In an information providing system insertion of a card into a navigation
apparatus is detected, and information about a facility specifically
related to the card is provided. If one of a wireless communication card,
a memory card, an ETC card, an HDD card, and a credit card is inserted
into a card slot or an ETC card slot, traffic information or facility
information related to the inserted card is transmitted from an
information center to the navigation apparatus, and the traffic
information or the facility information specifically related to the
inserted card is provided to a user, in addition to normal route guidance
information.