To use a card at checkout, a cashier can either scan the card's bar code from the smartphone or type in the member's ID number.

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Those without printers can grab a free PayNearMe card at one of 7-Eleven's 6, 000 locations and use the card's bar code in lieu of a printed sheet.

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He also sees a trend toward e-gift cards or virtual gift cards, which boil the card down to a bar code--no plastic necessary.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Leeds is bringing on five full-time developers to build an app that will plant a bar code on smartphone screens that can be scanned in lieu of a physical gift card--finally separating the card's value from its plastic delivery vehicle.

FORBES: Magazine Article

If they don't have a frequent-flier ID card, travelers check in online or at kiosks and get a bar code on a printed boarding pass or on a mobile phone, just like at other airlines.

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