System and method for instant issue of personalized financial transaction cards

Abstract

In a method for instantly issuing a personalized financial transaction card to a customer, a bank employee receives customer and card information a branch location, including a card PIN. The customer and card information is input into a data terminal and communicated across a network to a card services provider, where the PIN is entered into a PIN database. A reference number associated with the customer and a PIN offset is generated. The reference number is used to retrieve the PIN from the PIN database. The PIN is then used to apply calculations to the card file. The card file is securely sent from the card services provider across the network to the branch location. Using information from the card file, the financial transaction card is printed for the customer at the branch location.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for issuing a personalized financial transaction card from a financial institution to a customer in response to a customer request made from a branch location associated with the financial institution, wherein the customer request includes customer data associated with the customer and card data including a selected card personal identification number (PIN) to be associated with the financial transaction card, the method comprising:
 electronically receiving at a card services provider network, customer data and at least the PIN portion of the card data communicated across a data network from the branch location;   electronically entering the PIN received by the card services provider network into a PIN database;   storing at least some of the customer data and card data in an electronic card file associated with the customer;   using application software, retrieving the PIN from the PIN database;   using application software and the retrieved PIN to apply calculations to the electronic card file;   configuring the electronic card file for use in printing a personalized financial transaction card for a customer at the branch location; and   securely transmitting the configured electronic card file from the card services provider network across the data network to the branch location.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising electronically receiving a verification message sent from the financial institution when the financial transaction card has been successfully printed. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising electronically sending an error message to the branch location when the financial transaction card did not successfully print. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the electronic card file is stored at the branch location and the step of storing at least some of the customer data further comprises updating the electronic card file at the branch location. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising:
 after the electronic card file at the branch location is updated, electronically receiving a card issue request from the branch location and receiving it in a hardware security module (HSM) at the card services provider; and 
 in response to receiving the card issue request, using the HSM to retrieve the PIN from the PIN database and to apply calculations to data in the card file. 
 
     
     
         6 . A system for instant issue of financial transaction cards in response to card requests made by customers at one or more branch locations associated with a financial institution, wherein the card requests include customer information associated with the customer and card information including a selected card personal identification number (PIN) to be associated with a financial transaction card, wherein there is at least one branch data terminal at each branch location that is effective to receive customer information and at least the PIN portion of card information associated with a card request and to transmit the customer information and at least the PIN portion of the card information to a card services provider network via a secure data communications link, and wherein there is at least one branch card printer network at a branch location that is responsive to card print commands, the branch card printer network including at least one card printer, the system comprising:
 a card services provider network functionally coupled via a secure data communications link to the branch data terminals and to the branch card printer networks;   the card services provider network comprises
 a PIN database effective to receive and securely store PINs transmitted by branch data terminals, 
 PIN application software effective to generate reference numbers associated with card requests using customer PINs stored in the PIN database, 
   card file application software effective to
 create an electronic card file associated with a card request, 
 update the electronic card file using the reference number, and 
 configure the electronic card files for use in printing personalized financial transaction cards for customers present at branch locations; and 
   card print application software effective to securely transmit card print commands and card files associated with card requests to branch card printer networks at branch locations.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6  further comprising:
 a system web service coupled to the branch data terminals and to the branch card printer networks; 
 a perimeter network coupled to the card services provider network; and 
 wherein the branch data terminals and the branch card printer networks securely communicate with the card services provider network through the system web service and the perimeter network. 
 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7  further comprising a virtual private network (VPN) functionally coupled to the perimeter network and to the card services provider network and wherein the VPN includes at least one security appliance and is effective to provide encrypted data communications between the system web service and the perimeter network. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the card services provider network includes a hardware-host security module (HSM) effective to provide a secure functional environment for the PIN application software and the card file application software. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the branch card printer networks at branch locations each further comprise a security appliance functionally coupled to the card printer. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the card services provider network is effective to receive card print job verification messages from branch card printer networks at branch locations, the print job verification message confirming that financial transaction cards printed at the branch locations in response to receiving print commands are ready for use by the customers. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein:
 the card services provider network further comprises a card services provider print server hosting the card print application software, 
 the card services provider print server is effective to receive card print job success and failure messages electronically communicated from branch card printer networks at branch locations; and 
 the card services provider network is further effective to communicate card print success and failure information to the branch data terminal at the branch location from which a corresponding card print job success or failure message was communicated to the card services provider print server. 
 
     
     
         13 . A system for processing of a card request made by a customer at a branch location associated with a financial institution, wherein the card request includes customer information, card information including a selected card personal identification number (PIN), and a requirement that the card be instantly issued while the customer is present in the branch location, the system comprising:
 a first card services provider network comprising
 an instant issue server network including a first application server network, 
 an instant issue card personalization network coupled to the instant issue server network, 
 an instant issue web service perimeter network coupled to the instant issue server network, and 
 an instant issue print perimeter network coupled to the instant issue server network, the instant issue print perimeter network including a print server; 
   a second card services provider network comprising
 a second application server, 
 a file server, 
 a database server, and 
 a database coupled to the database server, 
   the instant issue web service perimeter network is effective to receive a card request from the branch location and to communicate the card request to the first application server;   in response to receiving a card request from the branch location via the instant issue web service perimeter network, the first application server is effective to communicate card data requests to the second application server;   the database server is effective to securely store a PIN associated with a card request in the database;   in response to receiving a card data request, the second application server, the database server and the file server are effective to communicate card cryptographic data, card image information, card image data, and card magnetic stripe data to the first application server;   in response to receiving the card cryptographic data, the first application server is effective to communicate the card cryptographic data to the instant issue card personalization network and to retrieve card security data from the instant issue card personalization network;   in response to receiving the card image information, the card image data, the card magnetic stripe data, and the card security data, the first application server is effective to communicate a card print job to the print server;   in response to receiving a card print job, the print server is effective to transmit the card print job to the branch location.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13  further comprising:
 a first security appliance coupling the instant issue server network to the instant issue print perimeter network; 
 a second security appliance coupling the instant issue card personalization network to the instant issue server network; and 
 a third security appliance coupling the instant issue server network to the instant issue web service perimeter network. 
 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14  wherein the instant issue card personalization network comprises a hardware-host security module.