Aspects of the disclosure relate generally to payment cards. More specifically, aspects of the disclosure may provide access to multiple different financial accounts through a single payment card.
An individual is typically issued a separate payment card (e.g., credit card) for each different financial account associated with the individual. That is, an individual is issued a first payment card associated with a first account and/or first financial institution and is issued a second, different payment card associated with a second, different account and/or second, different financial institution. The individual is therefore required to carry around a large number of payment cards in order to have a choice as to which financial account to use to conduct a particular financial transaction. Requiring an individual to carry around a large number of payment cards may be inconvenient to the individual. In many instances, an individual may elect to carry around fewer than all of the payment cards issued to the individual. As a result, the individual may conduct a financial transaction with a payment card that does not provide a reward or other incentive for the transaction. Consequently, the individual may miss out on a reward or other incentive opportunity available through a payment card the individual is not carrying around.
Aspects described herein may address these and other problems, and generally improve the experience of an individual in being provided access to multiple different financial accounts.
The following presents a simplified summary of various aspects described herein. This summary is not an extensive overview, and is not intended to identify key or critical elements or to delineate the scope of the claims. The following summary merely presents some concepts in a simplified form as an introductory prelude to the more detailed description provided below.
Aspects described herein may provide a multiple microchip (multi-chip) payment card (or multiple account payment card), allowing an individual to use any one of a plurality of microchips provided on the multi-chip payment card to conduct a financial transaction. According to some aspects, these and other benefits may be achieved by a payment card having a base, a cavity positioned within the base, a wheel positioned within the cavity, a coupling component coupling the wheel to the base, a first microchip coupled to the wheel, and a second microchip coupled to the wheel. The wheel may be rotated to select either the first or second microchip to be read by a microchip reader. The first microchip may be associated with a first financial account and/or a first rewards offer. The first microchip may provide first information associated with the first financial account when the first microchip is engaged by the microchip reader, thereby allowing a financial transaction to be conducted based on the first microchip while reaping the benefits of the first rewards offer. The second microchip may be associated with a second, different financial account and/or a second, different rewards offer. The second microchip may provide second, different information associated with the second financial account when the second microchip is engaged by the microchip reader, thereby allowing a financial transaction to be conducted based on the second microchip while reaping the benefits of the second rewards offer.
Some aspects described herein may provide a system for conducting a financial transaction using a multi-chip payment card. The system may include a payment card reader and a multiple account (multi-account) payment card (or multi-chip payment card). The multi-account payment card may have a plurality of microchips coupled to a wheel, wherein each microchip of the plurality of microchips is associated with a different corresponding financial account. The payment card reader may be configured to read a microchip located at a first position on a payment card. The wheel of the multi-account payment card may be configured to rotate to position one of the plurality of microchips in the first position, thereby enabling a financial transaction to be conducted based on the financial account corresponding to the one of the plurality of microchips in the first position.
Corresponding apparatus, systems, and computer-readable media are also within the scope of the disclosure.
These features, along with many others, are discussed in greater detail below.
The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not limited in the accompanying figures in which like reference numerals indicate similar elements and in which:
In the following description of the various embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration various embodiments in which aspects of the disclosure may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Aspects of the disclosure are capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. Rather, the phrases and terms used herein are to be given their broadest interpretation and meaning. The use of “including” and “comprising” and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items and equivalents thereof.
By way of introduction, aspects discussed herein may relate to a payment card providing access to multiple different microchips and/or accounts. Each microchip of the payment card may be associated with its own financial account and/or financial institution. Further, each microchip of the payment card may be associated with its own benefits (e.g., rewards offer) for being used to conduct a financial transaction. The payment card therefore allows a user to reap the benefits of a particular rewards offer associated with a particular financial account and/or financial institution by selecting the microchip best suited for a certain financial transaction, without a need to carry around a separate payment card for each microchip. Aspects discussed herein describe a convenient manner for an individual to select a microchip for a particular transaction and to shield the other microchips when the payment card is provided to a payment card reader. Aspects discussed herein describe a payment card having a plurality of microchips configured for easy and efficient use while still retaining the same size, shape, and/or form factor as a conventional payment card (e.g., credit card).
