A Debit or Credit Card

The present invention relates to cards that have a value associated with them, such as debit or credit cards. The present invention also relates to debit or credit cards that permit identifying the age of a user.

Goods considered detrimental for the development of children and teenagers are subject to a minimum age restriction. The enforcement of this minimum age restriction, however, relies upon sales staff, such as checkout clerks, and computer systems for performing a financial transactions to correctly determine the age of a customer.

The present invention seeks to provide a means that allows more reliable identification of the age of customers.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a card comprising: an indication of a value associated with the card, an identification means for identifying an authorised user of the card and age verification means provided visibly on the card for verifying the age of the authorised user. The age verification means are preferably provided on the surface of the card.

The indication of a value associated with the card can comprise a means for storing one or more of: an indication of a debitable amount, an indication of a credit limit, and access information based on which a data connection between a card reader and a user account can be established

The card allows a checkout clerk in a shop or supermarket to reliably identify a customer and to determine, using the age verification means, whether or not the authorised user of the card is old enough to purchase an age restricted good or service in question.

Should it not be possible to positively identify the person making the purchase as being the authorised user of the card, the use of the debitable amount stored on the card, the use of credit rights associated with the card for making the purchase in question or the establishing of the data connection can be prevented.

The age verification means preferably includes an indication provided on the card of the date of birth of the card holder, of an age the card holder has exceeded or of an age the card holder had not reached at the date of issue of the card. A preferred card may thus, for example, give an indication that the user is over eighteen years of age or indicate that a user had not turned sixteen at the date of issue of the card. The card thus functions as a proof of age card and helps to ensure that a user is adequately identified and his or her age is adequately verified when the user attempts to purchase good or services subject to a minimum age restriction. The indication is preferably printed on and/or embossed in a surface of the card.

The proof of age function is particularly useful when the card is a debit card.

Younger users of such preferred cards can thus not only be reliably identified but the amount that can be spent in connection with the card is limited to an amount available to the user, rather than to a credit limit that may place the user in debt. In a more preferred embodiment, the debitable amount relates to a pre-paid amount, so that no direct connection between the preferred card and the totality of the funds in a user's bank account can be or has to be established. An indication of a pre-paid amount may be stored on the card. Alternatively the access information on the card can establish a data connection to a user's bank account that permits access to a limited pre-paid amount only.

The indication provided with the card may further comprise a unique security code that encodes the age of the authorised user of the card. This security code can be used in verifying the age of a person attempting to make a purchase in situations in which the card cannot be visually inspected, such as online or for telephone transactions. The security code can eliminate the need for a visual inspection of the card or the need for a link between the card number and the age of the authorised user. The security code preferably comprises a Card Verification Value and an additional digit. This additional digit can encode the age of the authorised user so that, once the security code has been transmitted in the process of verifying payment in an online transaction, a computer system arranged to conduct the online transaction can prevent the online purchase from being made. The additional digit is preferably appended to the Card Verification Value.

The card may further comprise a banking logo that is visibly provided on a surface of the card.

A further preferred card is a customer loyalty card. A redeemable value that may be exchanged for goods can be associated with the card, for example in the form of a debitable amount stored on a storage medium on the card or in a user account that can be accessed using information stored on the card. The card may, for example, carry an indication of a number of loyalty points that a user may have accumulated over a period of time by making purchases that can give rise to the registration of such loyalty points. In known loyalty card systems such redeemable values or points can be exchanged for goods or services in money's stead. The preferred embodiment helps to ensure that users not authorised to obtain age restricted goods or services cannot use the redeemable value for purchasing the age restricted goods or services.

In another preferred embodiment the card is an entry card. The indication of the value on such an entry card comprises details relating to an event the card can grant entry rights for. The card of the preferred embodiment may thus, for example, be an entry ticket to certain events, such as a concert or to a cinema. When purchasing such a card, a likeness or a photograph of a user can be provided on the card, for example by printing it on the card. If the event is subject to a minimum age restriction the purchasing of the card can be conducted requiring a verification of the age of the purchaser. It may further be required that the purchaser provides a likeness of himself, such as a photograph, that can be visibly applied to a surface of the card, for example by printing, for future identification of the user. The identification and age verification function provided with such a card allows the verification of the identity of the card holder upon entry to the event and helps to ensure that the card cannot be transferred to a person below the minimum age required for entry to the event.

In another preferred embodiment the card is a multi-function card comprising one or more of the functions provided by a bank card, such as a debit or credit card, a customer loyalty card or an entry card.

The card is preferably credit card sized so that it can be conveniently carried in a standard wallet or purse.

The means for storing is preferably a semiconductor chip for electronically storing an information content. The chip may be arranged so that a part of the information content stored on the chip relating to the debitable amount, to the credit limit or to the access information can be read from the outside of the card. The card preferably comprises conductive contact pads for interfacing the chip to a card reader.

