Why is reloadability important to the development of the smart card vis-a-vis disposable cards?

There are markets for both disposable and reloadable cards. Disposable cards work well for an event and as a collectible card. If the card is a multiple application card supporting, for example, debit and/or credit and stored value, the customer would not want to throw this type of card away. It would be more appropriate if the stored value application is reloadable.

Standalone cards

A standalone reloadable card (as opposed to a standalone disposable card) is very attractive to some customers. This customer would tend to be someone who uses their stored value on a frequent basis perhaps for public transportation, corporate cafeteria etc. and wants to be able to reload the card on a periodic basis rather than have to buy a new card each time.