This is a civil metering product that combines "prepaid" with "intelligent control". Its core concept is "pay first, then use water", which completely changes the traditional model of "use water first, then pay".
Types of Smart IC Cards
Contact IC Cards (Insertion Type): The most common type, which requires physical insertion into a slot. Advantages include reliable connection and low cost; disadvantages are that the slot is prone to water vapor and dust contamination and there is physical wear and tear.
Contactless IC Cards (RFID Cards / Swipe Type): Utilizing radio frequency identification technology, the card only needs to be brought close to the reading area. Advantages include convenient operation, no wear and tear, and good water and dust resistance; the cost is relatively higher. This is currently the mainstream development direction.
Main Advantages
- Completely solve the problem of fee collection: Transform from passive fee collection to active payment, significantly increasing the water fee recovery rate, especially effective in scenarios such as property management, rural water supply, and rental housing.
- Transparent user consumption: Users can check their balance and usage at any time, fostering water conservation awareness.
- Eliminate the need for manual meter reading: Save on the labor costs of meter readers.
- Easy to manage: Can set tiered water prices, with the system automatically calculating.
- Mature technology, simple deployment: Does not require complex network facilities (such as base stations, gateways), suitable for old residential areas and rural areas with poor or no network coverage.
Comparison with LoRa/NB-IoT Internet of Things Water Meters
| Feature |
IC Card Prepaid Smart Water Meter |
LoRa/NB-IoT Internet of Things Water Meter |
| Core Concept |
Prepaid, solving the issue of payment |
Remote meter reading, addressing efficiency and data |
| Payment Method |
Offline recharge with IC card |
Online payment (WeChat, Alipay, online banking) |
| Data Interaction |
Non-real-time, batch (via IC card) |
Real-time or near real-time automatic upload |
| Valve Control |
Automatic local valve closure (when payment is overdue) |
Remote control of valve opening and closing (for overdue payment, maintenance, etc.) |
| User Experience |
Poor (sudden water cut-off, inconvenient recharging) |
Excellent (automatic meter reading, online payment, remote notifications) |
| Management Function |
Basic metering and charging |
Advanced (real-time monitoring, big data analysis, leakage warning, automatic settlement of tiered water prices) |
| Network Dependency |
No network required |
Dependent on LoRa or NB-IoT network |
| Initial Cost |
Low |
High (meter and network construction) |
| Long-Term Value |
Single payment tool |
Entry point and infrastructure for water utility digital transformation and data collection |
The smart IC card prepaid water meter is a product of a specific historical stage. It has been widely used in the past two decades due to its advantages of simple deployment and direct solution to the core difficulty of charging. However, with the maturity of mobile Internet and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies and the increasing demand for convenience from users, it is gradually transitioning from a dominant position in the market to a supplementary role in specific scenarios and is being integrated and replaced by the "IoT prepaid water meter" with more comprehensive functions and better user experience.