A further part of the information content stored on the chip may be a personal identification number associated with the card and with the authorised user. When making a purchase using the preferred card a user may be required to enter the personal identification number in a terminal associated with a relevant checkout desk to further increase the degree of fraud protection associated with the card.

A part of the information content stored on the chip that relates to the debitable amount or to the credit limit is preferably modifiable so that it can provide an accurate reflection of a decrease or an increase in the available debitable amount or in the available credit limit. A change in the available debitable amount due to a previous purchase having been made or due to the card having been 'topped up ¹ , that is new funds having been made available, can thus be registered on the card.

Preferably a part of the information content stored on the chip indicates whether or not the card is permitted to be used for withdrawing cash from a cash dispenser. Thus, should the card not be permitted to be used for withdrawing cash from a cash dispenser, a situation can be prevented in which funds on the card that are protected by the proof of age function of the card are converted into cash which could be used for the purchaser of age restricted goods.

The means for storing may also be provided in the form of a magnetic storage medium that is arranged so that information content stored on the magnetic storage medium can be read from an outside of the card. The magnetic storage medium is preferably a magnetic strip arranged on the back of the card.

Information stored on the card in an electronic manner may alternatively or additionally be accessed in a contactless manner. A preferred card may comprise a radiofrequency antenna coupled to the electronic storage means of the card in the manner that allows transmission of data from the electronic storage means to the surroundings of the card through the antenna. Preferably the card is arranged to be able to receive electromagnetic energy through the antenna, for example from an interrogating device. Received electromagnetic energy can then be modified to comprise part of the information content stored on the card and to be re-transmitted or reflected to the surroundings of the card. A or the interrogating device may receive the modified and re-transmitted electromagnetic energy comprising the encoded information. A transaction can be conducted based on the so transmitted information.

Preferably part of the electromagnetic energy received at the card through the antenna is also used to provide an operating power that may be required for operating electronic circuitry that may be required for transforming information stored on the card into a code or signal that can be conveyed in the re-transmitted electromagnetic energy.

The contactless access aspect of the preferred embodiment is of course not limited to cards that transmit information solely with the help of electromagnetic energy received from the card's surroundings. It is also contemplated that the card comprises an energy source, such as for example a battery, that is used for creating electromagnetic radiation for transmission to the card's surroundings through the antenna.

The card may further comprises and accreditation mark indicating that an age verification process used in generating the card allows to provide a correct indication of the age of an authorised user of the card. One such accreditation mark may be the 'PASS' mark of the National Proof of Age Standards Scheme accreditation mark issued by the British Retail Consortium. The use of other accreditation marks, as may be used in countries other than the United Kingdom is of course also envisaged.

The means for storing, the identification means and the age verification means are preferably arranged on the card so that at least one of the identification means and the age verification mean are visible when the card is partially inserted in a reading device. The preferred card may thus permit that a customer can be identified as the authorised user of the card or that the age of the authorised user of the card be verified after a purchasing transaction for which the card had been entered into a reading device has commenced. This avoids the need for interrupting the transaction solely for the purpose of verifying the identity or the age of the customer. Preferably the card is presented in a portrait format with the means for storing being provided in one half of the card and at least one of the identification means and the age verification mean being provided in the other half of the card for this purpose.

The present invention also extends to a monetary fund associated with preferred cards. An information content associated with this monetary fund may be the date of birth of the authorised user of the card, an indication of an age the authorised user of the card has exceeded or an indication of an age the authorised user had not reached at the date of issue of the card.

The present invention further extends to a monetary fund associated with preferred cards, wherein an information content associated with the monetary fund indicates whether or not the authorised user of the card is authorised to use the card for withdrawing cash from a cash dispenser.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of conducting a financial transaction relating to goods and/or services subject to a minimum age requirement comprising receiving a card according to the present invention, identifying the authorised user using the identification means, verifying an age of the authorised user of the card using the age verification means, and preventing the purchase being made if the authorised user is younger than the minimum required age.

A checkout clerk receiving the card in payment for goods or services to be purchased can determine whether or not a person attempting to make a purchase is

authorised to use the preferred card for making this purchase and prevent the purchase being made, if appropriate. Making of the purchase can further be prevented if the authorised user is younger than the minimum required age.

The present invention also extends to a method of conducting a financial transaction relating to goods and/or services subject to a minimum age requirement online in conjunction with a card according to the present invention. The method comprises receiving a card number associated with the card from a user attempting to conduct the online transaction, establishing a data connection to a bank account associated with the card number, requesting an indication of the age of the authorised user of the card or transmitting an indication of a minimum age associated with the online transaction via the data connection and receiving an indication of the age of the authorised user or an indication whether the online transaction is permitted to be conducted via the data connection.

