The two key components of an Electronic Voucher Distribution system are a central web server and a portable Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal. The server is maintained by the service provider, and their dealers have POS terminals at their retail stores. Customers can access a service, such as prepaid mobile recharge, by entering their account details and the recharge amount into the POS terminal. The information is sent to the server for authentication. If approved, the server sends a recharge code to the terminal. Simultaneously, the customer’s account is updated with the debited amount. The POS terminal then generates a voucher for the customer to confirm the completed transaction. These vouchers can be downloaded instantly or stored in the terminal for future reference.

Alternatively, the transaction can be completed without sending PIN information back to the terminal. In this case, the POS terminal in the store is authorized once by the operator, and the retailer’s balance information is updated regularly on the server. Along with the transaction voucher, the retailer also receives a balance acknowledgment. The EVD software also tracks sales data, including daily sales, denomination-wise sales, and event logs. The POS devices are portable and can be used in areas with GSM-GPRS, CDMA, or VPN network connectivity.