A bank card is a payment method when paying for various goods and services. A plastic bank card provides its owner with the opportunity to withdraw cash from ATMs, pay for purchases, purchase train (air) tickets, book hotel rooms and carry out a number of other transactions. necessary payments. Having a plastic bank card, its owner does not declare the funds on it when traveling abroad, and also promptly manages and controls all transactions carried out using a plastic bank card.
- payment (debit) card;
- card with permitted overdraft;
- credit card;
- prepaid card;
- local card (map of local payment systems);
- international card (card of international payment systems);
- virtual card.
Payment (debit) card
A debit (payment) card is intended for carrying out financial transactions by its owner within the limits of available Money, which are in a bank account, but not more than the established limits.
Payment (debit) cards do not require extensive identity verification and examination credit history card holder, which significantly helps to simplify the registration process and significantly reduces the cost of service. Sometimes interest is charged on the cash balance ( this condition negotiated with the bank when signing the agreement), as on a standard deposit.
Card with overdraft allowed
This type bank cards is a continuation of debit cards (an improved version). Many types of bank cards allow customers to borrow funds if they are overdraft cards. The amount of the overdraft loan is initially agreed upon when signing the agreement and opening the account. The overdraft amount cannot exceed the established (fixed) amount.
Credit card
Credit cards are intended for its owner to make payments that are carried out using borrowed funds, that is, funds provided to the client by the issuing bank within a certain limit established in accordance with the terms of the loan agreement. The limit is set by the bank based on the borrower’s solvency. Typically, interest is charged on the balance, but it is much lower than on debit cards with overdrafts allowed.
Credit cards are gradually being replaced consumer loans and loans issued for emergency needs. The main advantage of a credit card over loans is the possibility of misuse of borrowed funds. Credit cards are repaid evenly, and after the debt is repaid, the bank renews the credit line.
Prepaid card
These types of bank plastic cards are intended for the owner to make payments using funds from the issuing bank on his own behalf. The creditor confirms the right of claim of the owner of a prepaid card to the issuing bank when paying for various goods (services, works, results of intellectual property), as well as issuing cash.
Many Russian banks (including some types of Sberbank bank cards) have issued prepaid and gift cards. Gift card is called a prepaid card, which gives the owner the opportunity to receive goods (services) for the specified amount of the card. These cards are usually used as a gift instead of a traditional cash or “material” gift.
Local card (map of local payment systems)
The local card can only be used at the issuing lender's point-of-sale terminals, ATMs, and retail networks, where the terminals of this creditor bank are located. One of the striking examples of a local payment system card is a microprocessor a plastic card from Sberbank of Russia (Sbercard).
It should be noted that such cards are not accepted by ATMs and terminals of third-party banks. Payment for goods using Russian local cards in online stores is also not yet available.
International card (card of international payment systems)
These types of bank plastic cards are used in international payment systems. Particularly popular and accessible in the world are MasterCard cards(including MasterCard Cirrus and MasterCard Standard) and
Plastic bank cards have long become a part of everyone’s life. modern man. And there are a number of reasons for this. Some - a salary, others - a scholarship or financial assistance receives on bank cards.
Types of bank cards, conditions for opening them, using them, methods of closing them, as well as the history of this financial product you can find out by reading this article. The most popular ones will also be given international systems, engaged in the issuance and support of plastic cards.
Origin and further history of development
Let's look at plastic cards, starting from the moment when the first ones began to appear bank cards.
Before the trade boom in America in the fifties of the last century, as throughout the world, money was used in two forms: cash and non-cash.
If everything is clear with the first form, then let’s focus our attention on the second.
Non-cash money then consisted of checks and check books. The modern user of a plastic card understands all the negative aspects of using a checkbook:
Possibility of counterfeiting;
Long processing time for each operation;
You should always carry a paper receipt with you, which can easily be damaged.
During that same American trading boom, when the number of trade transactions multiplied several times, the need to have a means that would be more reliable than checks became very acute.