Before discussing these concepts in greater detail, however, several examples of a computing device that may be used in implementing and/or otherwise providing various aspects of the disclosure will first be discussed with respect to
Computing device 101 may, in some embodiments, operate in a standalone environment. In others, computing device 101 may operate in a networked environment. As shown in
As seen in
Devices 105, 107, 109 may have similar or different architecture as described with respect to computing device 101. Those of skill in the art will appreciate that the functionality of computing device 101 (or device 105, 107, 109) as described herein may be spread across multiple data processing devices, for example, to distribute processing load across multiple computers, to segregate transactions based on geographic location, user access level, quality of service (QoS), etc. For example, devices 101, 105, 107, 109, and others may operate in concert to provide parallel computing features in support of the operation of control logic 125 and/or software 127.
One or more aspects discussed herein may be embodied in computer-usable or readable data and/or computer-executable instructions, such as in one or more program modules, executed by one or more computers or other devices as described herein. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types when executed by a processor in a computer or other device. The modules may be written in a source code programming language that is subsequently compiled for execution, or may be written in a scripting language such as (but not limited to) HTML or XML. The computer executable instructions may be stored on a computer readable medium such as a hard disk, optical disk, removable storage media, solid state memory, RAM, etc. As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art, the functionality of the program modules may be combined or distributed as desired in various embodiments. In addition, the functionality may be embodied in whole or in part in firmware or hardware equivalents such as integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), and the like. Particular data structures may be used to more effectively implement one or more aspects discussed herein, and such data structures are contemplated within the scope of computer executable instructions and computer-usable data described herein. Various aspects discussed herein may be embodied as a method, a computing device, a data processing system, or a computer program product.
Having discussed several examples of computing devices which may be used to implement some aspects as discussed further below, discussion will now turn to an example arrangement for enabling a financial transaction to be conducted based on a multi-chip payment card.
The payment card reader 204 may be any type of computing device including any computing device depicted and described in relation to
The payment card reader 204 may be coupled to the computing device 206. The computing device 206 may be any type of computing device including any computing device depicted and described in relation to
In various embodiments, the payment card reader 204 and the computing device 206 may be combined (e.g., as a single device) and/or the payment card reader 204 may be a part of the computing device 206. The first remote computing device 208 may be any type of computing device including any computing device depicted and described in relation to
The network 212 may be any type of communications and/or computer network. The network 212 may include any type of communication mediums and/or may be based on any type of communication standards or protocols. The network 212 may represent an instance of the network 103
The multi-chip payment card 202 may include a base 214, a wheel 216, a first microchip 218, and a second microchip 218. The first and second microchips 218 and 220 may be coupled to the wheel 216. The wheel 216 may be coupled to the base 214 and may rotate about the base 214. When the wheel 216 rotates, the first and second microchips 218 and 220 correspondingly rotate about the base 214 and, for example, correspondingly rotate about the base 214 relative to one another (e.g., about their fixed positions on the wheel 216).
The first microchip 218 may be considered to be in a first position. The first position may be a position in which a microchip of the multi-chip payment card 202 may be read by the payment card reader 204. The first position may entail a microchip of the multi-chip payment card 202 being positioned closer to an outer edge or boundary of the multi-chip payment card 202 (e.g., relative to any other microchip of the multi-chip payment card 202), for example, so that it may be accessible to the payment card reader 204.
The second microchip 220 may be considered to be in a second position. The second position may be a position in which a microchip of the multi-chip payment card 202 may not be read by the payment card reader 204. The second position may entail a microchip of the multi-chip payment card 202 being positioned further from an outer edge or boundary of the multi-chip payment card 202 (e.g., relative to any other microchip of the multi-chip payment card 202), for example, so that it may not be accessible to the payment card reader 204.
The multi-chip payment card 202 is shown for purposes of illustration and simplicity in
The first microchip 218 may be associated with a first financial account. The first financial account may be associated with (e.g., provided and/or serviced by) the first remote computing device 208. The first remote computing device 208 may be affiliated with and/or associated with a first financial institution (e.g., a first bank). In various embodiments, when the first microchip 218 is read by the payment card reader 204, a financial transaction may be conducted based on an interaction between the first microchip 218 and the first remote computing device 208 and/or based on information provided by the first microchip 218 that may be provided to the first remote computing device 208 via the payment card reader 204, the computing device 206, and/or the network 212.
