Systems, apparatuses and methods of supporting payment test cards and robotically testing card payment systems

A method of robotically testing card payment systems, comprising:

• controlling a robotic arm of a test robot system to position an end-effector, secured at a distal end of the robotic arm, to move a payment test card at least partially within a first card slot of a first card support apparatus cooperated within a threshold distance with the robotic arm and comprising an array of angled card slots comprising multiple rows and columns of the card slots including the first card slot;
• controlling the end-effector to release a first test card while the first test card is at least partially within the first card slot;
• and
• causing the first test card, by lateral sides and an angle of a shelf support of the first card slot, to return to substantially a same position within the card slot each time the test card is released by the end-effector with an end-effector grip, secured along an edge of the first test card and having a thickness greater than a thickness of the first test card, to be positioned within an end-effector grip gap without inhibiting a face of the first test card from resting flush with and in contact with an interior surface of the shelf support, wherein the end-effector grip gap is formed in the shelf support and extends along at least a portion of a depth of the first card slot, and wherein the lateral sides of the first card slot taper along at least a front tapered portion of a depth of the lateral sides toward an opposed lateral side of the first card slot such that an opening length of an opening of the first card slot has a length greater than a length of the first card slot along a back of the first card slot, wherein a cooperation between the front tapered portions of the lateral sides of the first card slot and the shelf support of the first card slot being positioned at the angle causes the first test card to be precisely positioned repeatedly at substantially the same position within the first card slot each time the first test card is released by the end-effector including when the first test card is released prior to the first test card being in contact with the interior surface;
• and
• controlling the robotic arm to subsequently and repeatedly position the end-effector to the same retrieve position to accurately and repeatedly retrieve the first test card from the first card slot with the first test card being in substantially the same position every time the first test card is released by the end-effector.

A card support system comprising:

• a plurality of lateral supports spaced along a length of the first card support apparatus;
• and
• a plurality of angled shelf supports each extending from at least one of a pair of lateral supports and extending between the pair of the plurality of lateral supports defining an array of angled card slots comprising multiple rows and columns of the card slots, wherein the shelf supports along each of the columns of card slots are vertically separated by a threshold distance and each comprises:
• a guide exterior surface and an interior surface configured to support one of a plurality of payment test cards with at least a portion of a face of a respective test card being flush with the interior surface when positioned within a respective card slot;
• wherein each card slot repeatedly positions the respective test card at substantially the same position within the card slot each time the test card is released into the card slot;
• wherein the shelf supports are positioned at an angle with a lower edge of each of the shelf supports being positioned adjacent a back;
• and
• wherein the lateral supports of each of the card slots taper along at least a front tapered portion of a depth of the lateral supports toward an opposed lateral support of the card slot such that an opening length of an opening of each of the card slots has a length greater than a length of the card slot along a back of the card slot, wherein a cooperation between the front tapered portions of the lateral supports of the card slot and the shelf support of the card slot being positioned at the angle causes, for each of the card slots, the test card to be precisely positioned repeatedly at substantially the same position within the card slot each time the test card is released including when the test card is released prior to the test card being in contact with the interior surface.