The choice should depend on your needs
Knowing all the listed features of the cards, you can easily choose the one that suits you. The most important thing is to correctly identify your needs. For example, why do you need a “credit card” if you are a wealthy person, as well as a “Kukuruza” card if you do not use the services of “Euroset” or its partners?
Also keep in mind: the higher the class of the card, the more expensive its maintenance will cost you. If you are a student then gold card You obviously don't need it. And if you travel abroad frequently and have a fairly large turnover of personal funds, you cannot do without a platinum bank card, taking into account all the services that will be available to you.
Bank card- a tool that allows you to access your personal account in the bank. This type of account is called a special account. card account(SKS). It is opened by the bank to reflect all transactions performed by the client using a bank card. Cards will not have their own special card account only if the bank has all plastic cards of the same type “linked” to a single account, or if the card is prepaid.
Bank cards are used for non-cash payments, including via the Internet, as well as for withdrawing cash or replenishing an account through an ATM or cash point. They are also sometimes called credit cards or credit cards, but this generic name is misleading since cards can be either credit or debit.
The type of card, credit or debit, is determined by the account to which it is attached, or which is the main account for the card. A card can be attached to several accounts at once (such cards are called multi-currency cards) and, conversely, several cards can be attached to one account. Some credit organizations enable their clients to replace their main card account with another card account of theirs opened with the same bank.
The card can be issued as material medium, and in in electronic format(virtual card).
Any image may be printed on the front side of the card. IN mandatory The card contains its number and expiration date. If the card is issued on a physical medium, then the name of the bank, the logo of the payment system and the name of the holder (not always) are also applied to it. On back side There is a magnetic strip and a paper strip for the holder's signature. Cards of some categories indicate the code CVV2 or CVC2.
A bank card can simultaneously use a number of technologies and work in several payment systems at once. For example, the card has the logo of the Mastercard and Cirrus payment systems, or the card has a magnetic stripe, a chip and is equipped contactless technology Mastercard.
Plastic, banking, payment, club, discount, identification, embossed, non-embossed, credit, debit, ATM, magnetic, smart, individual, corporate, family, VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Diner Club, standard, gold, electronic - these and You can find many other words in combinations with the words map and card. Let's try to understand all this variety of types of cards and cards.
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Discount plastic cards |
Club plastic cards |
Insurance plastic cards |
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Gift plastic cards |
Bank plastic cards |
Identification plastic cards |
Family plastic cards |
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So, all these types of cards refer to plastic cards. They are made from a special plastic, and the vast majority of these cards are a standard size of 2.125" x 3.375" (approximately 53.9 x 85.6 mm) and 0.039 (~0.76 mm) thick.
Classify plastic cards possible based on a number of parameters. One of the main parameters is special purpose cards. Plastic cards can be divided into bank cards (sometimes called payment cards), identification cards, club cards and discount cards.
Types of plastic cards
Bank cards
Bank cards are designed for non-cash payment for goods and services by the cardholder, as well as for him to receive cash from his bank account at special ATMs almost anywhere in the world. This type of cards is of the greatest interest, since these cards are mainly used both for making purchases on the Internet and in offline trading.
The following information is usually located on a bank plastic card:
On the front side of the card is the owner's name, card number, card expiration date, logo of the card issuing bank, logo of the payment system. On some cards, a halogram is applied as one of the means of protection against counterfeiting.
on back side The card contains a place for the cardholder's signature, a magnetic stripe, sometimes a photograph of the owner and logos of ATM networks where the card can be cashed out.
The card number consists of 16 digits: the first six are the code of the issuing bank; the next nine are bank number cards (card account number); the last digit is the control digit.
According to their functional characteristics, bank cards are divided into credit and debit.
Credit card allows its owner to receive a certain credit when paying for goods or services, the cost of which is higher than the balance in the bank account linked to the card (card account). The issued loan must be repaid within a certain period. Repayment of the loan can occur from a security deposit, which is made by the client when opening a card account with the bank, or by crediting the account with money deposited by the card owner in cash or through money transfer. Thus, a credit card is a card that allows its owner, when making any purchase, to defer its payment by obtaining a loan from the bank.
