The merchant validator is a modular unit designed to be located in a given store or place of business. The unit is internally coded with a given identification number relating to a given merchant. The DTS-521 or Cape 500 can accept up to 99 coupons; thus, the merchant unit will be coded from 1-99.
Software is designed to allow up to 6 validations or coupon uses per individual ticket. This means a patron could have his ticket validated 6 times at one store or one time at up to six individual stores.
Validations may be pre-sold and loaded into a counter in the unit much the same way as a postage meter machine. When the counter reaches zero, it will not validate any more tickets until the merchant has purchased an additional amount and this amount has been keyed into the unit.
Validated tickets will be accepted and accounted for at either the DTS-521 or the Cape 500.