Importance

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Abstract

A programmable credit card enables accessing of a selected one of a plurality of different credit accounts with the same or different credit card companies through communication with a clearing house for the credit accounts while providing important anti-fraud features. The credit card provides means for storing a basic account number and includes a keyboard for entering terminal digits which together with the basic account number define a completed account number and which identify a selected one of the plurality of accounts to be accessed, and for entering identification information for the card. The terminal digits are preserved along with the basic account number to provide the completed account number, together with the identification information, in a form which is readable by a reader device but is not discernible by the human eye, e.g., by emulating a magnetic strip. In an alternative embodiment, an optical reader can be used, upon reading of the completed account number and the identification information by the (e.g., magnetic) reader device during a credit transaction the completed account number and the identification information are directly transmitted to the clearing house for verification and subsequent debiting of the account corresponding to the selected terminal digits.

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First Claim