Credit Card eZine - News and Articles about Credit Cards

Next-generation Credit Cards

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

While cardholders are still cautious about making their credit card deals online, credit card issuers and scientists rack their brains to invent something unattainable to identity thieves. It must be said that existing protection measures have their advantages and disadvantages for credit users. Very often, cardholders prefer convenience rather than safety of their credit card deals. Up-to-the-minute technologies allow cardholders to enjoy both. Take advantage of your credit deals and forget about fraudsters! It sounds incredible, but it's true.

Have you ever thought that an authentication device may be embedded in your small plastic? It's something that one can only dream about. But it's not a dream, it's reality! Next-generation credit cards will be equipped with a microprocessor, a twelve-button keyboard with buzzers, and an alphanumeric display, so that your small credit card will have big opportunities.

This device can be used for online, phone, and ATM transactions. So, you may feel quite safe before making credit card deals. The question is, how does this device provide you security and protection?

With the help of the card's keyboard, a cardholder enters a secret PIN code. After that he or she receives a so-called OTP (one-time passcode). This passcode will be validated by an authentication server to permit a banking transaction. It must be said that the firmware inside this card will generate different OTPs for transactions made via web, email, or phone, respectively. For this purpose, you can use the card's menu that has 'mode' buttons.

In other words, you simply don't have to enter your PIN into some device that may be unsecured. For example, web browsers that provide no credit card safety for users. This device will protect its users from physical theft as well. Even if a thief stoles your card, this card is useless without a secret PIN.

From time to time, we come across numerous cases of fraudulent activity. Identity thieves appear to be rather sophisticated criminals, and the biggest problem is that it's next to impossible to catch them. Meantime, credit card companies and other financial institutions lose billions of dollars because of credit fraudsters.

This breakthrough device was developed by Innovative Card Technologies jointly with eMue Technologies. It combines the latest authentication technologies and capabilities of a credit card. It's really unparalleled in its ability to eliminate threats of online fraudulent activities.

Credit Card Embedded Authentication Device has become a winner of the prestigious Tomorrow's Technology Today Award. This October, it has won two awards at ICMA's Annual Card Manufacturing and Personalization Expo in San Diego. The professionals acknowledge the fact that this invention will have extremely popular in the nearest future.

By all means, this new-generation credit card is a good chance to protect your best credit card deals from identity thieves. Those cardholders, who make online purchases on a regular basis, will obviously find this device very helpful.

Perhaps, the most striking characteristic of this card is that developers did manage to squeeze the authentication device in the form of a small plastic card. Thus, credit customers may carry this unique device in their wallets and feel safe about their credit card deals.