Before WWII, except for the British Empire from 1915, most people could travel the world freely without carrying any travel or identity documents.
During the latter part of the 20th century and the 21st century, travel has gotten more complicated. The regulations got much more demanding after the World Trade Center attack in New York (2001) and with the COVID-19 outbreak (2020). Government reactions to those two events made ID scanners almost mandatory in the travel industry.
When you need to read a passport, other ID documents, vaccination certificate, etc., a scanner keeps the customers moving into, out of, or through your facility. Each document takes only a couple of seconds, instead of the minutes it takes if the information must be verified or recorded.
Adaptive Recognition’s (AR) Osmond, Combo Smart and Combo Scan document readers and the software or databases they can connect to give you the flexibility you need to do business your way.
Transportation Companies
If you carry passengers internationally, your passengers must be able to demonstrate that they’ve paid their fare (boarding pass or similar), been vaccinated as required (vaccination certificate or other documentation), and are authorized to travel (passports and visas). In some cases, another form of personal ID such as a drivers’ license or residency card may be necessary.
If you must record information from any of these documents or verify any information, that all takes time. An electronic document reader is essential to keep people moving efficiently. Besides the time it saves, the information it reads is always accurate and securely stored.
Even for domestic travel, some of the same documents must be checked.
In most cases, self-service kiosks can handle all or the majority of these tasks. In many of the larger airports, even the baggage check-in is automated.
Freight containers often get used by fraudsters to move stolen goods or contraband material. Using document readers at each transfer point and tracking the movements of freight containers lessens the opportunity for unauthorized access to them.
If you operate a ship or train that carries private or commercial vehicles, it’s incumbent on you to verify each vehicle’s identity and link it to the owner or shipper. An ID scanner linked to an ALPR (Automatic License Plate Recognition) camera is the ideal combination to verify all this.
Duty-Free Shops in Airports or Other Terminals
When a traveler makes a purchase in a duty-free shop, lots of documentation is required. This transaction is more than a simple pay-and-go deal, as it might be in another store.
Governments have strict rules about the conditions under which they allow normally-taxed goods to be purchased duty-free. Duty-free store owners must document the necessary information to prove their customers met those strict rules. The shop owner could be liable for unpaid duties and penalties if they can’t provide this documentation.
Before ID scanners, store clerks had to examine travel documents and enter some of the information into the store records. Difficulty in reading smudged or worn documents, distractions, or poor light could contribute to errors in this process.
Competent electronic document readers, such as Adaptive Recognition’s Combo Scan, record data accurately and store any necessary information securely, eliminating the uncertainties of manual documentation.
SM Duty Free, a shop at Seoul’s Incheon airport in South Korea, decided to implement this system and have been very pleased with the result. Besides the benefits mentioned, administrative tasks such as reporting to authorities are handled automatically and immediately.
Other types of businesses that can benefit from these systems are:
- Liquor and tobacco stores, where they must verify customer’s ages
- Hospitality industry
- Banks & insurance companies
- Telco offices
- Post offices
- Car rental companies
- Casinos and nightclubs
International Border Authorities
Anywhere people cross an international border, passports, visas, and sometimes other documents must be read and recorded. Many of these locations are choked with people in a hurry.
It’s important to eliminate as much as possible long delays and errors in recording information.
Passport readers and ID scanners expedite the processes at border crossings so more travelers can pass through in a shorter time, with fewer agents. Not only is the data recorded with total accuracy, but the systems can also identify criminals or other unauthorized travelers with ease.
Banks, Brokerages, Insurance Companies and Other Handlers of Your Money
Any organization that handles money for other people is subject to intense scrutiny as governments look for ways to increase their revenues with the taxation of everything in sight.
Since money handled for other people is very much in sight, financial institutions are required to know more about their clients’ activities and finances. They must report transactions above certain limits to various authorities. Any error in identifying an account holder can cause huge disruptions in their complex systems.
A recent addition to the long list of such institutions would be cryptocurrency dealers.
ID scanners and other document readers are critical to this process since they eliminate misidentifications and errors in data entry.
The businesses we’ve identified here would find business very difficult without ID scanners and other document readers.
Many other enterprises either need or find great convenience in using these tools. They can eliminate errors, free up humans to do more productive tasks, and facilitate required reporting and documentation.
To check out Adaptive Recognition’s vast array of options for ID scanning and related technology, visit the Adaptive Recognition website. Each page gives you the opportunity to contact them to discuss your unique document-reading needs with their experts.