faint memory soon, thanks to new computer technology.

The Bank of Butterfield's card link service, which is currently being tested in local shops like Gibbons Company and Astwood Dickinson, offers merchants an automated method of dealing with credit cards.

Previously, a merchant would have to obtain authorisation from the bank over the telephone by giving details like the customer's name and the card's expiry date.

If this was approved, the next stage usually involved placing the card inside a machine and manually producing a carbon copy which the customer then signed.

This process involved plenty of paperwork, but the newest model, comprised of an electronic box and printer, allows a merchant to speed up the process.

That's because the device can read the information from the electronic strip at the back of the card and obtain the necessary authorisation, all within 30 seconds.

Furthermore, the new technology means less paperwork because there are no longer numerous forms to fill out.

Mr. Scott Johnson, financial controller at Astwood Dickinson told The Royal Gazette that card link, although it was still only at the pilot stage, was a useful piece of equipment which cut down on time and sped up the sales process.

"We've had little hiccoughs here and there but generally things have gone well since we became part of the bank's pilot programme in July,'' he said.

QUICK AND EASY -- The Bank of Butterfield's new card link system, currently being tested in a few local stores, promises to revolutionise the old manual method of processing credit cards.