Granted Patent B1

US 7,806,338 · App. 11/832,481 · Granted Oct 5, 2010

Abstract

Claims (28)

1. A method for personalizing a presentation instrument for an account holder while the account holder is present, the method comprising:

transmitting to a server computer a request to personalize a presentation instrument for an account holder who has a financial account with a financial institution, wherein the request includes at least one of the account holder's name and background information indicating a background to be placed onto the presentation instrument;

receiving, at the server computer from the financial institution, presentation instrument data to be included on the presentation instrument, the presentation instrument data comprising an account number and an expiration date; and

transmitting from the server computer through a financial institution network personalization information usable by a reverse film transfer printer to place printed personalization information onto a blank presentation instrument, to place an inhibitor onto a film material at a location on the film material that will be placed over a magnetic stripe on the blank presentation instrument, and to electronically store account information onto the magnetic stripe of the blank presentation instrument while the account holder is present.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

printing at least one of the background, the account holder's name, the account number, and the expiration date on the film material; and

fusing the film material to the blank presentation instrument.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising removing the inhibitor from the presentation instrument.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reverse film transfer printer is approved by the financial institution for printing the presentation instrument.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the presentation instrument is at least one of a credit card, a gift card, an automatic teller (ATM) card, and a check card.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising calculating, at the server computer, at least one of a card verification value (CVV), a CVV 2 and a personal identification number (PIN) offset value, based on presentation instrument data received from the financial institution.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the background information is selected from a plurality of images pre-approved by the financial institution.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the background information is a personal image file uploaded by the account holder.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the account holder uploads the personal image file from at least one of a flash drive, a floppy drive, and a secure digital (SD) memory.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the presentation instrument includes at least one of a radio frequency (RF) transmitter, a barcode, and a proximity device.

11. A system for personalizing a presentation instrument for an account holder while the account holder is present, the system comprising:

a client computer configured to receive input from an account holder, wherein the input includes at least one of the account holder's name and a background image; and

a server computer coupled to the client computer configured to receive the input from the client computer, to process the input and to transmit a request for an account number and an expiration date to a financial institution server based on the input, to receive the account number and the expiration date from a financial institution card management server, to calculate personalization information, and to transmit the personalization information to a reverse film printer to be printed on a film material on a stock presentation instrument and to place an inhibitor onto the film material at a location on the film material that will be placed over a magnetic stripe on the stock presentation instrument, while the account holder is present.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the personalization information comprises a personalized background image.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the server computer calculates the personalization information based on the received account number and expiration date.

14. An instant issue customizable presentation instrument for presenting to an account holder while the account holder is present, the presentation instrument comprising:

a presentation instrument body;

a magnetic stripe on the presentation instrument body that is configured to store account information associated with the presentation instrument;

a printable film material configured to receive printing of at least one of a customized background image, an account number, and an expiration date, wherein the background image is selected from a plurality of pre-approved images, wherein the film material is configured to be adhered to the presentation instrument body; and

an inhibitor placed onto the printable film material at a location on the printable film material that will be placed over the magnetic stripe on the blank presentation instrument, wherein the inhibitor is configured to inhibit the printable film material from fusing to the magnetic stripe.

15. The presentation instrument of claim 14 , further comprising a signature box, wherein the inhibitor is placed onto the printable film material at a location on the printable film material that will be placed over the signature box on the blank presentation instrument, wherein the inhibitor is configured to inhibit the printable film material from fusing to the signature box.

16. The presentation instrument of claim 14 , wherein the customized background image is provided by the account holder.

17. The presentation instrument of claim 14 , wherein a reverse film printer is configured to print on the printable film material.

Assignments (9)