Stored value cards and methods for their issuance

1. A method for issuing both a non-physical virtual card and a physical card to a cardholder, wherein both the virtual card and the physical card are for conducting transactions against a funded value, the method comprising:

receiving at a processing system a request to receive both a physical card and a non-physical virtual card, along with a funded value that is associated with both the physical card and the virtual card;

using the processing system to electronically issue a virtual card to a cardholder, the virtual card comprising an identifier and an associated database record of a stored value, wherein the virtual card is active upon issuance;

sending a physical card to the cardholder, wherein the physical card includes a card body and an identifier that is different from the virtual card identifier, and wherein the physical card is in an inactive state until the physical card is activated by linking of the physical card identifier to the database record of the stored value;

receiving at the processing system a request to debit the funded value by a redemption amount from an electronic purchase over a network, wherein the request to debit includes the identifier from the virtual card;

debiting the funded value by the redemption amount;

receiving at the processing system a request to debit the funded value by a redemption amount from an electronic purchase originating from a point of sale device at a merchant location; and

debiting the funded value by the redemption amount received from the point of sale device.

2. A method as in claim 1 , further comprising transmitting from the processing system to a physical card issuing system information used to issue the physical card to the cardholder, whereby once activated, the physical card shares attributes, including any unused funded value, with the virtual card.

3. A method as in claim 1 , further comprising performing at least one validation check prior to linking to the record of the stored value.

4. A method as in claim 3 , wherein the virtual card further comprises a first personal identification number (PIN) that is stored in the database, wherein the physical card further comprises a second personal identification number (PIN) that is stored in the database, and wherein a validation check comprises comparing the physical card PIN and the virtual card PIN with corresponding PINs provided by the cardholder.

5. A method as in claim 4 , wherein the validation check comprises querying the database to determine if the virtual card is both valid and active.

6. A method as in claim 4 , wherein the validation check further comprises querying the database to determine if the physical card is in the inactive state.

7. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the linking step comprises providing two pointers in the database to the record of the stored value, and wherein the two pointers comprise the virtual card identifier and the physical card identifier.

8. A method for issuing both a non-physical virtual card and a physical card that are each usable for conducting transactions against the account of a cardholder, the method comprising:

receiving at a processing system a request to receive both a physical card and a virtual card, along with a funded value that is associated with both the physical card and the virtual card;

issuing a virtual card to a cardholder, the virtual card comprising an identifier and an associated database record of a stored value, wherein the virtual card is in an active state upon issuance;

receiving at a processing system a request to debit the funded value by a redemption amount from an electronic purchase over a network using the identifier from the virtual card;

debiting the funded value by the redemption amount;

issuing a physical card to the cardholder, wherein the physical card and includes a card body and a physical card identifier, and wherein the physical card is in an inactive state;

receiving a request to activate the physical card, wherein the request includes the physical card identifier; and

in response to the request, linking the physical card identifier to the database record of the stored value;

receiving at the processing system a request to debit the funded value by a redemption amount from an electronic purchase originating from a point of sale device at a merchant location; and

debiting the funded value by the redemption amount received from the point of sale device.

9. A method as in claim 8 , wherein the physical card identifier is different from the virtual card identifier, and wherein the linking step comprises providing two pointers in the database to the record of the stored value, and wherein the two pointers comprise the virtual card identifier and the physical card identifier, whereby the virtual card is usable for transactions made by the cardholder prior to receipt and activation of the physical card, and whereby once activated, the physical card shares attributes, including any unused funded value, with the virtual card.

10. A method as in claim 9 , further comprising performing a validation check prior to linking to the record of the stored value.

11. A method as in claim 10 , wherein virtual card further comprises a personal identification number (PIN) that is stored in the database, wherein the physical card further comprises a personal identification number (PIN) that is stored in the database, wherein the request includes physical card and virtual card PINs, and wherein the validation check comprises comparing the physical card PIN and the virtual card PIN with the received PINs.

12. A method as in claim 10 , wherein the validation check comprises querying the database to determine if the virtual card is both valid and active.

13. A method as in claim 10 , wherein the validation check further comprises querying the database to determine if the physical card is both valid and in the inactive state.

14. A method for issuing both a first card and a second card to a cardholder, the method comprising:

issuing a first card to a cardholder, the first card comprising an identifier and an associated database record of a funded stored value, wherein the first card may be used to access the funded stored value when making purchases upon issuance;

issuing a second card to the cardholder that is separate and distinct from the first card vet is intended to be used to access the funded stored value of the first card, wherein the second card includes an identifier that is different from the first card identifier, and wherein the second card is in an inactive state and is unable to be used to make purchases paid for by the funded stored value until the second card is activated by linking of the second card identifier to the database record of the funded stored value such that both the first card and the second card can both be used to make purchases paid for by the funded stored value, and wherein at least one of the first or the second cards comprise a physical card body.

15. A method for issuing both a first card and a second card to a cardholder, the method comprising:

issuing a first card to a cardholder, the first card comprising an identifier and an associated database record of a funded stored value, wherein the first card may be used to access the funded stored value when making purchases upon issuance;

issuing a second card to the cardholder that is separate and distinct from the first card yet is intended to be used to access the funded stored value of the first card, wherein the second card includes an identifier that is different from the first card identifier, and wherein the second card is in an inactive state and is unable to be used to make purchases paid for by the funded stored value until the second card is activated by linking of the second card identifier to the database record of the funded stored value, and wherein at least one of the first or the second cards comprise a physical card body;

receiving a request to activate the second card, wherein the request includes the second card identifier; and

in response to the request, linking the second card identifier to the database record of the stored value such that both the first card and the second card can both be used to make purchases paid for by the funded stored value.