Debit cards(For external parameters, see discount card) are intended for immediate payment for goods, works and services by direct debiting of funds from the cardholder's current account to the account of his creditor within the amount available there. In this case, if there are insufficient funds, the bank will not make payments, since the limit entered when opening an account cannot be reduced, and the bank did not assume any obligations to lend to the client.
Both credit and debit cards can be individual or corporate. Individual cards (Customer cards) only individuals, corporate - only for companies (organizations). The corporate card is linked to the company account and can only be issued to a company employee. Such a card can be limited by the company and then the cardholder is given a limit on the use of funds from the company account. If a limit is not set, the cardholder can dispose of the entire amount in the company account (linked to this card).
As part of the classification of cards into individual and corporate, family cards can be distinguished as a separate type. They are issued as individual cards only to individuals, but also as individual corporate cards can be issued for each family member of the card account owner. At the same time, a limit on the use of funds is usually set for credit cards of family members.
Bank cards can also be divided by payment systems or card associations (Card Associations) within which the cards are serviced. The most common cards in the world are the following largest systems: VISA, EuroCard/MasterCard and American Express (AMEX). One card can be supported and serviced by only one payment system.
Please note that some payment systems can only issue cards of a certain type. For example, American Express and Diners Club issue only credit cards, while other lesser-known systems (especially those that operate only within one country) do not risk being associated with credit cards and issue only debit cards. World leaders VISA and EuroCard/MasterCard issue and support both credit and debit cards.
Features of credit cards different systems as dividing them into classes.
VISA has two main classes - Classic and Gold. MasterCard - Standard and Gold, American Express - Mass and Gold. Choice credit card of one class or another significantly affects the amount of the security deposit made upon receipt of the card. Otherwise, the difference between the classes mainly comes down to a matter of prestige. In addition to the main classes, cards of Platinum, Silver, Basic and a number of others classes can also be issued. Corporate cards are a special type of cards. Moreover, in Lately Such cards began to be divided into Business cards (cards for small businesses) and Corporate cards directly.
Within each of these classes, cards can be further divided into a number of subclasses. More details about this division and the difference between one or another class or subclass of cards can be read directly on the websites of card issuing companies.
Another type of cards issued within payment systems is electronic cards. Such cards are available in many payment systems. In VISA, for example, this is VISA Electron, in MasterCard - Maestro. As already noted, such cards are not embossed and are intended for electronic use only. With this card you can get cash from ATMs, and you can pay for goods and services only at retail outlets equipped with special electronic terminals. There are electronic cards that are intended only for receiving cash from ATMs, for example, the Cirrus card in the MasterCard system.
And in conclusion, let’s figure out what ATM cards mean. ATM is an abbreviation from English Automatic Teller Machine (sometimes also called Automatic Banking Machine (ABM) or Payment Banking Machine (PBM)) that is, an ATM. All bank cards, with rare exceptions, can be called ATM cards, since they are all serviced by ATMs and you can use them to get cash.
Insurance plastic cards
Insurance cards - this plastic card is an alternative to paper insurance policy. For these purposes, cards with a barcode or microcircuit (chip) are used. The insurance card may contain various information: policy number, insurance program, insurance period, individual information of the owner. The map may indicate necessary information about actions insured event. In addition, such a plastic card may also have the properties of a discount card, i.e. provide the opportunity to receive discounts in a network of controlled companies.
Plastic insurance cards are more modern and durable custodians of information about the owner of the insurance policy.
Insurance cards can also be divided into categories according to the level of service.
Advertising cards
This type of plastic cards is used for advertising purposes. The advertising plastic card acts as the face of the company. Personal business cards and branded calendars made on plastic look much more expensive and richer than on paper and can serve as both advertising and a pleasant souvenir. Such plastic cards can be used for local advertising purposes, for example at exhibitions. Advertising cards are becoming more and more effective advertising of their goods and services
Club cards
Club cards are essentially an ordinary plastic card, but with a specific focus.
