Abstract: A wallet card package having a wallet card secured to a panel. The panel includes a card flap that is pivotal about a fold line. The card is secured to and carried by the card flap so that the package is selectively movable from a closed position in which an magnetic strip on the card is covered and an open position in which the card is swung out from the panel while remaining secured to the card flap such that the magnetic strip is exposed for activation purposes. The card may be disposed between a pair of panels, with the front panel defining an opening permitting viewing of the front surface of the card and the rear panel including a cover flap that covers the magnetic strip when the package is in the closed position.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a method of activating a metered account that is associated with a personal identification number, where the personal identification number is affixed to a card and the metered account is activated at the time of sale of the card, and an apparatus comprising a package adapted for holding the card so that the method of the present invention can be practiced. The card includes an exposed data-encoded strip and the card preferably has a personal identification number thereon. The package includes a first panel and a retainer that secures the card to the first panel so that, when the card is secured to the panel, at least a portion of the data-encoded strip is exposed and laterally displaced remote from the panel. The data-encoded strip is encoded with a control number that is associated with the metered account. When the card is purchased, the control number is read from the data-encoded strip while the card is secured to the first panel, and the metered account is activated.