CARD BRIEFS: Wireless Processing Used at Final Four

Bell Atlantic Nynex Mobile introduced cellular digital packet data technology to the Final Four college basketball championship tournament held at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford.

Aramark Corp., Philadelphia, a food and clothing services company, claimed record sales as a result of using the technology.

During the four-day tournament, Aramark said, it sold $800,000 worth of merchandise. These sales required 2,400 credit card transactions, 67% of which were done through wireless technology, the company said.

"I see it clearly as a mainstream alternative for merchants to do credit card processing," said John Ahsler, business manager of POS markets for Bell Atlantic Nynex Mobile. "More and more wireless services are being instituted that will compete with wired technology."

He noted that the digital technology cuts transaction time from 20 seconds to between five and six seconds.

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