Packaging for a portable consumer device

• US 8,033,473 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2007
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Vriheas, Carrie, Pursell, Erin, Hyun, Karen, Britt, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Hess; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Savusdiphol; Paultep
• Application Number:
  US11/738,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20080257966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,635 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/380, 235/487, 235/493
• US Class Current: 235/487
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/005 the record carrier comprising an arrangement to facilitate insertion into a holding device, e.g. an arrangement that makes the record carrier fit into an etui or a casing ticket holders A45C11/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07726 the record comprising means for indicating first use, e.g. a frangible layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit

Abstract

A portable consumer device having an information bearing region is packaged with an anti-tampering member. The region includes information pertaining to an account associated with a payment processing system. With a permanent alteration of the anti-tampering member so as to make the region accessible, a merchant'"'"'s point of service terminal can interact with the region so as to change a state of the account.

Claims

1. A portable consumer device comprising:

a substrate having an information bearing region, pertaining to a payment processing system, located on at least one of a first planar surface and a second, opposite planar surface of the substrate;

a cover including a front planar body and a back planar body each rotatably coupled to the substrate, the front planar body dimensioned to conceal the first planar surface;

and

a breakable anti-tampering member coupling the front planar body to the back planar body, the anti-tampering member being located within a hinge which rotatably couples each of the front planar body and the back planar body to the substrate, wherein;

when the anti-tampering member is unbroken, the anti-tampering member prevents rotation of the cover;

and

when the anti-tampering member is broken, the cover is selectively rotatable about the substrate to allow or disallow access to the information bearing region.

2. The portable consumer device as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the cover is not frangible; and

the anti-tampering member is frangible.

3. The portable consumer device as defined in claim 1, wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of a payment card, a transponder, a gift card, a payroll card, a health care card, a wrist band, a keychain device, a security card, a non-reloadable card, a reloadable card, an access card, a smartcard, and a smart media card.

4. The portable consumer device as defined in claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises at least one of a volatile memory to store information for the information bearing region and a non-volatile memory to store information for the information bearing region.

5. The portable consumer device as defined in claim 1, wherein the information bearing region comprises a machine-readable region.

6. The portable consumer device as defined in claim 1, wherein the information bearing region includes a personal identification number.

7. The portable consumer device as defined in claim 1, wherein the information bearing region comprises a device for at least one of the following:

receiving, transmitting, and transreceiving a radio frequency signal.

8. The portable consumer device as defined in claim 1, wherein the information bearing region comprise means for communicating with a point of service terminal selected from the group consisting of electrically communicating, magnetically communicating, and optically communicating with the point of service terminal.

9. The portable consumer device as defined in claim 1, wherein information stored by the information bearing region is selected from the group consisting of an account number of the payment processing system, an account holder'"'"'s name, an activation state, an expiration date, a verification code, a value associated with an account of the payment processing system, and combinations of the forgoing.

10. The portable consumer device as defined in claim 1, wherein the payment processing system comprises an entity selected from the group consisting of an issuer, an acquirer, a transaction handler, a merchant, a user, and combinations thereof.

11. The portable consumer device as defined in claim 1, wherein the cover comprises an opaque material.

12. The portable consumer device as defined in claim 1, wherein the cover comprises radio frequency signal shielding.

13. The portable consumer device as defined in claim 1, wherein a hinge rotatably couples each of the front planar body and the back planar body to the substrate.

14. The portable consumer device as defined in claim 1, wherein the breakable anti-tampering member is permanently altered when broken.

15. The portable consumer device as defined in claim 1, further comprising another breakable anti-tampering member.

16. A portable consumer device comprising:

a payment card pertaining to a payment processing system, the payment card including;

a radio frequency device;

a first planar surface; and

a second, opposite planar surface;

a cover including a front planar body and a back planar body each rotatably coupled to the payment card, the front planar body dimensioned to conceal the first planar surface and the back planar body having dimensions to conceal the second, opposite planar surface of the payment card;

and

a breakable anti-tampering member within a hinge that rotatably couples the front planar body to the back planar body, wherein;

when the anti-tampering member is unbroken, the anti-tampering member prevents rotation of the cover, and

when the anti-tampering member is broken, the cover is selectively rotatable about the payment card to allow and disallow electronic interaction of the radio frequency device with a point of service terminal for the payment processing system.

17. The portable consumer device as defined in claim 16, wherein the payment card is selected from the group consisting of a transponder, a gift card, a prepaid card, a payroll card, a health care card, a wrist band, a keychain device, a security card, a non-reloadable card, a reloadable card, an access card, a smartcard, and a smart media card.

