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) .