Using the preferred method, the age of a user can thus be reliably verified in one of two manners. An online retailer involved in an online transaction may, for example, request that an information source associated with the card or with the bank account associated with the card provides an indication of the age of the user. Based on this indication the online retailer can determine whether or not an authorised user of the card fulfils a minimum age requirement that may be associated with the goods or services that are to be purchased. Alternatively the online retailer may transmit an indication of a relevant minimum age requirement to the information source. In response to this transmission, the information source may provide an indication of whether or not the authorised user of the card fulfils the minimum age requirement or an indication of whether or not the online transaction is permitted.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of generating a user verified card. The method comprises applying an identifying means for identifying an authorised user of the card to the card and visibly applying an age verification means for verifying the age of the authorised user to a surface of the card.

The age verification means preferably comprises an indication of the date of birth of the user, of an age the user has exceeded or of an age the user had not exceeded at the date of issue of the card. The method preferably comprises printing at least a part of the age verification means onto the card of and/or emboss at least a part of the age verification means in the card.

The step of applying an identifying means may comprise applying a photograph or a likeness of a user to the card. The authenticity of the photograph is preferably verified.

The card may be issued by a company connected to a well known debit or credit card company and an indication that this well known company supports the card may be provided on the card. This can provide an easy indication to authorised users of retailers likely to accept the card. It can also indicate to retailers that the card is a reliable source of payment.

The present invention also extends to loyalty cards or entry cards that carry a likeness of an authorised user. This likeness of the user may be a photograph and can be used to identify the authorised user. According to another aspect of the present invention there is therefore provided a loyalty or entry card comprising an indication of a value associated with the card and identification means for identifying an authorised user of the card, wherein the identification means comprises a likeness or photograph of the authorised user.

In order that the present invention may be more fully understood and so that further features thereof may be appreciated, embodiments of the present invention will now be descried, by way of example, with reference to the Figures, in which:

Figure 1 shows the front face of a card in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

Figure 2 shows the back face of a further card in accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 1 shows a debit card 2 of standard credit/debit card size and shape.

The card 2 comprises an indication 4 of a card number and a further indication 6 of the authorised card holder's name. Other indications useful for conducting transactions with the debit card 2, such as a valid from date and an expiry date, may further be provided on the card.

A semiconductor chip is embedded in the card. This semiconductor chip stores information associated with the card and in particular stores an indication of a debitable amount that the user has access to in connection with the card. A plurality of contact pads 8 are connected to the terminals of the semiconductor chip and are accessible from the outside of the card, so that the semiconductor chip can be electrically accessed from the outside, for example for reading and/or modifying an information content stored in the card.

A photograph or likeness 10 of the user is further provided in a tamperproof manner on the surface of the card to allow a checkout clerk in a shop or supermarket to verify that the person making the purchase is the authorised user of the card.

An indication 12 relating to the age of the user is further provided on the card.

The card may thus for example state the date of birth of the user or alternatively or additionally may specify that the user is within a certain age range. For example, the card may provide a date of birth of the user and may additionally specify that the user is older than 18 years of age or younger than 16 years of age.

As can be seen from Figure 1 , the card 2 is arranged in a portrait format with both the likeness 10 and the indication 12 relating to the age of the user being provided in an upper half of the card 2, while the semiconductor that carries electronically stored information is provided in the lower half of the card. This is advantageous as the identification and age verification function of the card can be performed even after a lower part of the card has been entered in a card reader, for example in situations in which a retail clerk may have initially forgotten to verify the age of a customer, without the need for interrupting a purchase to verify the age of the customer.

The illustrated card 2 further bears 'PASS' mark 14. This mark is the holographic National Proof of Age Standards Scheme accreditation mark issued by the British Retail Consortium and indicates that the age verification processes used by the issuer of the card have been scrutinized and found to guarantee that the age of authorised card holders is correctly represented on the card 2. This mark is recognised by retailers and the combination of the indication 12 relating to the age of the user and the mark 14 thus acts as a proof of age.

The back of the card comprises a magnetic strip that may hold further information.

When a user requests that a card 2 is issued to him or her the card issuing company request that the user provides a verified photograph suitable for identifying the user. Verification processes suitable for this purpose are well know and are in use in the United Kingdom for verifying photographs submitted in connection with passport applications. Such a process may for example include the requirement that the back side of a submitted photograph be signed by a credible person acquainted with the applicant and/or the requirement that standard documents, such as past utility bills, verifying the address of the applicant be submitted to the card issuing company.

A likeness of the applicant derived from the photograph is applied to and merged with a card comprising the semiconductor chip and the plurality of contact pads in a manner that prevents tampering and/or replacement of the photograph.

