Abstract: A chip card has a chip module, wherein the surface of the chip module contains electrically conducting contact surfaces that are arranged to be aesthetically integrated into the layout of the chip card.

Abstract: The invention is a method of producing a chip module for use with a smart card. The chip module is mounted in the smart card and has contacts for communicating with external appliances. The contacts of the chip module include at least two layers which are acted upon by a laser beam to fuse the at least two layers forming an alloy. The alloy forms a pattern of visible information on the contacts.

Abstract: A plastic card includes a minichip card separably held in a carrier card. First and second separate and discrete breaking regions connect the minichip card to the carrier card along an outer contour of the minichip card. A gap separates a remainder of the outer contour of the minichip card from the carrier card. A breaking line on the carrier card, which has a higher flexibility than the rest of the carrier card, is interrupted by the gap and is closer to the first breaking region than to the second breaking region. When the carrier card is bent along the breaking line, the first breaking region separates, thereby leaving the minichip card attached to the carrier card by the second breaking region only. To fully separate the minichip card from the carrier, the minichip card is pivoted relative to the carrier card along the second breaking region until the second breaking region separates.