Alternative Identification Payment Card Generation System
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing payment card creation and distribution process is vulnerable to account number compromise due to the reliance on the payment card number for identification, which can be reversed engineered, leading to security issues and fraud.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for generating alternative identification payment cards that includes storing payment account numbers, generating alternative identification numbers comprising a program identifier, unique identifier, and check value, and transmitting these for printing, allowing secure identification and processing without exposing the account number.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the payment card number is used as the only means of identification during creation and distribution, then the card can be fully identified and tracked, but the account number becomes vulnerable to compromise and reverse engineering
Solution Approach 1:
The identification function is segmented into two separate identifiers: the original payment card number ( retained for transaction processing) and a new alternative identification number (used for card lifecycle management). This segmentation allows the system to use different identifiers for different purposes, protecting the account number while maintaining full identification capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The alternative identification number serves as an intermediary between the payment card infrastructure and external systems. It mediates all card lifecycle operations (printing, distribution, activation, deactivation) without exposing the actual account number, thus protecting the sensitive financial information while enabling full card management functionality.
2Ease of operation
If the account number is exposed during printing and distribution processes, then card management operations can be performed, but the risk of fraud and compromise increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful element (account number exposure risk) is extracted from the card distribution process by removing the necessity of using the account number for identification. The alternative identification number is used exclusively for operational purposes, separating the sensitive financial data from the operational workflow and eliminating the security vulnerability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system proactively prevents potential fraud by implementing the alternative identification number before any distribution risks can materialize. This preliminary protective measure ensures that even if cards are intercepted or mishandled during distribution, the exposed identifier cannot be used for fraudulent transactions since it lacks the financial account linkage.
3Reliability
If alternative identification numbers are generated and used, then security against reverse engineering is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The alternative identification number is designed to be universal across all card lifecycle operations. A single identifier structure handles printing, distribution, activation, deactivation, and tracking functions that would otherwise require multiple different systems or processes. This multi-functionality reduces operational complexity despite adding a new identifier type.
Solution Approach 2:
The alternative identification number follows the same structural format and validation rules (such as Luhn algorithm) as traditional payment card numbers. This copying of the established identifier structure allows existing systems to process the alternative identifier without major modifications, reducing implementation complexity while maintaining security benefits.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for generating alternative identification payment cards includes: storing, in a database, a plurality of payment account numbers, wherein each payment account number is associated with a payment account; generating, by a processing device, an alternative identification number for each payment account number of the plurality of payment account numbers, wherein the alternative identification number includes at least a program identifier, a unique identifier, and a check value; generating, by the processing device, a data file including each payment account number of the plurality of payment account numbers and the generated alternative identification number for each respective payment account number; and transmitting, by a transmitting device, the generated data file for printing a plurality of payment cards.