Except Belgacom and BT Belgium chipcards, other chip applications have been tested in Belgium. Here are the ones I came across...

Proton is the Belgian electronic purse, which allows you to pay everything you want... if your card has been activated & loaded.
Banksys, which created the system, licensed it in several countries, including for instance Australia. But the system was first tested in two Belgian cities, Leuven (Flemish Brabant) and Wavre (Walloon Brabant) during approximately one year. The test having proved to be successful, the system was then implemented nationwide. At the same time, new Belgacom payphones were installed, a couple of months before the field trial of our new Belgacom chipcards started in Leuven, allowing users to phone with their Proton cards.

The first Proton cards, even if they were distributed by various banks, had the same Proton logo on a blue background. As we have two big communities in Belgium (Dutch speaking and French speaking Belgians), two different reverses were printed: one with all the explanations in French, and the other one in Dutch. Men reported an English version was issued, but I never came across...
A second issue was distinct to all partners, each bank (e.g. CGER, G Bank, and so on) having ordered Proton cards with its own logo. I supposed these cards also exist with a "French" and a "Dutch" reverse. However, these cards were rapidly overturned by cash cards in which the Proton system was incorporated. These new cash cards are now the only ones in use.

Basically, even if these cards cannot be considered as true phonecards, the first and second issues can be collected as phonecards... While it is quite difficult to collect the other ones, as Belgian banks would find it very suspicious: what could a collector do with their cash cards?

Internet cards are quite recent in Belgium, at least as far as I know. I first came acrosst hese cards when I went to Brussels in mid December 2000. FNAC, specialised in books, telephony and computer devices, installed computers in its shops nation-wide. For instance, 6 computers were installed in its City 2 shop (located Rue Neuve, the biggest shopping avenue in Brussels). The system is as follows: you first buy a 50 units (200BEF) or 100 units (375BEF) card, which allow you to surf on the web & check e-mail. With a 50 units card, you can surf 90 minutes on the web. Even if the system is not the cheapest one, its huge advantage is that you do not need to buy a computer to surf!

The company providing this service, Cyberlink SA/NV  has recentlyr eplaced chipcards with remote memory cards. Two Guzznet cards have been issued so far: 2 € for 20 units and 5 € for 50 units.

If the above cards are directly connected with new technologies, valuedc ustomer cards cannot fit as such into a phonecards collection. Nevertheless, as French collectors use to collect every chip card, no matter of its function, I have decided to write a paragraph about these cards.
Even if there ared ifferent firms, the system is always the same: each time you buy something from a system's partner, you usually get points, each point valuing 1 BEF. Normally, each time you reach a 50 multiple, you get a voucher:
50 points = one 50 BEF voucher
100 points = one 100 BEF voucher
and so on....

Most oil companies (Esso, Fina - now TotalFina -, etc.) have adopted these cards: each tiime you visit one of their petrol stations (if you tank up, of course...), you get points proportionally to the amount you have filled up. Another one, called Valor, is valid not only at Texaco petrol stations, but also in various shops nationwide.
Otherwise, some municipalities' traders associations have well understood the potential of such a system, as it is the case for instance in the municipality of Braine-l'Alleud (Walloon Brabant). As well as the Communauté Française de Belgique, which included in its teens' card a chip... for the benefit of all teenagers.

Most of these cards have been developed and issued by S.A. Valor N.V.

Another chipcard application has beend evelopped by Electrabel. For persons having difficulties to pay their bills, an electricity meter working with a chipcard is installed. When necessary, the end user reloads his card in an Electrabel centre. He is therefore entitled toc onsume kW for the amount he has reloaded.

Other prepaid applications also exist:

- fun fairs have developped machines working with chipcards. No need anylonger for inserting coins to be able to play,c onsumers buy a chipcard they have to insert in the slot to be allowed to play the game,

- hospitals deliver chipcards to theirp atients. At the end of their stay, the chipcard is given back, the patient is therefore charged for his consumption,

- parking cards,

Chipcards are also used as ID cards for social security matters. SIS cards have been developped by the federal government, each SIS card containing the data of his owner. Insurance companies have also the opportunity to provide their affiliates with an Assurcard containing their personal data.