Abstract: A method of validating and activating a purchase card includes providing a purchase card that is removably attached to a card carrier. The purchase card has an account identifier associated therewith and has a card indicium affixed thereto. The purchase card includes a machine-readable information encoding region into which the account identifier is encoded. The card carrier has a carrier indicium affixed thereto. The method includes populating a database with a stored card indicium that relates to the card indicium, a stored carrier indicium that relates to the carrier indicium, and a stored account identifier that relates to the account identifier, thereby uniquely coupling the account identifier to the card indicium. Activating the card by associating value to it includes comparing the information from the card indicium and the information from the carrier indicium with the stored card indicium and the stored carrier indicium.

Abstract: A method of validating and activating a purchase card includes providing a purchase card that is removably attached to a card carrier. The purchase card has an account identifier associated therewith and has a card indicium affixed thereto. The purchase card includes a machine-readable information encoding region into which the account identifier is encoded. The card carrier has a carrier indicium affixed thereto. The method includes populating a database with a stored card indicium that relates to the card indicium, a stored carrier indicium that relates to the carrier indicium, and a stored account identifier that relates to the account identifier, thereby uniquely coupling the account identifier to the card indicium. Activating the card by associating value to it includes comparing the information from the card indicium and the information from the carrier indicium with the stored card indicium and the stored carrier indicium.

Abstract: A method of validating and activating a purchase card includes providing a purchase card that is removably attached to a card carrier. The purchase card has an account identifier associated therewith and has a card indicium affixed thereto. The purchase card includes a machine-readable information encoding region into which the account identifier is encoded. The card carrier has a carrier indicium affixed thereto. The method includes populating a database with a stored card indicium that relates to the card indicium, a stored carrier indicium that relates to the carrier indicium, and a stored account identifier that relates to the account identifier, thereby uniquely coupling the account identifier to the card indicium. Activating the card by associating value to it includes comparing the information from the card indicium and the information from the carrier indicium with the stored card indicium and the stored carrier indicium.

Abstract: A method of validating and activating a purchase card includes providing a purchase card that is removably attached to a card carrier. The purchase card has an account identifier associated therewith and has a card indicium affixed thereto. The purchase card includes a machine-readable information encoding region into which the account identifier is encoded. The card carrier has a carrier indicium affixed thereto. The method includes populating a database with a stored card indicium that relates to the card indicium, a stored carrier indicium that relates to the carrier indicium, and a stored account identifier that relates to the account identifier, thereby uniquely coupling the account identifier to the card indicium.

Abstract: A method of validating and activating a purchase card includes providing a purchase card that is removably attached to a card carrier, wherein the purchase card has an account identifier associated therewith and has a card indicium affixed thereto, wherein the purchase card includes a machine-readable information encoding region into which the account identifier is encoded, and wherein the card carrier has a carrier indicium affixed thereto; populating a database with a stored card indicium that relates to the card indicium, a stored carrier indicium that relates to the carrier indicium, and a stored account identifier that relates to the account identifier, thereby uniquely coupling the account identifier to the card indicium; at a point-of-sale device and in response to a customer request to purchase the purchase card, entering information from the card indicium into the point-of-sale device; at the point-of-sale device, entering information from the carrier indicium into the point-of-sale device; comparing

Abstract: A method of validating and activating a purchase card includes providing a purchase card that is removably attached to a card carrier, wherein the purchase card has an account identifier associated therewith and has a card indicium affixed thereto, wherein the purchase card includes a machine-readable information encoding region into which the account identifier is encoded, and wherein the card carrier has a carrier indicium affixed thereto; populating a database with a stored card indicium that relates to the card indicium, a stored carrier indicium that relates to the carrier indicium, and a stored account identifier that relates to the account identifier, thereby uniquely coupling the account identifier to the card indicium; at a point-of-sale device and in response to a customer request to purchase the purchase card, entering information from the card indicium into the point-of-sale device; at the point-of-sale device, entering information from the carrier indicium into the point-of-sale device; comparing

Abstract: Systems and methods for converting a digital input data stream from a first sample rate to a second, fixed sample rate using a combination of hardware and software components. In one embodiment, a system includes a rate estimator configured to estimate the sample rate of an input data stream, a phase selection unit configured to select a phase for interpolation of a set of polyphase filter coefficients based on the estimated sample rate, a coefficient interpolator configured to interpolate the filter coefficients based on the selected phase, and a convolution unit configured to convolve the interpolated filter coefficients with samples of the input data stream to produce samples of a re-sampled output data stream. One or more hardware or software components are shared between multiple channels that can process data streams having independently variable sample rates.