We notice you are visiting from a U.S. Internet provider. 
30/03/2010 -
Businesses in Alberta that feature debit and credit card processing may soon see a wider clientele base - the province's homeless population.The Calgary Herald reported Sunday that Alberta is in the process of developing an ID card system for homeless people that would include biometric information such as fingerprint samples or facial scans.
This system would enable homeless people to get a government ID card and even a bank account, by allowing social workers to prove their identities as many do not have any other forms of identification.
"Identification does have value on the street and we have to make sure we have those adequate controls in place," housing minister Jonathan Denis told the Herald. "But it would make someone feel like more of a person, help them get on their feet with a bank account - things you can't get without identification."
Businesses in Alberta may see a boost in their payment processing activity similar to that provided by prepaid cards, which allow the large population of unbanked and underbanked citizens across the nation to conduct electronic payment transactions.
Indeed, a recent report from the Green Sheet projected that prepaid cards will represent one of the strongest sectors of the Canadian payment processing industry in the coming years.
