Typical value loading transfers from bank accounts to the card had risen from £10 in July of 95 to between £25 and £30 by May 1996 - roughly the same as a typical ATM withdrawal. Most purchases were for less than £5. Supermarkets were the site of the highest value use, followed by department stores and petrol stations. Except for occasional operator errors and the need to rekey the final sales total into the Mondex terminal, the use of the card at retail was analogous to cash. Moreover time was saved as there was no need to count the money or authorize a credit or debit card transaction.
The test had revealed some enhancement opportunities. Consumer research led to developing a device near retailer tills so card users without Mondex wallets could lock and unlock their cards. The early pay phones proved difficult to use and were confusing in the way in which money was transferred between the phone and the card. In June of 1996 a decision was made not to charge for use of the pay phones for downloading Mondex value onto cards.
Card wallets were heavy and, for some customers, difficult to use. Customers also wanted to be able to see the last amount tendered on their key chains as well as the account balance. The car park ticket machines had experienced some failures prior to Christmas of 1995; Mondex had sent an apology to customers. Throughout the spring of 1996, Mondex personnel checked parking machines daily to ensure they were operating. Also, the separate Mondex terminal at the point of purchase required double keying and additional counter space. Already, however, one major retailer had begun taking steps to integrate Mondex card processing into their normal till.