Further indications, such as the indication 4 of a card number, the indication 6 of the authorised card holder's name, the indication 12 relating to the age of the user and other indications such as an indication of a valid from date and of an expiry date may further be provided on the card prior to or subsequent to applying the likeness of the applicant to the card. Once the card has been generated it is delivered to the authorised user.

When a user wants to make a purchase in a shop or supermarket using the card of the preferred embodiment, the card is handed to a checkout clerk. The checkout clerk proceeds to compare the likeness of the authorised user on the card

with the appearance of the person attempting to make the purchase and decides based on this comparison whether or not the person attempting to make the purchase is the authorised user of the card. If it is decided that the person attempting to make the purchase is not the authorised user of the card, then the making of the purchase can be prevented.

If it is decided that the person attempting to make the purchase is the authorised user of the card, then the checkout clerk proceeds by checking whether or not the purchase of the goods requires that the person making the purchase is of a minimum age. If this is the case, then the checkout clerk verifies the age of the authorised user using the indication of the date of birth of the authorised user or the indication of a minimum age that the user has exceeded. If the authorised user is not old enough then the checkout clerk can prevent the making of the purchase.

If the checkout clerk determines that the authorised user is old enough to make the purchase, then the checkout clerk proceeds by inserting the card into a reader/writer adapted to electrically connect to and read the semiconductor chip 8 on the card 2 so as to determine whether or not sufficient funds for the purchase are available to the user. If this is the case then the purchase can proceed and the reader/writer updates the information content stored in the semiconductor chip of the card to reflect that a reduced amount of funds are available for subsequent purchases.

Figure 2 illustrates the back face of another preferred card 16. The front face of the card 16 may be set out as illustrated in Figure 1 or may be configured differently. The card 16 comprises a magnetic strip 18 on which information relating to the card may be stored. A signature strip 20 for receiving a signature of an authorised user may further be provided on the back face of the card 16. The card 16 further comprises a security code 22 that is in the preferred embodiment in accordance with the seven digit Card Verification Value (CW) scheme used on known credit cards. A further age verification digit 24 is added to the CW code to uniquely encode for the age of the authorised user of the card.

The age verification digit may, for example be a number in the range of 1 to 9, wherein the use of the number 9 on the card 16 indicates that the authorised user is eleven years of age or younger, the use of the number 8 on the card 16 indicates that the authorised user is twelve years of age, the use of the number 7 on the card 16 indicates that the authorised user is thirteen years of age, the use of the number 6 on the card 16 indicates that the authorised user is fourteen years of age, the use of the number 5 on the card 16 indicates that the authorised user is fifteen years of age, the use of the number 4 on the card 16 indicates that the authorised user is sixteen years of age, the use of the number 3 on the card 16 indicates that the authorised user is seventeen years of age, the use of the number 2 on the card 16 indicates that the authorised user is eighteen years of age and the use of the number 1 on the card 16 indicates that the authorised user is twenty-one years of age or older. The mentioned ages and age ranges could of course also be encoded for in a manner different to the presented manner, for example by using ascending number rather than descending numbers. Ages and age ranges could alternatively be assigned a random number, such as a random number between one and nine, whereby each numbers is only used to encode for a single age or age range.

It will be noticed that the above examples do not use the number 0 to encode for an age or an age range. This number (or any number not used for encoding an age or an age range) can be retained for future use, should there be a need for a change in the encoding system.

The age verification digit 24 can, as is the case in the example shown in Figure 2, be entirely independent from the CW number 22. Alternatively the age verification digit can be used to increase the number of unique CW numbers available.

It is of course desirable that it be kept secret which ages or age ranges are encoded by a particular value of the age verification digit 24. It is further desirable that it be kept secret that the age verification digit in the above example is effectively independent from the CW number 22 and is merely grouped with the CW number 22 for presentation purposes.

A card similar to the preferred cards described above may also be used for making online purchases. A card suitable for this purpose is associated with a bank account. When a user wants to make an online purchase using the card 2, he or she provides the online retailer with the card number 4. The online retailer can establish a data connection with the bank account associated with the card 2 based on the card number 4 and establish whether or not sufficient funds for the purchase are available. If the goods or services to be purchased are subject to a minimum age restriction the online retailer may transmit a request for an indication of the age of the authorised user to the bank account. In response the bank account can provide an indication of the minimum age of the user. Based on this indication the online retailer can decide whether or not the user fulfils the minimum age requirement. Alternatively the online retailer may transmit an indication of the minimum age requirement to the bank account. In return the bank account can provide an indication of whether or not the minimum age requirement has been met without the need to disclose the actual age of the user to the online retailer.

Alternatively or additionally when a card as illustrated in Figure 2 is used, the retailer can derive the age of the authorised card holder using the age verification digit 24.

It will be appreciated that the above description of the preferred embodiment is made by way of example only and that modifications to the preferred arrangements are possible within the scope of the appended claims.