The second microchip 220 may be associated with a second, different financial account. The second financial account may be associated with (e.g., provided and/or serviced by) the second remote computing device 210. The second remote computing device 210 may be affiliated with and/or associated with a second, different financial institution (e.g., a second, different bank). In various embodiments, when the second microchip 220 is read by the payment card reader 204, a financial transaction may be conducted based on an interaction between the second microchip 220 and the second remote computing device 210 and/or based on information provided by the second microchip 220 that may be provided to the second remote computing device 210 via the payment card reader 204, the computing device 206, and/or the network 212.
In various embodiments, an owner and/or user of the multi-chip payment card 202 may be an owner and/or an authorized user of the first account associated with the first microchip 218 and/or the first financial institution associated with the first remote computing device 208. In various embodiments, the owner and/or user of the multi-chip payment card 202 may be an owner and/or an authorized user of the second account associated with the second microchip 220 and/or the second financial institution associated with the second remote computing device 210.
In various embodiments, the owner and/or user of the multi-chip payment card 202 may chose to conduct a financial transaction using the first microchip 218 (and therefore using the associated first financial account) or using the second microchip 220 (and therefore using the associated second financial account). The owner and/or user of the multi-chip payment card 202 may make such determination based on a variety of factors. As an example, the owner and/or user of the multi-chip payment card 202 may make such determination based on a first rewards offer and/or incentive associated with the first microchip 218 (i.e., the first financial account/institution) and/or based on a second rewards offer and/or incentive associated with the second microchip 220 (i.e., the second financial account/institution).
In various embodiments, the first rewards offer and/or incentive associated with the first microchip 218 (i.e., the first financial account/institution) may provide benefits for conducting financial transactions related to dining. In various embodiments, the second rewards offer and/or incentive associated with the second microchip 220 (i.e., the second financial account/institution) may provide benefits for conducting financial transactions related to travel. Accordingly, the owner and/or user of the multi-chip payment card 202 may rotate the wheel 216 to place the first microchip 218 in the first position to conduct a financial transaction with the first microchip 218 (i.e., the first financial account/institution) that is related to dining (e.g., paying for a meal)—to reap the rewards offer and/or incentives provided by first microchip 218 (i.e., the first financial account/institution).
Further, the owner and/or user of the multi-chip payment card 202 may rotate the wheel 216 to place the second microchip 220 in the first position to conduct a financial transaction with the second microchip 220 (i.e., the first financial account/institution) that is related to travel (e.g., paying for a hotel stay)—to reap the rewards offer and/or incentives provided by second microchip 220 (i.e., the second financial account/institution). In this manner, the owner of the multi-chip payment card 202 may direct which microchip and/or financial institution/account is to facilitate a financial transaction using only a single payment card, without the need to carry around multiple payment cards for various different financial accounts.
The multi-chip payment card 202 provides a convenient manner for an owner and/or user of the multi-chip payment card 202 to conduct a financial transaction with any one of a plurality of different financial accounts and/or institutions based on a selected microchip of the multi-chip payment card 202. The multi-chip payment card 202 provides access to a plurality of different financial accounts and/or institutions without the need for the owner and/or user of the multi-chip payment card 202 to carry around a separate card for each different financial account and/or institution. The multi-chip payment card 202 enables the owner and/or user of the multi-chip payment card 202 to quickly and efficiently select a financial account for conducting a transaction by allowing the owner and/or user to rotate the wheel 216 to place a corresponding microchip into position for being read by the payment card reader 204. As each microchip of the multi-chip payment card 202 may be affiliated with a different rewards offer and/or incentive for use, the owner and/or user of the multi-chip payment card 202 may conveniently select the microchip of the multi-chip payment card 202 that maximizes a particular rewards offer and/or incentive for a particular financial transaction.
In various embodiments, the multi-chip payment card 202 may include other information. For example, the multi-chip payment card 202 may include any graphical and/or textual feature. In various embodiments, the multi-chip payment card 202 may include the name of the owner and/or user of the multi-chip payment card 202 and/or may include a name of a provider of the multi-chip payment card 202.