Club cards - the name speaks for itself, and is a document certifying a person’s membership in any club that unites people of interest. Club cards can give a person various benefits and privileges. In some prestigious clubs, the club card gives the right to unhindered and free entry and even free lunches. This is like the rules of a casino, thus attracting wealthy clients. Usually club cards are divided into classes and determine the status of the client; club VIP cards denomination, which is why information about status is often hidden so as not to offend other club members, and sometimes vice versa, so that all clients strive for a more prestigious denomination.
The more prestigious the club, the more expensive the club cards. The card should look elegant, beautiful, and sometimes protected from counterfeiting, and stand out from other plastic cards. That is why, by design, club cards should perform at a high level.
Typically, club cards carry some information (open or hidden) about its owner, it can also be a pass, identification card, discount card etc. Often club cards must contain at least one type of personalization, this can be: embossing with coloring, magnetic stripe, magnetic stripe encoding, custom data printing, signature stripe, foil stamping, sublimation.
Microprocessor cards
They open up fundamentally new possibilities, since they have their own internal logic and are actually microcomputers.
A specialized operating system is built into the card, providing a wide range of service operations and security features.
The operating system of the card supports a file system that provides access control to information. For information stored in any record (file, group of files, directory), the following access modes can be set:
always read/write. This mode allows reading/writing information without knowing special secret codes;
readable, but requires special write permissions. This mode allows free reading of information, but allows writing only after presenting a special secret code;
special read/write permissions. This mode allows read or write access after presenting a special secret code, and the codes for reading and writing may be different;
not available. This mode does not allow reading or writing information. The information is available only to internal card programs. Typically this mode is set for records containing cryptographic keys.
As a rule, such cards have built-in cryptographic tools that provide encryption of information and the generation of a “digital” signature. Traditionally, cards use a cryptographic algorithm for these purposes. In addition, the card contains tools for maintaining the key system.
The cards provide a different range of service commands. For banking purposes, the most interesting of them are means of conducting electronic payments.
Special means include the ability to block work with the card. There are two types of blocking: upon presentation of an incorrect transport code and in case of unauthorized access.
The essence of transport blocking is that access to the card is impossible without presenting a special “transport” code. This mechanism is necessary to protect against the illegal use of cards due to theft during the transfer of the card from the manufacturer to the consumer. The card can only be activated upon presentation of the correct "transport" code.
The essence of blocking in case of unauthorized access is that if, when accessing information, the access code was incorrectly presented several times, then the card ceases to be operational at all. Moreover, depending on the set mode, the card can subsequently either be activated upon presentation of a special code, or not. In the latter case, the card becomes unsuitable for further use.
plastic cards with microchips have a higher degree of protection against fraud and counterfeiting.
Despite the obvious advantages, smart cards have so far had limited use due to the fact that such a card is an order of magnitude more expensive than a card with a magnetic stripe. Only in last years when the damage from fraud with magnetic cards in international payment systems has become alarmingly high and continues to grow, banks decided to gradually switch to smart cards.
Smart cards
Let's consider the typology of smart cards. Depending on the internal device and the functions they perform, experts divide smart cards into two types: memory cards and microprocessor cards.
Smart cards
This is a plastic card with a microprocessor built into it, which allows you to perform operations with the data stored in the card. These cards have their own operating system, which provides a set of memory management features, services, and security features. The huge development trend of Smart Cards in Everyday life, in access control systems, anti-theft protection, automation of various processes, logistics. Intelligent contactless plastic smart cards are: electronic wallets, time tracking at the workplace and much more. Smart cards are significantly superior to conventional magnetic cards in their operational and information characteristics and information security. Smart cards work in real time. Carrying out a transaction using a smart card only requires the owner to enter a personal PIN code. This password is written on the card itself, which means it does not require access to authorization centers
Super smart cards. An example is the Toshiba multipurpose card used in the Visa system. In addition to all the features of a regular microprocessor card, this card also has a small display and an auxiliary keyboard for data entry. This card combines credit, debit and prepaid cards, and also performs the functions of a clock, calendar, calculator, currency conversion, and can serve a notebook, etc. Due to their high cost, supersmart cards are not widely used today, but their use is likely to grow.
