An electronic bookkeeping device is useful in association with use of credit cards for controlling use of various credit cards. The device stores data relative to the extent of use of each card, and assists a user in making the most effective use of a plurality of credit cards.

This invention concerns a prepayment metering system using a card on which information may be stored and from which stored information may be erased. In one form, a number (A) recorded on the card is read at the meter and stored (30) in preparation for the next card insertion. To obtain a further credit at the meter, the card is taken to a terminal station (12) at which the number (A) recorded on the card is read and is subjected to an encryption process under the control of a key and the result...

An authorization matching system for a credit card transaction system assigns the same identification code to authorization and transaction records associated with a particular transaction. The records may be matched by matching the identification number in the records, even if other data in the records does not match.

An automated purchasing control system which can be customized for a corporate customer. The system receives an authorization request over the phone lines from a remote point-of-sale terminal and processes the request using unique software. The software has a database customized to a corporate user to establish that company hierarchial structure. Elements of the hierarchial structure are independently reconfigurable, so that a company can specify different hierarchial relationships in the softwa...

A master machine transmits a request for transmission of authorization data to a satellite machine when a mode key is set at a summation instructing mode. The master machine sums the authorization data received from the satellite machine and then designates a subsequent object machine upon receiving of a data transmission end command. When summation processing is completed with respect to all of the designated satellite machines, the master machine issues a summary report. When the mode key is s...

A random number (v) generated in a customer chip card (KK) selects individual program parts (Pv) from the sensitive program data (P) for the data flow control, selecting these both in the customer card as well as in a customer terminal (KT). A respective authentication code (PACv) is formed from these program parts (Pv) with the assistance of an authentication algorithm (f) and of a secret cipher (KPC) and, finally, the authentication code (PACv) calculated in the customer chip card (KK) and the...

Method for testing a terminal communicating with chip cards. The method has the steps of: identification data stored in the chip card is used to generate authentification codes both in the chip card and in the terminal after transmission thereinto of the identification data stored in the chip card, both authentification codes being generated with respective action codes using a stored algorithm; the authentification code generated in the chip card is transmitted to the terminal; the two authenti...

In one embodiment, a presentation instrument comprises a card body having machine readable information stored thereon. A protective device is coupled to the card body so as to be disposed over at least a portion of the machine readable information such that the machine readable information is incapable of being read by a machine when the protective device is in place and the machine readable information is readable by a machine when the protective device is removed.

A method comprises the steps of: receiving, at a host computer, a request from a provider for payment for a charge incurred by a purchaser; identifying a plurality of funding sources of the purchaser from which to draw funds for payment of the charge; and causing at least one of the plurality of funding sources to be debited for at least a portion of the purchasing amount of the item based on the payment authorization.

A method for identifying a fraudulent account application includes receiving a new account application comprising a plurality of identity-related fields and linking the identity-related fields associated with the new account application with identity-related fields associated with a plurality of historical account applications. The links form a graphical pattern on which statistical analysis can performed to determine the likelihood that the new account application is fraudulent. The statistical...