Re:Okay, but... (Score 1)

Correct. Amex does give away readers. Have you ever used one? Personally, I wouldn't like to add this to the list of things I carry with my laptop. Additionally, built in smart card readers could be very useful for card based user authentication, etc.

Would you like to carry a credit card swipe terminal around?

And as far as price, being "essentially a transciever (sic)" does not to correlate to low production cost.

Also, when you reference transceivers, you are referring to contactless smart cards. These are a more recent development than older generation smart cards and haven't been deployed as widely.

Amex lists costs for their readers at US$25. Third party external readers are available from this price up to US$100.00. Still a significant subsidy.