Abstract: Proposed is a portable data carrier for use in a plurality of applications having a memory device containing at least one data field (21, 31) which can be accessed in several modes by applications realized in a card application device, and an access control device (15) for controlling the accesses to the data fields (21, 31). Each data field (21, 31) has a table (23, 24, 33, 34) assigned thereto which assigns an access right to each possible access mode. Each application accordingly has at least one access right assigned thereto. In the case of an access intent the access control device (15) checks whether the application intending the access has the access right necessary for the intended access.