InComm Receives Patent on Fraud-Fighting Prepaid Packaging Technique
Atlanta-based prepaid pioneer InComm has been granted a patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a new method of printing activation barcodes and packaging prepaid products, which the company says will help retail partners fight fraud.
With this new technology, the activation barcode for products such as gift cards and prepaid debit cards is made from the combination of portions of a barcode printed in two places: one portion from the packaging and the other from the card within the packaging. The barcode portion printed on the card is visible through an opening in the packaging, enabling cashiers to scan and activate the product.
Printing the activation barcode across the card and the package helps retailers prevent package tampering fraud, as both the card and the packaging must remain intact for the product to be activated, according to an announcement. Removal of the card from its packaging or damage to the packaging would render the card incapable of being activated.
All retailers in InComm’s network will have access to the technology, and the company reports that several million cards using this method already are in the marketplace at one of the world’s largest retailers.
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