Thermo-sensitive payment card
Technology is described for providing and using a thermo-sensitive payment card. An example payment card comprises a card substrate and a personalization layer overlaying the card substrate. The personalization layer includes a first region and a second region surrounding the first region. The first region includes an account number associated with an account of a user, and the account of the user is maintained by a payment service system that issues the payment card. At least one of the first region or the second region comprises a thermochromic ink such that application of heat to the first region or the second region having the thermochromic ink causes a change in color of the personalization layer so as to reveal the account number.
1 . A payment card comprising:
a hardware chip embedded in a card substrate;
a biometric element embedded in the card substrate;
a heating element embedded in the card substrate;
the card substrate, wherein a surface of the card substrate comprises at least one thermochromic ink at a region of the card substrate, wherein a different color of the at least one thermochromic ink presents at the region responsive to changes in temperature initiated by the heating element in response to use of the biometric element of the payment card; and
a graphical display, wherein the graphical display included in the payment card comprises an LCD display for displaying different information at different times that is associated with at least one of the payment card or a user account.
2 . The payment card of claim 1 , wherein the at least one thermochromic ink visibly obfuscates a balance of the payment card without a change in temperature to present the different color of the region.
3 . The payment card of claim 2 , wherein the change in temperature is responsive to a user touching the payment card.
4 . The payment card of claim 2 , wherein the change in temperature is responsive to a user touching the region of the card substrate.
5 . The payment card of claim 1 , wherein the at least one thermochromic ink has a substantially identical color at room temperature as at least one other region of the card substrate.
6 . The payment card of claim 1 , wherein the hardware chip embedded in the card substrate is a near field communication (NFC) chip.
7 . The payment card of claim 1 , wherein the heating element is configured to cause a temperature of the payment card to change responsive to a signal.
8 . The payment card of claim 1 , wherein a change in temperature to present the different color of the region reveals additional information to the information displayed by the graphical display.
9 . The payment card of claim 1 , wherein the information displayed by the graphical display is presented for capture by an optical scanner.
10 . The payment card of claim 1 , wherein the different information comprises a QR code or a bar code and at least one of an account number, an expiration date, or a card verification value.
11 . The payment card of claim 1 , wherein the different color of the at least one thermochromic ink presents at the region responsive to changes in ambient temperature of a physical location of the payment card, and wherein a color of the at least one thermochromic ink is used to confirm the physical location of the payment card during a transaction using the payment card.
12 . A payment card comprising:
a hardware chip embedded in a card substrate;
a biometric element embedded in the card substrate;
a heating element embedded in the card substrate;
the card substrate, wherein a surface of the card substrate comprises at least one thermochromic ink at a region of the card substrate, wherein a different color of the at least one thermochromic ink presents at the region responsive to changes in temperature initiated by the heating element in response to use of the biometric element of the payment card; and
a graphical display comprising an LCD display that is controllable to display different information associated with at least one of the payment card or a user account at different times.
13 . The payment card of claim 12 , wherein the at least one thermochromic ink visibly obfuscates an expiration date or a card verification value (CVV) without a change in temperature to present the different color of the region.
14 . The payment card of claim 13 , wherein the change in temperature is responsive to a user touching the payment card.
15 . The payment card of claim 13 , wherein the change in temperature is responsive to a user touching the region of the card substrate.
16 . A payment card comprising:
a card substrate, wherein a surface of the card substrate comprises at least one thermochromic ink at a region of the card substrate, wherein a different color of the at least one thermochromic ink presents at the region responsive to changes in temperature initiated by a heating element in response to use of a biometric element of the payment card, and wherein a change in temperature to present the different color of the region reveals information associated with the payment card or with a user account;
a hardware chip embedded in the card substrate;
the biometric element embedded in the card substrate;
the heating element embedded in the card substrate; and
a graphical display comprising an LCD display, wherein the graphical display, included in the payment card with the card substrate having the surface comprising the at least one thermochromic ink, is configured for displaying additional information associated with at least one of the payment card or the user account.
17 . The payment card of claim 16 , wherein the information includes at least one of a notification of one or more issues related to the payment card or a reminder to take one or more timely actions.
18 . The payment card of claim 17 , wherein the one or more issues include at least one of a credit issue or a security issue.
19 . The payment card of claim 16 , wherein the information includes a message.
20 . The payment card of claim 19 , wherein the message includes at least one of:
one or more letters;
one or more numbers;
a trademark;
a logo;
information related to an account balance; or
information related to a recent transaction.