IC Card and RF Prepaid Water Meter with Valve Control from Gaoxiang

How Prepaid Logic Works: Pay First, Valve Closed on Empty Credit

Prepaid metering reverses the usual billing sequence. Instead of reading a meter and invoicing afterwards, the customer buys water credit first and the meter releases water against that balance — the same commercial model as prepaid electricity, applied to a metered water connection.

Inside the meter, a small electronic unit keeps a credit register and controls a valve. Credit purchased at a vending point is loaded into the meter through a card. As water passes through the measuring element, volume is deducted from the remaining balance. When the balance falls to a preset level the meter can warn the user; when credit is exhausted the valve closes and supply stops until the account is topped up. That single behaviour — pay first, valve shut off on credit exhaustion — is what makes prepaid metering useful for high-arrears connections, shared supplies, and tenant-managed properties.

Before ordering, buyers normally define:

• Valve behaviour — normally open or normally closed on power loss, and motorised versus solenoid-driven design.
• Low-credit warning threshold and whether any emergency overdraft allowance is needed.
• How credit is loaded — card insertion, contactless card, or keypad token entry, depending on the meter family.
• Whether the project needs standalone operation or data collected remotely.

Card-based prepaid meters are standalone by design: they sell water without a network, which suits areas with intermittent connectivity. The trade-off is that consumption data stays in the meter until it is collected, unless the site also uses remote reading.

IC Card Prepaid Water Meter: Contact Cards, Local Credit

An IC card prepaid water meter uses a contact smart card. The user buys credit at a vending point, inserts the card into the meter slot, and the meter adds the purchased value to its internal credit register. The card is then removed and reused. Because the electronics are self-contained, the meter needs no communication infrastructure — an advantage in rural districts, new estates, and buildings where the utility does not want to run a data network to every riser.

In the field, four things decide whether a card fleet performs well over its service life:

• Card slot sealing and dust protection, since the slot is the one interface customers touch.
• Valve reliability under local water conditions, where scale, sand, and grit are common causes of failure.
• Battery capacity and how easily the battery compartment can be serviced.
• The metering element itself, because the prepaid electronics only control a meter that must still measure accurately.

Gaoxiang supplies IC prepaid meters alongside RF prepaid meters, remote reading meters, ultrasonic meters, mechanical water meters, heat meters, and water meter accessories. All of our water meters hold ISO 4064 regulation approval certificates; the company is ISO 9001:2008 certified and complies with national regulations for testing and metrology calibration.

RF Card Water Meter, STS Tokens and Remote Reading

An RF card water meter replaces the contact slot with a contactless card interface. The user presents the card and the meter reads the credit without physical contact. The practical benefit is maintenance: no exposed slot to clog with dust or damage through heavy use, and electronics that can be fully sealed inside the housing. Contactless reading is also faster, which matters where many users recharge at the same vending point.

Where STS fits

STS — the Standard Transfer Specification — is a general industry standard for prepaid vending. It defines how a token or credit value is generated, encrypted, and accepted by a prepaid meter, and it is common in African prepaid water and electricity projects. If your tender specifies STS-compliant vending, confirm the exact requirement with us before ordering: compliance is defined at the vending-system level as well as the meter level.

Standalone or connected?

Prepaid logic handles collection; AMR (automatic meter reading) and AMI (advanced metering infrastructure) handle data. Where a utility wants consumption visibility or leak alerts alongside prepaid collection, prepaid meters can be paired with remote reading. Gaoxiang supplies remote reading meters, and our LXS15-300 pulse-output water meters provide 1/10/100 Liter/Pulse output for feeding an existing data collection system. Share your head-end specification with our sales team so the interface can be matched before ordering.

Specifying and Ordering a Prepaid Water Meter Batch

Most prepaid projects reduce to three questions: which meter family, how many units, and on what commercial terms. The product decision usually follows connection size, water conditions, and whether the site has a nearby vending point or needs remote credit management.

Our standard MOQ is 100 pcs for most products, 500 pcs for brass check valves, and 5,000 pcs for plastic strainers. Prices are negotiable and depend on configuration, quantity, and destination, so send your specification and we will quote.

It helps to have the following ready:

• Nominal diameter and connection type.
• Meter family — IC prepaid, RF prepaid, or a mix with remote reading meters.
• Valve behaviour and credit settings required.
• Quantity, target port, and whether goods will be installed by a contractor or resold through distribution.
• Any tender documents specifying vending standards such as STS.

Gaoxiang Water Meter Co., Ltd. was founded in 2005 and operates as a manufacturer and trading company from Baishabu Town Industrial Park, Lanshan District, Linyi, Shandong, China, serving markets including China, Western Europe, Southeast Asia, South America, North America, and Africa. Our motto is sincerity first, quality foremost, service matters most. For prepaid meter enquiries, contact Mrs. Aileen Shao, Sales Manager, at +86-539-8121218 or [email protected].