Secure card

• US 7,959,076 B1
• Filed: 04/26/2007
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Hopkins, John Chandler III
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh; Daniel
• Application Number:
  US11/740,787
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: 235379-381, 235/487, 235492-493, 705/41, 705/64, 705/65, 705/66
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/347 Passive cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/354 Card activation or deactivation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3558 Preliminary personalisation for transfer to user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3672 initialising or reloading thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/10 together with a coded signal , e.g. in the form of personal identification information, like personal identification number [PIN] or biometric data

Abstract

Systems and methods for monetary cards are described. The cards are free from personally identifiable data, e.g., no name or embossment. In an example, the card includes a first number that activates the card and a second number written to the card at activation away from the card manufacturer. This helps prevent theft at the manufacturer. This second account is a bearer account where anyone who knows the account number can withdraw the funds from the account. The account may be funded with either the account number or the authentication number.

Claims

1. A secure financial card, comprising:

a substrate;

a first state with a first account number stored on the substrate in both a visible manner and a machine readable manner before an initial activation of the card, the first account number being configured to initiate the initial activation of the card; and

a second state with a second account number stored only in a non-visible manner on the substrate with the second account number being generated upon the initial activation of the card by a user of the card, wherein the first state does not store the second account number; and

wherein the card is not usable prior to the initial activation of the card.

2. The card of claim 1, wherein the support includes a magnetic data storage to store the first account number in the first state and the second state and the second account number in the second state.

3. The card of claim 2, wherein the magnetic data storage includes a first track and a second track, wherein the first account number is stored in the first track, and the second account number is stored in the second track.

4. The card of claim 3, wherein the second account number is encrypted.

5. The card of claim 1, wherein the first account number is erased in the second state from the card upon creation of the second account number.

6. The card of claim 1, wherein the second account number is to access an account requiring no further identification information.

7. The card of claim 6, wherein the second account number is an account number according to an electronic transaction standard.

8. A method of using a secure financial card, comprising:

storing a first account number in a visible and machine readable manner on a card before an initial activation of the card;

receiving a request from a user for the initial activation of the card based on the first account number;

generating a second account number in response to the initial activation request and based on the first account number; and

storing the second account number in only a non-visible manner on the card, wherein the second account number is not stored on the card prior to the generation, and wherein the card is not usable prior to the initial activation of the card.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein storing the first account number includes magnetically storing the first account number and the second account number.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein magnetically storing includes storing the first account number in the first track and the second account number in the second track.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein storing the second account number includes encrypting the second number.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein generating the second number includes erasing the first account number from the card.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein storing the second account number include associating the second account number with an account that requires no further identification information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein generating the second account number includes generating the second account number according to an electronic transaction standard.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including microprocessor-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, configure the computer to perform a method comprising:

storing a first account number in a visible and machine readable manner on a card before an initial activation of the card;

receiving a request from a user for the initial activation of the card based on the first account number;

generating a second account number in response to the initial activation request and based on the first account number; and

storing the second account number in only a non-visible manner on the card, wherein the second account number is not stored on the card prior to the generation, and wherein the card is not usable prior to the initial activation of the card.

16. The media of claim 15, wherein the instructions comprise instructions for storing the first account number includes magnetically storing the first account number and the second account number.

17. The media of claim 16, wherein the instructions comprise instructions for storing the first account number in the first track and the second account number in the second track.

18. The media of claim 17, wherein the instructions comprise instructions for encrypting the second number.

19. The media of claim 15, wherein the instructions comprise instructions for erasing the first account number from the card.

20. The media of claim 15, wherein the instructions comprise instructions for associating the second account number with an account that requires no further identification information.

21. The media of claim 15, wherein the instructions comprise instructions for generating the second account number according to an electronic transaction standard.