Abstract: A contactless financial transaction card includes a plastic inlay having first and second substantially planar surfaces bounded by a continuous peripheral edge. An integrated circuit carried by the inlay stores card-specific data. An antenna carried by the inlay is operatively connected to the integrated circuit. The foil layer provides the financial transaction card with a decorative metallic reflective appearance and is constructed to permit the antenna to inductively couple with the card reader within the maximum coupling distance. Printed graphics or text may be disposed on or above the metallic foil layer. The card is constructed to inductively couple with a card reader that is spaced from the card in order to support limited-range wireless communication between the card and the card reader up to a maximum coupling distance, beyond which it will not couple.

Abstract: A contactless financial transaction card includes a plastic inlay having first and second substantially planar surfaces bounded by a continuous peripheral edge. An integrated circuit carried by the inlay stores card-specific data. An antenna carried by the inlay is operatively connected to the integrated circuit. The foil layer provides the financial transaction card with a decorative metallic reflective appearance and is constructed to permit the antenna to inductively couple with the card reader within the maximum coupling distance. Printed graphics or text may be disposed on or above the metallic foil layer. The card is constructed to inductively couple with a card reader that is spaced from the card in order to support limited-range wireless communication between the card and the card reader up to a maximum coupling distance, beyond which it will not couple.

Abstract: A financial transaction card having first and second thermoplastic material sheets each having first and second substantially planar surfaces bounded by a continuous peripheral edge. A fabric material sheet disposed between said first and second thermoplastic material sheets. At least one of the thermoplastic material sheets has a viewing area covering the fabric material sheet that is sufficiently transparent or translucent to human visible light to allow the fabric material sheet to be viewed through the viewing area, whereby the fabric material sheet imparts a visual effect to the card. A machine readable financial information storage or reference device is also provided for storing or referencing card user financial information.

Abstract: A financial transaction card is transparent or translucent to human viewing yet detectable by automated card processing equipment. The card includes a substantially planar material sheet having upper and lower surfaces bounded by a continuous peripheral edge. The material sheet has one or more areas that are at least minimally transparent or translucent to human viewing. A filter associated with at least one of the areas provides sufficient opacity to light used by card sensors in the automated card processing equipment to render the card detectable.

Abstract: A method and a product produced by such method wherein improvement is made in the readability of a financial transaction card having poor edge contrast by an automated card processing system equipped with a card edge scanner. An edge of the card to be scanned by the edge scanner is first selected. A core section, a front overlay section, and a rear overlay section of the selected card edge are then identified. A contrast enhancer is provided on the core section between the front and rear overlay sections. The contrast enhancer is formed such that it contrasts well with the front and rear overlay sections to render the card processible by the processing system.

Abstract: A financial transaction card is transparent or translucent to human viewing yet detectable by automated card processing equipment. The card includes a substantially planar material sheet having upper and lower surfaces bounded by a continuous peripheral edge. The material sheet has one or more areas that are at least minimally transparent or translucent with respect to human-visible light. A filter associated with at least one of the areas provides sufficient opacity to light that is detectable by sensors in the automated card processing equipment to render the card detectable by the equipment.

Abstract: A financial transaction card is transparent or translucent to human viewing yet detectable by automated card processing equipment. The card includes a substantially planar material sheet having upper and lower surfaces bounded by a continuous peripheral edge. The material sheet has one or more areas that are at least minimally transparent or translucent with respect to human-visible light. A filter associated with at least one of the areas provides sufficient opacity to light that is detectable by sensors in the automated card processing equipment to render the card detectable by the equipment.

Abstract: A job control system for manufacturing laminated printed plastic cards includes a cutting apparatus for cutting job number encoded sheets of plastic card stock. Associated with the cutting apparatus is a scanning device for scanning sheets of the plastic card stock that have been loaded in the cutting apparatus and for producing a scanner output containing the job number encodation. A control system is responsive to the scanner output and to an input job control signal for disabling the cutting apparatus from cutting the sheets of plastic card stock loaded therein unless the sheets of plastic card stock conform to a predetermined job specification.