In 1981, J. Drexler invented the optical card. Optical memory cards have a larger capacity than memory cards, but data can only be written to them once. Such cards use WORM technology (write once - read many times). Recording and reading information from such a card is carried out by special equipment using a laser (hence the other name - laser card). The technology used in the cards is similar to that used in laser discs. The main advantage of such cards is the ability to store large amounts of information. Such cards have not yet become widespread in banking technologies due to the high cost of both the cards themselves and the reading equipment.
Memory cards
Cards with unprotected memory have no restrictions on reading or writing data. They are sometimes called full/available memory cards. You can arbitrarily structure the card at the logical level, treating its memory as a set of bytes that can be copied into RAM or updated with special commands.
It is extremely dangerous to use cards with an unprotected memory as payment cards. It is enough to purchase such a card legally, copy its memory to a disk, and then after each purchase restore the memory by copying the initial state of the data from the disk, i.e., encrypting the data in the card’s memory does not protect against fraud of this kind. Practice shows that in Russia there are enough people capable of such an occupation.
Secure memory cards use a special mechanism to allow read/write or erase information. To carry out these operations, you must present a special card to the card. secret code(and sometimes more than one). Presenting the code means establishing a connection with her and transferring the code “inside” the card. The code itself will compare the code with the read/write (erase) data protection key and “report” this to the smart card reader/writer. It is not possible to read the security keys stored in the card's memory or copy the card's memory. At the same time, knowing the secret code(s), you can read or write data organized in the most logical manner for the payment system. Thus, secure memory cards are suitable for universal payment applications, are well protected and are also inexpensive. Thus, the price of the CPM896 card is no more than $4 for circulations over 5 thousand copies.
Typically, secure memory cards contain an area in which identification data is recorded. This data cannot be changed subsequently, which is very important to ensure that the card cannot be forged. For this purpose, the identification data on the card is “burned”.
It is also necessary that payment card there were at least two protected areas. It has already been noted that the technology of non-cash payments using cards usually involves three legally independent entities: the client, the bank and the store. The bank deposits money onto the card (credits it), the store withdraws money from the card (debits it), and all these transactions must be carried out with the approval of the client. Thus, access to data on the card and operations on it must be differentiated. This is achieved by dividing the card's memory into two areas protected by different keys - debit and credit. Each participant in the operation has his own secret key.
Correct presentation of the PIN code allows access to the card (by reading the data), but should not change the information held by the card creditor (bank) or its debtor (store). Only the bank has the key to record information in the credit area of the card; the key for recording information in the debit area is at the store. Only upon presentation of two keys at once (client PIN code and bank key when lending, client PIN code and store key when debiting) can you carry out the corresponding financial transaction- deposit money or write off the purchase amount from the card.
If plastic cards with one protected memory area are used as payment cards, this means that the bank and the store will work with the same area, using the same protection keys. If the bank, as the issuer of the card, can debit it (for example, at ATMs), then the store does not have the right to credit the card. However, he is given this opportunity because, due to the need to debit the card when making purchases, he knows the key to erase the protected zone. The fact that both the creditor of the card and its debtor (usually different persons) use the same key violates several basic principles of information security (in particular, the principles of separation of powers and minimal powers). This will sooner or later lead to fraud. Cryptographic methods of protecting information do not help the situation either.
Of the known cards with protected memory, only the already mentioned CPM896 card has two protected memory areas and meets the requirements for restricting access to information, both from the bank and from the store.
Scratch cards
Scratch cards, payment and prepaid cards
Payment cards are plastic cards used by various companies for payments in the company's trade or service network. Such cards are used in payphones, gas stations, etc., for example, if it is possible to organize access to the client’s bank account. Among payment cards, “chip cards” are often found. Such cards use a microchip embedded in a plastic card, which can contain a large amount of information, read and processed through a computer interface. Otherwise, such plastic cards are called “microprocessor” or “smart cards”.
Scratch cards are called prepaid cards. This is a plastic card, the peculiarity of which is the presence of some secret data, knowledge of which provides access to any service (login password of the Internet provider, PIN code for crediting cash to the account mobile phone, and so on.). The information is covered with a special erasable scratch panel, and the very fact of removing the panel reveals the information for activating the service. The method of applying a scratch panel to a card is different, the most common are embossing, silk-screen printing or a sublimation printer.
