One hundred and thirteen million Americans have at least one
bank (36) credit card. They give their owners (37)
credit in stores, restaurants, and hotels, at home, across the
country, and even (38) and they make many’ banking
services (39) as well. More and more of these credit cards
can be read automatically, making it possible to (40) or
deposit money in scattered locations, whether or not the local branch bank is
open. For many of us the "cashless society" is not on the (41)
¬—it’s already here. While computers offer
these (42) to consumers, they have many advantages for
sellers too. Electronic cash registers can do much more than simply ring up
sales. They .can keep a wide range of records, including who sold what, when,
and to whom. This information al- lows businessmen to keep track of their list
of goods by showing which items are being sold and how fast they are moving.
Decisions to (43) or return goods to suppliers can then be
made. At the same time, (44) And they also identify preferred
customers for promotional campaigns. Computers are relied on by manufacturers
for similar reasons. (45) Computers keep track of goods in
stock, of raw materials on hand, and even of the production process itself.
(46) .