System for identifying authorized use of credit cards
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system for indicating a bearer of a credit card as its authorized cardholder, the system comprising:
- a plurality of credit cards issued to cardholders, each credit card being embossed with a first set of raised characters indicating an account number and a supplemental set of raised characters which have a one to one correspondence with each digit of the account number;
an account data file for each account number comprising identification data with respect to a cardholder, the identification data being also known or determinable by the cardholder, the account number, a cardholder identification code comprising the account number, a character selected by the cardholder from the set of supplemental characters and the digit in the account number corresponding to the selected characater; and
means for matching the account number appearing on a presented credit card with its respective account data file and for comparing a supplemental character identified from the presented credit card by the bearer with the selected supplemental character appearing in the cardholder identification code;
whereby a match indicates the bearer as being the cardholder and lack of a match indicates the bearer is not the cardholder.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A credit card system for providing verification of authority of a credit card bearer to use the credit card for a credit transaction. Initial authorization of card use is given to the authorized user upon selection by the user of one of a set of supplemental characters appearing on the card as the authorized user'"'"'s private identifier. Presentation of the card at a point of sale initiates a check of this private identifier against a supplemental character identified by the presenter of the card as his/her private identifier.
47 Citations
10 Claims
-
1. A system for indicating a bearer of a credit card as its authorized cardholder, the system comprising:
-
a plurality of credit cards issued to cardholders, each credit card being embossed with a first set of raised characters indicating an account number and a supplemental set of raised characters which have a one to one correspondence with each digit of the account number; an account data file for each account number comprising identification data with respect to a cardholder, the identification data being also known or determinable by the cardholder, the account number, a cardholder identification code comprising the account number, a character selected by the cardholder from the set of supplemental characters and the digit in the account number corresponding to the selected characater; and means for matching the account number appearing on a presented credit card with its respective account data file and for comparing a supplemental character identified from the presented credit card by the bearer with the selected supplemental character appearing in the cardholder identification code; whereby a match indicates the bearer as being the cardholder and lack of a match indicates the bearer is not the cardholder. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A method of verifying a bearer of a credit card as its authorized user, the method comprising the steps of:
-
issuing a credit card to an authorized user, embossed with a first set of raised characters indicating an account number and a second set of raised supplemental characters, each of the supplemental characters being in one to one correspondence with a particular digit of the account number; requiring the authorized user to select at least a first supplemental character from the second set of raised characters before allowing the credit card to be used for credit transactions; retaining in an account data file for each issued credit card, identification data with respect to the authorized user, the account number and a user identification number formed from the account number, the selected supplemental character and the corresponding digit to the selected supplemental character from the account number; employing the credit card to print the account number and the supplemental characters or a charge slip including at least a customer copy of the charge slip; matching the account number appearing upon the credit card with its respective account number file upon presentation of the credit card for use; having the bearer of the presented card mark a supplemental character on the customer copy of the charge slip; comparing the marked supplemental character to the selected supplemental character in the account data file; and approving the transaction if and only if the indicated supplemental character matches the identified supplemental character.
-
-
10. A credit card system, which comprises:
-
a credit card with a pair of primarily flat faces; a first set of raised characters on a first face of the credit card indicating an account identification code; a machine-readable representation of the characters of the account identification code; a supplemental set of raised characters on the credit card, each character of the supplemental set having a correspondence to a different first set character; and a sleeve fitted over the credit card to alter the machine-readable representation of the cardholder account code upon alignment of the sleeve with a character from supplemental set character identified by a bearer of the credit card.
-
Specification