18. The portable consumer device as defined in claim 16, wherein the breakable anti-tampering member is permanently altered when broken.

19. The portable consumer device as defined in claim 16, wherein the breakable anti-tampering member is located within a center of the hinge.

20. The portable consumer device as defined in claim 16, further comprising another breakable anti-tampering member located on an edge of the cover.

21. A method for obtaining information from a payment card having an anti-tampering member, the method comprising:

rotating a cover of the payment card about a hinge that rotatably connects a portion of the cover to the payment card to break the anti-tampering member located within the hinge, wherein the cover conceals the payment card including an information bearing region;

and

causing the information bearing region to interact with a point of service terminal in communication with the payment processing system, wherein;

when the anti-tampering member is unbroken, the anti-tampering member prevents rotation of the cover; and

when the anti-tampering member is broken, the cover is selectively rotatable about the payment card to allow or disallow access to the information bearing region.

22. The method as defined in claim 21, further comprising forming a transaction authorization request transmission for delivery to the payment processing system, the transmission including information obtained from the interaction of the point of service terminal with the information bearing region of the payment card.

23. The method as defined in claim 21, further comprising:

sending a transaction authorization request, using the point of service terminal, to an issuer of the payment card for subsequent authorization of the transaction upon an account associated with the payment card and issued by an issuer;

receiving, at the point of service terminal, an indication that the transaction authorization request has been approved or not approved; and

changing, after receipt of the indication that the transaction authorization request has been approved, a state of the account selected from the group consisting of;

deactivating the account;

loading the account with a value;

reloading the account with a value;

transitioning a value associated with the account;

decreasing a value associated with the account;

increasing a value associated with the account;

transferring a value associated with the account; and

combinations of the foregoing.

24. The method as defined in claim 23, further comprising receiving a transaction history of the payment card from the payment processing system, the transaction history including at least one of:

an indication of the change in state of the account, an indication of activation of the account, a value change that occurred with the change in state of the account, a date of the change in state of the account, a location where the change in state of the account was instigated, and an indication of fraud associated with the account.

25. The method as defined in claim 21, wherein rotating the cover causes the anti-tampering member to be permanently altered.

26. The method as defined in claim 25, wherein rotating the cover causes another anti-tampering member to be permanently altered.

27. The method as defined in claim 26, wherein the other anti-tampering member is located on an edge of the cover.

28. The method as defined in claim 21, wherein the anti-tampering member is located within a center of the hinge.

29. A method comprising:

breaking an anti-tampering member for a cover concealing an information bearing region of a payment card by pivoting the cover relative to the payment card about a hinge permanently coupling a portion of the cover to a portion of the payment card, the anti-tampering member being located within the hinge, and the information bearing region bearing information that includes data about an account associated with a payment processing system; and

causing the information bearing region of the payment card to interact with a point of service terminal, wherein;

the point of service terminal is in communication with the payment processing system;

when the anti-tampering member is unbroken, the anti-tampering member prevents rotation of the cover; and

when the anti-tampering member is broken, the cover is selectively rotatable about the payment card to allow or disallow access to the information bearing region.

30. The method as defined in claim 29, wherein breaking the anti-tampering member causes the anti-tampering member to be permanently altered.

31. The method as defined in claim 29, further comprising breaking another anti-tampering member for the cover by pivoting the cover about the hinge.

32. A merchant checkout comprising:

a point of service terminal in communication with a payment processing system; and

a rack for displaying a plurality of portable consumer devices, each portable consumer device having;

a substrate having an information bearing region, pertaining to a payment processing system, located on at least one of a first planar surface and a second opposite planar surface of the substrate;

a cover including a front non-frangible planar body and a back non-frangible planar body each rotatably coupled to the substrate, the front non-frangible planar body dimensioned to conceal the first planar surface; and

a breakable anti-tampering member coupling the front non-frangible planar body to the back non-frangible planar body, the anti-tampering member being located within a hinge which rotatably couples each of the front non-frangible planar body and the back non-frangible planar body to the substrate, wherein;

when the anti-tampering member is unbroken, the anti-tampering member prevents rotation of the cover; and

when the anti-tampering member is broken, the cover is selectively rotatable about the substrate to allow or disallow access to the information bearing region.

33. The merchant checkout as defined in claim 32, wherein the point of service terminal forms a transmission to the payment processing system, the transmission including information obtained from the interaction of the point of service terminal with the information bearing region of the portable consumer device.

34. The merchant checkout as defined in claim 32, wherein the breakable anti-tampering member is permanently altered when broken.

35. The merchant checkout as defined in claim 32, further comprising another breakable anti-tampering member.