Here's a small and simple but smart solution your merchants can use to detect fraudulent credit cards, U.S. dollar bills, travelers' checks or any item accepted for payment that should possess ultraviolet properties. It's a mini ultra-violet light offered by US Paper Supply.

The light is about the size of a U.S. silver dollar, and it operates with two tiny, built-in Lithium batteries. This is how the product works: Shine the mini-UV light on a credit card or other form of payment to check for ultraviolet print. All major credit cards, U.S. bills and travelers' checks have either letters or an image or images printed on them in UV ink. Typically, fraudulent credit cards and counterfeit currency lack ultraviolet printing.

Think of all the customers who could benefit from using this product: A restaurant provides its wait staff with the lights to carry in their aprons; a convenience store keeps a few behind the counter for its store clerks, a grocery store arms each cashier and checkout lane with one. When a patron hands a waiter, clerk or cashier a credit card (or other form of currency for payment), they can use the light to verify its authenticity.

If you stopped at US Paper Supply's booth at the 2003 ETA Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, you might have been lucky enough to get your hands on one of the lights - the company handed out them out at the Expo. If you missed this opportunity, have no fear; the lights are still available for only $4.95 each. They might make a nice gift for your merchants.

US Paper Supply, Inc.

435 Boston Street

Topsfield, Mass. 01983

888-431-5800

www.uspapersupply.com