When using your credit card at many establishments, you have to wait while the machine dials out to get authorization. You can even sometimes hear the dialtone . . . then dialing . . .then handshaking . . . wait, wait, wait . . . sometime it doesn't go through the first time, then . . . wait, wait, wait some more . . . I have often wondered - why don't these machines just dial up periodically and download an update of bad/lost/stolen CC#s, store this on a HD, then CCs can be verified on the fly? After all, HDs are cheap enough these days. -Cliff
live update of stolen cards. live update of over balance/credit limit. live update (UPLOAD) of amount charged to issuer to recalculate remaining limit, fraudulent charge patterns, etc. Etc.
