Credit Slate

Credit slates are a cross between a 21st century smart debit card, and a small tablet. Slates are made of the same material as the Credit chits, but only 1.5mm thick, and they are also much larger. They are rectangular in shape, measuring 4cm x 10 cm in size.   Each credit slate has a thumb scanner on one of the surfaces, near one end. The opposite end has a chip that inserts into the transaction machine. There is also a small screen on the top of the card. It's possible for the person who the slate is locked to can access account information on the small screen. Occasionally the information can be out of date because the card does not maintain a connection to the DataNet. If there have been transactions, such as approved bill payments made on the account since the slate was last updated, it will not appear on the slates summary screen.   Most starships, and even some households, have an a computer terminal capable of processing credit slates for updating, or private transactions.