W.E. Transaction Telephone

[Dave F]

This rarity is a W.E. 5100BM Transaction Telephone (1981), Bell System's early entry into the point-of-sale credit card world.  In addition to the on-board credit card reader, this phone also contains a programmable dialer for accessing the banking system.  The phone can be used with the supplied K-style handset or alternately switched to operate with a Trimline handset, depending on customer requirements.

DF

[HarrySmith]

Very Cool! I was not aware card reading technology was out in 81. Why have the trimline handset when there is a dial pad on the base?

[JimHyak]

I believe the trimline was used when you didn't have a dedicated line and had to dial in - the keypad on the phone was used to enter the transaction amount.

[poplar1]

If the Trimline handset is used, then how do you operate the hookswitch? And, if the same 616 handset jack is used, that would mean there were two networks (one inside the phone and one in the TML handset).

[Dave F]

Other versions of the W.E. Transaction phone went into production as early as the mid 1970s.  Bell System clearly foresaw the coming of the consumer credit card revolution.

The BSP for this set is 502-323-403.  I have not yet located a copy, but based on what I have learned from other sources, this is how I believe it worked:

There is an internal speaker which allows the phone to work without lifting the handset.  In one mode, you would push the ON button and wait for dial tone.  Then, using a special mag stripe card associated with this particular seller, you would swipe the card which contains the phone number of the bank.  The card reader would read  the card, and the autodialer would make the connection to the bank's computer.  After being connected to the bank, you would then swipe the customer's credit card to complete the transaction, or enter the customer's info using the keypad on the phone.

I do believe that there is a network inside the phone which allows it to work with a plain handset rather than with the Trimline when properly configured.  The Trimline handset (usually rotary) could be used to dial into a bank when Touchtone was not available.

The advance of credit card use in retail sales proceeded at lightning speed, and the (expensive and complex) Transaction Telephone was most likely overtaken by more modern and less costly hardware from many different companies.  I suspect that in a short time the cost of processing credit cards decreased so much that Bell System was no longer price-competitive with this system.  In any case, these Transaction phones are very uncommon today.  Looking back, I don't think that I ever saw one in retail use at any time.

If anybody manages to find the BSP, please let me know.

DF

[Dave F]

<snip>  If the Trimline handset is used, then how do you operate the hookswitch?...

The Trimline handset sits on the phone and operates the hookswitch just like the K handset does.

DF

[unbeldi]

I would rather think that the trimline handset is used to establish the telephone call in place of using the integral card dialer.  When only the card dialer is used, the "plain" handset is sufficient.
Isn't the key pad on the main unit for entering transaction data, rather than dialing?



PS:  I found the BSP for the 5100AM on my disk, 502-232-401, 502-323-401, as well as some 5000 units.

[Dave F]

I would rather think that the trimline handset is used to establish the telephone call in place of using the integral card dialer.  When only the card dialer is used, the "plain" handset is sufficient.

That sounds right to me.

Isn't the key pad on the main unit for entering transaction data, rather than dialing?

I'm not sure, but I think that's correct.  My set has some sort of electrical problem and currently doesn't work properly (Maybe/hopefully just a blown fuse).  I will have to get that fixed before I can do any testing.

PS:  I found the BSP for the 5100AM on my disk, 502-232-401, as well as some 5000 units.

I think you mean you have 502-323-401. Yes, I have that BSP as well.  I think that the 5100AM only came with the Trimline handset.  Obviously, the B version had some differences, or they would not have created a separate BSP for it.  I'll be happy when I finally get to look at 502-323-403!

[unbeldi]

Notice that the key pad on the main unit has no # key, nor any letters. The # key is division (/). While office names were no longer used in the 70s, dialing keypads have retained them until today, to make it easy to dial vanity numbers.
The keypad also has the designation 'TRANSACTION' right below it.

[Dan F]

Enjoy

[unbeldi]

Enjoy

Thanks, but these are the BSPs we already have.
Dave has a 5100BM.