One variation of a method for controlling a dynamic transaction card includes: at a first time, accessing a first cryptogram; at a second time, establishing a wireless connection with a mobile computing device; in response to establishing the wireless connection with the mobile computing device, accessing a first token associated with the first cryptogram from the mobile computing device via the wireless connection; generating a first magnetic stripe sequence command representing the first cryptogram and the first token; and in response to detecting a magnetic stripe card reader proximal a magnetic stripe emulator integrated into the dynamic transaction card at a third time succeeding the second time, driving the magnetic stripe emulator according to the first magnetic stripe sequence command.

Aspects described herein may allow for prompting a user to access an on-line tool to create an identification element to be added to an exterior surface of a personal card. A server device may prompt the user to select a location for the identification element from a plurality of pre-selected locations on the personal card, each of the plurality of pre-selected locations being proximate edges of the personal card and outward of any of magnetic strips, chips, text, photos, and images on the personal card. The server device may modify an exterior surface of the personal card to include the identification element at the selected location, and deliver the personal card to the user.

One variation of a method for controlling a dynamic transaction card includes: at a first time, accessing a first cryptogram; at a second time, establishing a wireless connection with a mobile computing device; in response to establishing the wireless connection with the mobile computing device, accessing a first token associated with the first cryptogram from the mobile computing device via the wireless connection; generating a first magnetic stripe sequence command representing the first cryptogram and the first token; and in response to detecting a magnetic stripe card reader proximal a magnetic stripe emulator integrated into the dynamic transaction card at a third time succeeding the second time, driving the magnetic stripe emulator according to the first magnetic stripe sequence command.

Merchants that have access to financial transaction card readers sometimes experience failed card reads when attempting a transaction. The merchant may then perform the transaction by manually entering account information from the financial transaction card, which can cause the merchant to be charged a higher fee than would have been charged if the transaction had been performed with the card reader. Technology is disclosed for providing discounted transaction rates for a card not present transaction following a failed card read. This is accomplished by detecting a failed card read of a financial transaction card through a card reader; detecting a card not present transaction including receiving user input of textual account access data; matching the failed card read with the card not present transaction; and crediting a difference between a fee charged for the card not present transaction and a fee which would have been charged for the attempted transaction.

A payment terminal may receive a request to process electronic payment information from a payment card in a swipe mode. The payment terminal may provide an opt-in request. If a user accepts, the payment terminal may receive a payment transaction request and electronic payment information of a swipe payment type from the payment card at a swipe interface. The payment terminal may determine whether the payment card is a chip card and generate a swipe mode processing indicator. The swipe mode indicator may allow processing of electronic payment information using procedures for the swipe payment type. The payment terminal may transmit the swipe mode processing indicator and electronic payment information to a payment server from a communication interface of the payment terminal, and may receive a payment approval response based on the swipe mode processing indicator.

Methods, apparatus and computer software are provided for authorizing an EMV transaction between a user device and a point of sale terminal, particularly, but not exclusively, in situations where a secure element is not made available for the deployment of a payment application on the user device. The payment application is instead deployed to a processing environment that is outside of any secure element on the user device. An ICC Master Key corresponding to the payment application is held by a trusted authority, such as the issuing bank. The trusted authority is adapted generate time-limited session keys on the basis of the ICC Master Key and distribute session keys to the payment application. Receipt of a session key by the payment application enables the payment application to conduct an EMV payment transaction. The session key is used to authorize a single EMV payment transaction.

One variation of a method for controlling a dynamic transaction card includes: at a first time, accessing a first cryptogram; at a second time, establishing a wireless connection with a mobile computing device; in response to establishing the wireless connection with the mobile computing device, accessing a first token associated with the first cryptogram from the mobile computing device via the wireless connection; generating a first magnetic stripe sequence command representing the first cryptogram and the first token; and in response to detecting a magnetic stripe card reader proximal a magnetic stripe emulator integrated into the dynamic transaction card at a third time succeeding the second time, driving the magnetic stripe emulator according to the first magnetic stripe sequence command.

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for chopping up a gift card/code into smaller multiple gift card/codes. The system receives a request from a user to convert a closed-loop card/code having a value amount into two different closed-loop cards/codes and divides (or chops up) the closed-loop card/code into a first closed-loop card/code having a first value amount and a second closed-loop card/code having a second value amount, wherein the first value amount and the second value amount add up to no more than the value amount. The system offers the first closed-loop card/code and the second closed-loop card/code to one of the user and a third party.

A method of validating and activating a purchase card includes providing a purchase card that is removably attached to a card carrier. The purchase card has an account identifier associated therewith and has a card indicium affixed thereto. The purchase card includes a machine-readable information encoding region into which the account identifier is encoded. The card carrier has a carrier indicium affixed thereto. The method includes populating a database with a stored card indicium that relates to the card indicium, a stored carrier indicium that relates to the carrier indicium, and a stored account identifier that relates to the account identifier, thereby uniquely coupling the account identifier to the card indicium. Activating the card by associating value to it includes comparing the information from the card indicium and the information from the carrier indicium with the stored card indicium and the stored carrier indicium.

One variation of a method for controlling a dynamic transaction card includes: at a first time, accessing a first cryptogram; at a second time, establishing a wireless connection with a mobile computing device; in response to establishing the wireless connection with the mobile computing device, accessing a first token associated with the first cryptogram from the mobile computing device via the wireless connection; generating a first magnetic stripe sequence command representing the first cryptogram and the first token; and in response to detecting a magnetic stripe card reader proximal a magnetic stripe emulator integrated into the dynamic transaction card at a third time succeeding the second time, driving the magnetic stripe emulator according to the first magnetic stripe sequence command.