recharge vouchers for cell providers in that form anymore.
Quote:
|
I never bought one of these but that makes sense, that they'd have to give you some code, unless they're able to program the barcodes.
|
The problem with barcodes is that
European EAN-13 codes have only 13 digits, of which about half are reserved for country and manufacturer identification which leaves only 2-6 digits for the actual item code, which is too short to contain recharge codes. Of course they could introduce a new separate barcode for this purpose but that would actually complicate things.