Steganographic image on portable device

1. A system comprising:

a portable device including:

a substrate,

a steganographic image on the substrate, the steganographic image including a decoy image and hidden information comprising a payment account number, the payment account number not being in user-readable form anywhere on the substrate, and

a memory on the substrate, the memory storing the payment account number; and

a mobile device in the form of a mobile phone associated with the portable device, the mobile device comprising:

a processor, and

a non-transitory computer readable medium coupled to the processor, the non-transitory computer readable medium including code executable by the processor for implementing a method comprising:

receiving, from a user, a copy of the hidden information;

transmitting, to a server computer, a request for a decoding algorithm, the request including the copy of the hidden information, wherein the server computer identifies, based on the copy of the hidden information, a decoding algorithm that can reveal the hidden information in the steganographic image, wherein the hidden information in the steganographic image can be revealed only by the decoding algorithm;

receiving the decoding algorithm from the server computer, wherein the server computer only provides the decoding algorithm to one device;

storing the decoding algorithm;

imaging the steganographic image on the portable device; and

displaying the hidden information from the steganographic image.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hidden information further includes user identity information.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the memory is a magnetic stripe or an integrated circuit.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the decoy image is visible without assistance to a human eye.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the portable device is in the form of a card.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the portable device is a payment card.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hidden information is encrypted, and wherein the mobile device includes a key that is configured to decrypt the hidden information.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the decoy image includes an image of a landscape.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the decoy image is a unique image that is not included on any other portable devices.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the decoy image does not include any information that is personal or sensitive.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, at a mobile device in the form of a mobile phone, from a user in possession of a portable device including a steganographic image with hidden information comprising a payment account number, a copy of the hidden information;

transmitting, by the mobile device, to a server computer, a request for a decoding algorithm, the request including the copy of the hidden information, wherein the server computer identifies, based on the copy of the hidden information, a decoding algorithm that can reveal the hidden information in the steganographic image, wherein the hidden information in the steganographic image can be revealed only by the decoding algorithm;

receiving, by the mobile device, the decoding algorithm from the server computer, wherein the server computer only provides the decoding algorithm to one device;

storing, by the mobile device, the decoding algorithm;

imaging, by the mobile device, the steganographic image on the portable device, the payment account number not being in user-readable form anywhere on the portable device, the portable device further including a memory storing the payment account number; and

displaying, by the mobile device, the hidden information from the steganographic image.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

decoding, by the mobile device, the steganographic image to obtain the hidden information comprising the payment account number.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the hidden information is encrypted, and the method further comprises:

decrypting, by the mobile device, the hidden information.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

after displaying, entering the payment account number into a merchant webpage displayed by a user computer in a first transaction that is an Internet transaction; and

interacting the portable device with a point of sale terminal in a second transaction.

15. A mobile device comprising:

a processor, and

a non-transitory computer readable medium coupled to the processor, the non-transitory computer readable medium including code executable by the processor for implementing a method comprising:

receiving, from a user in possession of a portable device including a steganographic image with hidden information comprising a payment account number, a copy of the hidden information;

transmitting, to a server computer, a request for a decoding algorithm, the request including the copy of the hidden information, wherein the server computer identifies, based on the copy of the hidden information, a decoding algorithm that can reveal the hidden information in the steganographic image, wherein the hidden information in the steganographic image can be revealed only by the decoding algorithm;

receiving the decoding algorithm from the server computer, wherein the server computer only provides the decoding algorithm to one device;

storing the decoding algorithm;

imaging the steganographic image on the portable device, the payment account number not being in user-readable form anywhere on the portable device, the portable device further including a memory storing the payment account number; and

displaying the hidden information from the steganographic image.

16. The mobile device of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:

decoding, by the mobile device, the steganographic image to obtain the hidden information comprising the payment account number.

17. The mobile device of claim 15 , wherein the hidden information is encrypted, and the method further comprises:

decrypting, by the mobile device, the hidden information.