IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,608,700
Granted Patent B2
US 12,608,700 · App. 18/597,149 · Granted Apr 21, 2026

Credit card features to prevent skimmer fraud

Inventor: Robert E. Porco (New Kensington, PA)
Assignee: The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
G06Q20/357G06Q20/401G07F7/0806
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,608,700
App. No.
18/597,149
Granted
Apr 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system can include a physical payment card, a point-of-sale card payment device for processing a payment using the physical payment card, and a card payment network in communication with the point-of-sale card payment device. The physical payment card includes embedded data and non-embedded data. Embedded data may include payment information required for processing a payment using the physical payment card, where at least a portion of the payment information is not printed visibly on the physical payment card. Non-embedded data may include a multi-character code may include at least one special character, where the multi-character code is required for processing a payment using the physical payment card.

Claims (48)

1 . A system comprising:

a physical payment card, comprising:

embedded data comprising payment information, wherein at least a portion of the payment information is not printed visibly on the physical payment card; and

non-embedded data comprising a multi-character code comprising at least one special character, wherein the at least one special character comprises a non-alphanumeric character:

a point-of-sale card payment device for processing a payment using the physical payment card, the point-of-sale card payment device comprising:

a reader, wherein the reader is to read the embedded data from the physical payment card; and

a user interface to receive as an input the multi-character code, wherein both the embedded data read by the reader and the multi-character code input to the user interface are required at a point-of-sale for processing the payment using the physical payment card; and

a card payment network in communication with the point-of-sale card payment device and a remote database storing a code associated with the physical payment card, wherein the card payment network comprises one or more servers to:

receive both the payment information and the multi-character code from the point-of-sale card payment device;

retrieve the stored code associated with the physical payment card based on the received payment information;

authenticate the payment information based on both the multi-character code input to the user interface matching the stored code associated with the physical payment card; and

transmit authentication of the payment to the point-of-sale card payment device.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the embedded data is encoded on a magnetic strip, and wherein the reader comprises a magnetic strip reader.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the embedded data is encoded on a chip, and wherein the reader comprises a chip reader.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the physical payment card comprises a card selected from a group consisting of a credit card, a debit card, and a gift card.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface comprises a keyboard.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface comprises a touchpad.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface comprises a number pad.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the multi-character code is visibly printed on the physical payment card.

9 . A system comprising:

a physical payment card, comprising:

embedded data comprising payment information, wherein at least a portion of the payment information is not printed visibly on the physical payment card; and

non-embedded data comprising a multi-character code comprising at least one special character, wherein the at least one special character comprises a non-alphanumeric character;

a point-of-sale card payment device for processing a payment using the physical payment card, the point-of-sale card payment device comprising:

a reader, wherein the reader is to read the embedded data from the physical payment card; and

a user interface to receive as an input the multi-character code, wherein both the embedded data read by the reader and the multi-character code input to the user interface are required at a point-of-sale for processing the payment using the physical payment card; and

wherein the physical payment card further comprises a quick-response code printed on the physical payment card, wherein at least a portion of the non-embedded data is encoded in the quick-response code, and wherein the portion of the non-embedded data is updated during a term of the physical payment card.

10 . A method of processing a payment with a physical payment card, the physical payment card comprising embedded data and a multi-character code, wherein the multi-character code is separate and distinct from the embedded data and is obtainable by possession of the physical payment card, wherein the multi-character code comprises at least one special character, and wherein the at least one special character comprises a non-alphanumeric character, the method comprising:

reading, by a point-of-sale system, the embedded data in an electronic format on the physical payment card;

receiving, by the point-of-sale system, the multi-character code by a manual input;

processing, by the point-of-sale system, the multi-character code; and

transmitting, by the point-of-sale system, the embedded data and the multi-character code to a card payment network for processing, wherein both the embedded data and the multi-character code are required at the point-of-sale system for processing the payment using the physical payment card; and

receiving, by the point-of-sale system, an authentication from the card payment network based on the multi-character code received by the point-of-sale system matching a stored code associated with the physical payment card and retrieved from a remote database based on the embedded data read from the physical payment card by the point-of-sale system.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising manually inputting the multi-character code into the point-of-sale system.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the embedded data and the multi-character code are transmitted separately.

13 . A method of processing a payment with a physical payment card, the physical payment card comprising embedded data and a multi-character code, wherein the multi-character code is separate and distinct from the embedded data and is obtainable by possession of the physical payment card, wherein the multi-character code comprises at least one special character, and wherein the at least one special character comprises a non-alphanumeric character, further the method comprising:

reading, by a point-of-sale system, the embedded data in an electronic format on the physical payment card;

receiving, by the point-of-sale system, the multi-character code by a manual input, wherein the multi-character code is encoded in a quick-response code printed on the physical payment card;

processing, by the point-of-sale system, the multi-character code; and

transmitting, by the point-of-sale system, the embedded data and the multi-character code to a card payment network for processing, wherein both the embedded data and the multi-character code are required at the point-of-sale system for processing the payment using the physical payment card; the method further comprising:

scanning, by the point-of-sale system, the quick-response code to obtain the multi-character code.

14 . A method of processing a payment with a physical payment card, the physical payment card comprising embedded data and non-embedded data, wherein the non-embedded data is obtainable by possession of the physical payment card at a point-of-sale, wherein the non-embedded data comprises a multi-character code separate and distinct from the embedded data, wherein the multi-character code comprises at least one special character, and wherein the at least one special character comprises a non-alphanumeric character, the method comprising:

receiving, by a card payment network, payment information in an electronic format based on the embedded data on the physical payment card;

receiving, by the card payment network, the multi-character code in an electronic format based on manual input;

verifying, by the card payment network, authenticity of a payment by the physical payment card based on both the payment information and the multi-character code, wherein verifying authenticity of the payment by the physical payment card comprises seeking a stored code associated with the physical payment card and retrieved from a remote database based on the embedded data received by the card payment network that matches the multi-character code; and

declining, by the card payment network, the payment unless the physical payment card is authenticated.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the payment information and the multi-character code are received separately by the card payment network.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein verifying the authenticity of the payment comprises ensuring the multi-character code corresponds to the payment information.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 6, 2024
From: PORCO, ROBERT E.
To: THE PNC FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP, INC.
Reel/Frame 066669/0852 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250285104A1 · Sep 11, 2025
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