As shown in
In various embodiments, the wheel 304 may be positioned within a cavity (not shown in
The first microchip 306 may be any type of microchip, integrated circuit (IC), and/or magnetic strip. In various embodiments, the first microchip 306 may be a near-field communication (NFC) chip or a radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip. In general, the first microchip 306 may be any device, component, and/or electrical device to facilitate the storage of information and/or to facilitate a financial transaction. The first microchip 306 may be affiliated and/or associated with a first financial account, a first financial institution, a first credit card account and/or company, and/or a first rewards and/or incentives offer.
The second microchip 308 may be any type of microchip, integrated circuit (IC), and/or magnetic strip. In various embodiments, the first microchip 306 may be an NFC chip or an RFID chip. In general, the second microchip 308 may be any device, component, and/or electrical device to facilitate the storage of information and/or to facilitate a financial transaction. The second microchip 308 may be affiliated and/or associated with a second financial account, a second financial institution, a second credit card account and/or company, and/or a second rewards and/or incentives offer.
In various embodiments, one or more of the first and second microchips 306 and 308 may be an EMV (Europay, Mastercard, and Visa) chip that complies with one or more standards for contact and/or contactless cards. In various embodiments, one or more of the first and second microchips 306 and 308 may store information related to a financial account (e.g., information identifying an owner, user, and/or controller of the account). In various embodiments, one or more of the first and second microchips 306 and 308 may generate authorization information (e.g., a transaction code) for any transaction conducted using one of the first and second microchips 306 and 308. In various embodiments, one or more of the first and second microchips 306 and 308 may interact with a payment card reader (e.g., the payment card reader 204) to authorize a certain financial transaction. In various embodiments, one or more of the first and second microchips 306 and 308 may provide, for example, structurally and by operating according to one or more standard or protocols, a secure mechanism to store and exchange sensitive financial account data between a merchant and a customer (e.g., the owner and/or user of the multi-chip payment card 300. In various embodiments, the multi-chip payment card 300 may be any type of card, payment card, smart card, smart payment card, etc.
As shown in
In various embodiments, the locking component 310 may be used to prevent rotation of the wheel 304—for example, to maintain the first microchip 306 in the first position. In various embodiments, the locking component 310 may be a pin or a sliding lock that may be engaged by a user of the multi-chip payment card 300. In various embodiments, the locking component 310 may be a moveable component that, when engaged, may be used to prevent rotation of the wheel 304. In various embodiments, the locking component 310 may be coupled to the wheel 304. In various embodiments, the locking component 310 may be coupled to the coupling component that couples the wheel 304 to the base 302 and, for example, may comprise a gear component or system. In various embodiments, when engaged, the locking component 310 may contact and/or be coupled to a portion of the base 302 to prevent rotation of the wheel 304.
In various embodiments, a label or other indicator may be positioned next to and/or adjacent to each of the first and second microchips 306 and 308. For example, a first label may be positioned in proximity to the first microchip 306 (e.g., coupled to the wheel 304) and may identify the financial account or institution associated with the first microchip 306. A second label may be positioned in proximity to the second microchip 308 (e.g., coupled to the wheel 304) and may identify the financial account or institution associated with the second microchip 308.
In various embodiments, the locking component 310 may be coupled to a label or other indicator that, when engaged to prevent rotation of the wheel 304, indicates the financial account or institution of the microchip positioned in the first position. In this manner, a user of the multi-chip payment card 300 may determine which financial account or institution will be involved with a financial transaction to be conducted with the microchip (e.g., either the first or second microchip 306 and 308) positioned in the first position.
The multi-chip payment card 300 is shown as including the first microchip 306 and the second microchip 308 but is not so limited. In general, the multi-chip payment card 300 may include any number of microchips.
As shown in
In various embodiments, a top surface of the wheel 304 may be level with a top surface of the base 302, as shown by indicator 406. As an example, the top surface of the wheel 304 may be approximately flush with the top surface of the base 302. In various embodiments the top surface of the wheel 304 may be aligned and/or coplanar with the top surface of the base 302. In various embodiments, the top surface of the wheel 304 may extend beyond the top surface of the base 302. As an alternative, the multi-chip payment card 300 may not include the cavity 402 and the wheel 304 may be coupled to a top (e.g., approximately flat) surface of the multi-chip payment card 300 (e.g., via the coupling component 404).
