2.2 Direct data entry and associated devices

• Direct data entry


  Methods that allow data to be entered directly, without human intervention
• Magnetic stripe readers


  • Can store limited information
  • Require a lot of data to be entered
• Items with magnetic stripes

  • Credit cards
  • Bank cards
  • Library cards
  • Hotel room key cards
• Using a magnetic stripe reader

  1. Information written onto the magnetic stripe

  2. Reader cross-checks data with information held on the guest system
• Magnetic stripe


  A black stripe on the back of cards that can store data
• Chip and PIN readers


  • Read information stored in the chip
  • Verify the personal identification number (PIN) entered
• Chip and PIN


  A computer chip on the front of a credit/debit card that holds data and can generate transaction details
• RFID (radio-frequency identification)


  A reader uses radio waves to identify and track special tags attached to objects
• RFID tag


  Contains digital data that can be interrogated by and send the data to a reader device using radio waves
• Unique identifier


  A characteristic or element that is found only on one particular item
• OCR (optical character recognition)


  Scans a document and translates the images of the characters into digital text
• OMR (optical mark recognition)

  Enables data marked by a human, by making marks to select options, to be captured for processing by a computer
• Bar code


  A set of short parallel lines in contrasting colours that stand for the digits 0 to 9
• QR (quick response) code


  A type of two-dimensional bar code that can be read using a camera and software to interpret them and provide a link directly to text, emails and websites
• Methods of direct data entry

  • Magnetic stripe readers
  • Chip and PIN readers
  • RFID readers
  • OCR
  • OMR
  • Bar code readers
  • QR scanners
• The price of an item is not contained in the bar code
• QR codes


  You can store lots of information on a QR code without having to write it down
• QR codes


  • Can be used for anything by anyone
  • Can be scanned from any direction making them easier to be read with less possibility of background interference
• Methods of direct data entry

  • OMR
  • OCR
  • Bar code reader
  • Chip and PIN reader
  • Magnetic stripe reader
  • QR scanner
  • RFID reader
• OMR


  • Fast and accurate
• OCR


  • Fast and accurate as it avoids typing errors and is less expensive on labour
  • Saves time when product prices change as only the price data in the database will need updating once for each product
• Bar code reader


  • Quick and easy to get data into the system
  • Updates stock control automatically so saves time
  • Very accurate
• Chip and PIN reader

  • Secure
  • Hard to clone
  • Chips hold more data than magnetic stripes
  • Portable
• Magnetic stripe reader


  • Very fast data entry
  • No data-entry errors as nothing to type in
  • Robust
  • Cannot be read by human
• QR scanner


  • Very versatile. Can contain different types of data
  • Codes can be easily read by multiple devices, including smartphones
  • Anyone can create a QR code using software
  • Quick to read
  • Stores 100 times more information than a bar code
• RFID reader


  • RFID chips do not need to be positioned precisely
  • They can read chips a few metres away
  • They can read all of the tags on goods in a trolley at once