Articles about Banks and banking activities
Question:
I was given a debit bank card, but the bank employee did not explain anything about what information is reflected on the bank card, what the appearance of the card conveys. May I need information on a bank card, and in what cases?
Answer: First, let’s talk about what a bank card looks like, or rather, what the card’s appearance might be. The bank card has a format defined by the ISO 7810 ID-1 standard: 85.6 mm x 53.98 mm x 0.76 mm, and is mainly made of plastic. The front and back sides of the card carry various functional information. The general background of the front side of a bank card is approved by the bank based on the designs developed by the designers, and the back side always has a plain background. That is, the design and color of the card depends on the preferences of the issuing bank, and also takes into account the requirements payment system, which services this card.
The background should contribute to the aesthetic perception of the card and the recognition of the bank that issued the card. By certain species card banks offer cardholders to decide on the design themselves, that is, they give the client the right to choose individual design.
Using stolen personal cards, it is more difficult to purchase goods at retail outlets, especially expensive ones, since if the purchase amount is significant or if there is the slightest doubt, sellers have the right to ask to see a passport.
Therefore, one month before the expiration date of the card, you must contact the bank for reissue new card or write an application to close a card account.
When choosing to make a payment, you must take into account that the name and logo of the payment system on the bank card must correspond to their counterpart on the self-service device or ATM. If there is no such logo on the device, then this self-service device/ATM will not service your card.
For the American Express payment system, the card number consists of 15 digits, divided into 3 blocks of 4,6 and 5 digits each (4-6-5).
And for the Russian national payment system "Mir" the card number consists of 16 digits divided into 4 blocks of 4 digits (4-4-4-4).
The card number is the access number to the cardholder's bank account.
The card number is used by the holder when, " Mobile bank"or "OnL@yn" system.
Using the first digit of the card number, you can obtain information about which payment system the card belongs to and whether it matches the logo. So, the first numbers of payment systems that operate in Russia are as follows:
- World - 2;
- VISA – 4;
- American Express – 3
- MasterCard – 5
- Maestro - 3, 5 or 6
- China UnionPay - 6
- JCB International - 3
- UEK - 7.
Back of the card
Sketch appearance The reverse side of a bank card with the numbering of elements looks like this:
The reverse side of the bank card displays information on the following elements:
- Bank's name– at the bottom of the card the name of the bank to which the card belongs must be repeated.
- White paper strip located next to the magnetic stripe. It is only available on personalized cards - and is intended for applying a sample signature of the card holder. This is also a protection - if you try to forge a sample signature at the time of making payments using stolen card problems may arise.
The paper strip, in addition to the sample signature of the card holder, is filled with information taking into account the elements of the type of payment system and the card authentication code.
So, for example, a bar can be filled:
- diagonal lines with the word VISA in blue/blue and gold colors and a 19-digit number printed in a special font slanted to the left, which includes 16 digits of the card number and 3 digits of the security code
- diagonal lines with the word MasterCard or MC in red, blue/cyan and yellow and a 7-digit number in the center of the panel, printed in a special font slanted to the left, which includes the last four digits of the card number and 3 digits of the security code
- Card authentication code(CVV2 and CVC2) - for payment systems, MasterCard or Visa, it consists of three digits, and is located on a white strip of paper, next to the place for the holder’s signature after the last four digits of the bank card number indicated there. The code is used as an additional means of identifying the cardholder during payments, especially on the Internet. It is not found on all categories of cards of these systems.
Card authentication code using technology MirAccept payment system "MIR" - consists of three digits and is located on the back of the card. Sberbank of Russia, for example, has a code located before the words “Thank you from Sberbank.”
- Magnetic stripe on the card- This is a magnetic strip soldered into plastic, which is a carrier of information. Data is written to the card once and will not be rewritten in the future. The recording (or encoding) is made on the instructions of the bank and includes data: about the cardholder, his account number, bank and other additional data necessary for the bank.
The magnetic stripe can be black, dark brown or any other color.