Bet you hadn’t thought of this..
Petroleum companies are leveraging their billing relationship with customers (via gas cards, etc.) to become banking and credit institutions on a much grander scale. And they are actually pioneering electronic currency with devices like the SpeedPass.
Here’s what it looks like: http://www.speedpass.com/how/technology.jsp
Imagine just waving your SpeedPass at a cash register as you walk out the door of a department store, after it scans the electronic tags attached to the clothing you’re purchasing. You stop, a screen displays what it has found in your shopping bag, and you wave your credit dongle at a panel and off you go.
Pretty cool. Awesome for drive-thrus.
-Ian.