Apparatus and method for production of transaction cards
AssigneeServerside Group Limited
InventorsAdam Elgar, Tom Elgar
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for producing transaction cards corresponding to an account of a customer and bearing an image defined by the customer comprises associating an optically-readable identifier with a customer-defined image to be applied to the transaction card. The optical identifier can be read to reconcile it with a corresponding identifier related to customer account information to be applied to the transaction card. In this way a card may be produced bearing the image defined by the customer and the customer's account information.
Claims46
A method for producing a transaction card corresponding to an account of a customer and bearing an image defined by said customer, the method comprising:
- associating an optically-readable identifier with a customer-defined image to be applied to the transaction card;
- reading said optically-readable identifier to reconcile said optically-readable identifier with a corresponding identifier associated with customer account information to be applied to the transaction card,
- wherein said customer account information is provided by a card issuing authority on a secure link to a card finishing facility,
- wherein only said customer account information is transferred from said card issuing authority to said card finishing facility;
- and
- producing a transaction card bearing said customer-defined image and said customer account information.
A method as in any preceding claim, wherein said customer account information and/or said corresponding identifier related to it are received securely from a card issuing authority.
A method for production of a transaction card bearing account information and a customer-defined image, the method comprising:
- receiving an identifier generated from account information of a customer;
- generating an optically readable identifier corresponding to said received identifier;
- associating said optically readable identifier with an image defined by said customer;
- receiving a corresponding identifier;
- and
- reconciling said corresponding identifier and said optical identifier associated with the customer-defined image to cause production of a card bearing the customer-defined image and relevant customer account information,
- wherein said customer account information is provided by a card issuing authority on a secure link to a card finishing facility, and
- wherein only said customer account information is transferred from said card issuing authority to said card finishing facility.
A method for producing a transaction card bearing account information and a customer-defined image, the method comprising:
- receiving on a secure link from a card issuing authority an identifier derived from customer account information, wherein only said customer account information is transferred from said card issuing authority to a card finishing facility on said secure link;
- embedding an optically readable version of said identifier in an image defined by said customer;
- reading said optically readable identifier and encoding a version of the identifier in a recording medium of said transaction card;
- receiving said account information at a card production facility and independently generating a corresponding identifier therefrom;
- applying relevant account information and said customer defined image to a transaction card based on reconciliation of said corresponding identifier and said encoded version of the identifier.
An apparatus for producing transaction cards hearing customer-defined images, comprising:
- means for receiving a card bearing a customer-defined image comprising an optically-readable identifier;
- means for receiving at least financial information relating to a corresponding identifier;
- means for reconciling said optically-readable identifier and said corresponding identifier;
- means for applying account information to a transaction card bearing said customer-defined image responsive to said reconciliation step,
- wherein said account information is provided by a card issuing authority on a secure link, and
- wherein only said account information is transferred from said card issuing authority.
A method for producing a transaction card corresponding to an account of a customer and bearing an image defined by the customer, the method comprising:
- providing an interface for a customer to generate a customer-defined image to be applied to a transaction card;
- associating an optically-readable identifier with said customer-defined image;
- reading said optically-readable identifier and encoding a version of said identifier on a recording medium of said card;
- reconciling the encoded version of the identifier with a corresponding identifier related to customer account information to generate a transaction card bearing said customer-defined image and said customer account information,
- wherein said customer account information is provided by a card issuing authority on a secure link to a card finishing facility, and
- wherein only said customer account information is transferred from said card issuing authority to said card finishing facility.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.