As shown in
In various embodiments, a bottom surface of the first microchip 306 may be exposed to a microchip reader (e.g., the payment card reader 204) when the first microchip 306 is engaged by the microchip reader. Indicator 408 may indicate an opening or hole within the base 302. The bottom surface of the first microchip 306 may be exposed to the microchip reader via the opening indicated by indicator 408 when the first microchip 306 is engaged by the microchip reader. Similarly, when rotated into proper position, a bottom surface of the second microchip 308 may be exposed to a microchip reader (e.g., the payment card reader 204) via the opening indicated by indicator 408 when the second microchip 308 is engaged by the microchip reader.
In various embodiments, when the first microchip 306 is exposed to and readable by a microchip reader (e.g., the payment card reader 204), the first microchip 306 may provide first information associated with a first financial account to the microchip reader. Further, when the second microchip 308 is exposed to and readable by a microchip reader (e.g., the payment card reader 204), the second microchip 308 may provide second information associated with a second financial account to the microchip reader.
In various embodiments, the multi-chip payment card 300 may include a cover or shield 410. The shield 410 may be coupled to the wheel 304. The shield 410 may be moveable and may be engaged by a user of the multi-chip payment card 300. In various embodiments, the shield 410 may be coupled to the wheel 304 by a hinge or other component. The user of the multi-chip payment card 300 may selectively move the shield 410 to cover the second microchip 308 to protect the second microchip 308 when the second microchip 308 is not to be exposed to a microchip reader.
In various embodiments, a shield may be positioned in proximity to each microchip of the multi-chip payment card 300—for example, a shield may be included for each microchip. In various embodiments, the multi-chip payment card 300 may include a single shield that may be coupled to the base 302 and that may be engaged by a user to cover a microchip of the multi-chip payment card 300 that is not in the first position (e.g., by folding the shield from the base 302 over a portion of the wheel 304 where a microchip is positioned). In various embodiments, the shield 410 may be automatically moved based on a user engaging the locking component 310. That is, engaging the locking component 310 to prevent rotation of the wheel 304 may cause the shield 410 to be automatically moved to cover a microchip of the multi-chip payment card 300.
As shown in
At step 502, a wheel of the multi-chip payment card may be rotated. The wheel may be disposed within an opening and/or cavity of the multi-chip payment card. The wheel may be rotated in a first direction until a first microchip of a plurality of microchips coupled to the wheel is positioned to be read by a microchip reader (e.g., the payment card reader 204). In various embodiments, the wheel may be rotated until the first microchip is approximately aligned with an outer edge of the multi-chip payment card.
At step 504, a locking component or mechanism of the multi-chip payment card may be engaged. The locking component may prevent rotation of the wheel. The locking component may be engaged when the first microchip is in a position to be read by a microchip reader.
At step 506, one or more shields or covers may be positioned over one or more other microchips of the plurality of microchips other than the first microchip. The one or more shields may prevent exposure of readable surfaces of other microchips of the multi-chip payment card other than the first microchip.
At step 508, the multi-chip payment card may be provided to a microchip reader. In various embodiments, the multi-chip payment card may be inserted into the microchip reader. The multi-chip payment card may be provided to the microchip reader in a manner that enables a top and/or a bottom surface of the first microchip to be exposed (e.g., and therefore readable) to the microchip reader.
At step 510, information stored on the first microchip may be read or otherwise provided to the microchip reader. The information may be first information associated with a first financial account, a first financial institution, and/or a first rewards offer. A financial transaction may be conducted based on the first information.
Some aspects described herein may provide benefits for conducting financial transactions using a financial account best suited for a particular transaction. By providing access to multiple different microchips, each associated with a different account, institution, rewards offer, and/or incentive for use, on a single payment card, a user can conveniently access various different accounts and take advantage of different rewards when conducting a transaction. The payment card provides a convenient and user-friendly manner for selecting between microchips/accounts. Further, the payment card may be provided with a same or similar size, shape, and/or form factor as a conventional payment card, thereby obviating any need for any special or customized payment card readers and enabling the payment card to be used with conventional transaction systems.
Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.
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