GB2499431A

GB2499431A - Hybrid payment terminal with viewing window for CVV code

Info

Publication number: GB2499431A
Application number: GB201202702A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dave Gormley
Original assignee: MOBIPAYPOINT UK Ltd
Current assignee: MOBIPAYPOINT UK Ltd
Priority date: 2012-02-16
Filing date: 2012-02-16
Publication date: 2013-08-21
Also published as: GB201202702D0

Abstract

A payment terminal for processing card payment transactions comprises a casing having a magnetic strip swipe slot formed in the casing associated with a magnetic strip reader as well as a chip reading slot formed in the casing which is associated with a chip reader. The payment terminal further comprises a Card Verification Value (CVV) code viewing aperture 21 formed in the casing coincident with the chip reading slot to permit viewing of the CVV code 35 printed on a card 25 when the card is fully inserted in the chip reading slot. By having such a payment terminal, a transaction will not have to be interrupted due to the card having to be removed during the transaction in order to obtain the CVV for use in the transaction. The terminal also comprises a processor, memory, a communications module and a user interface. The CVV code viewing aperture 21 is preferably formed in the rear of the casing and extends towards the chip reader, across the width of the payment terminal. The magnetic strip swipe slot and the chip reading slot may be co-planar but perpendicular to one another, see Fig 7.

Description

1

"A Payment Terminal"

Introduction

5 This invention relates to a payment terminal. More specifically, this invention relates to a payment terminal for processing card transactions of the type comprising a casing having a plurality of sides, a magnetic strip swipe slot formed in the casing and a chip reading slot formed in the casing.

10 Payment terminals are commonly used in retail and many other types of business establishment to process card payments such as credit card payments and debit card payments, hereinafter referred to simply as card payments. The payment terminals typically comprise a magnetic strip swipe slot with an associated magnetic strip reader that are used to retrieve information from a magnetic strip on the card that in turn is used 15 to process a card payment. Some payment terminals also comprise a chip reading slot and an associated chip reader, in addition to the magnetic strip swipe slot and magnetic strip reader. The chip reader is used to retrieve information from a chip on the card that may be used in the verification of a personal identification number (PIN) code inserted into the payment terminal by a user or alternatively or in addition to PIN verification, may 20 be used to retrieve information from the chip on the card that in turn is used to process a card payment.

One such payment terminal comprising both a magnetic strip swipe slot with associated reader and a chip reading slot with associated reader is that described in European 25 Patent Number EP0959424 in the name of Ingenico France. Another such payment terminal comprising both a magnetic strip swipe slot with associated reader and a chip reading slot with associated reader is that described in PCT Patent Publication Number W02010/076597 in the name of Koh et al. Although the known payment terminals with both a magnetic strip swipe slot with associated reader and a chip reading slot with 30 associated reader are adequate for carrying out the functions required of them, none of the known terminals are entirely suitable for use in a new card payment transaction methodology devised by the applicant.

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It is an object of the present invention to provide a payment terminal that is suitable for use with a new card payment transaction methodology. It is a further object of the invention to provide a payment terminal that is simple to use and that provides a useful choice.

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Statements of Invention

According to the invention there is provided a payment terminal for processing card payment transactions comprising:

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a casing having a plurality of sides including a front, a rear, a top, a bottom, a left side and a right side;

a magnetic strip swipe slot formed in the casing and a magnetic strip 15 reader;

a chip reading slot formed in the casing and a chip reader;

a processor;

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an accessible memory;

a communications module;

25 a user interface mounted on the front of the casing; characterized in that there is provided a Card Verification Value (CW) code viewing aperture formed in the body coincident with the chip reading slot to permit viewing of the CVV code from a card when the card is inserted in the chip reading 30 slot.

By having such a payment terminal, it will be possible to view the CVV code on most cards through the CVV code viewing aperture while the card is inserted in the terminal. In this way, the card may remain in the terminal while the operator of the terminal can

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inspect the CW code without removing the card from the terminal and interrupting a payment transaction. Such a payment terminal is particularly advantageous for use in a new card payment transaction methodology devised by the applicant which uniquely entails the use of the CW code along with the data retrieved from the magnetic strip on 5 a card and in a preferred implementation additional data retrieved from and/or verified by the chip on a card. In other words, the CW code is used in a card present transaction and by providing the CW code viewing aperture in the body, the CVV code may be inspected and used in the method without interrupting an ongoing payment transaction.

10 In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a payment terminal in which the CW code viewing aperture is formed in the rear of the casing and extends inwardly from the rear of the casing into the chip reading slot.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a payment terminal in which the 15 CW code viewing aperture extends across the rear of the casing from the right side of the casing to a point adjacent the left side of the casing. By having the CVV code viewing aperture extend across the rear of the casing in this manner, the CW code can be read regardless of where on the rear of the card that the CVV code is located.

20 In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a payment terminal in which the CW code viewing aperture is dimensioned and located to permit viewing of substantially the entire signature strip of a card when the card is inserted into the chip reading slot. By allowing the signature strip to be seen through the CW viewing aperture, a signature on the signature strip can be used as well as or instead of the CVV code for authentication 25 purposes in a transaction.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a payment terminal in which there is an activation switch positioned on the casing accessible through the CW code viewing aperture. This is seen as a particularly useful position for the activation switch as 30 it will prevent inadvertent operation of the switch by card owners or payment terminal operators particularly when the card is in the chip reading slot.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a payment terminal in which the activation switch is recessed into the casing.

4

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a payment terminal in which there is provided a light source adjacent the CVV viewing aperture operable to illuminate at least part of the card viewable through the CVV viewing aperture.

5

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a payment terminal in which the magnetic strip swipe slot and the chip reading slot are co-planar with respect to each other. This is seen as particularly preferred as the terminal will be shallower from front to back by having the two slots co-planar with respect to each other, thereby providing a 10 more compact payment terminal.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a payment terminal in which the main longitudinal axis of the magnetic strip swipe slot is perpendicular to the main longitudinal axis of the chip reading slot.

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In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a payment terminal in which the magnetic strip swipe slot and the chip reading slot share a common slot section. This is also seen as particularly useful as the sharing of a slot section will result in a terminal that is more compact and in particular is shallower and narrower than would otherwise 20 be the case.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a payment terminal in which the chip reading slot extends inwardly into the casing from the right side of the casing.

25 In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a payment terminal in which the magnetic swipe slot extends along the entire length of the right side of the casing from the top of the casing to the bottom of the casing.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a payment terminal in which the 30 chip reading slot comprises a channel running along the length of the chip reading slot parallel to the longitudinal axis of the chip reading slot. The channel, in cooperation with embossed numbers on the card can provide a guide to the card when it is inserted into the card reader.

5

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a payment terminal in which the magnetic strip reader is mounted on the rearwardmost surface of the magnetic strip swipe slot facing forwardly relative the casing.

5 In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a payment terminal in which the chip reader is mounted on the forwardmost surface of the chip reading slot facing rearwardly relative the casing.

Detailed Description of the Invention

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The invention will now be more clearly understood from the following description of some embodiments thereof given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

15 Figure 1 is a perspective view of a payment terminal according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a rear view of the payment terminal showing the CVV code viewing aperture and recessed power button;

20 Figure 3 is a front view of the payment terminal with a card having been introduced into the magnetic strip swipe slot;

Figure 4 is another front view of the payment terminal with a card inserted into the chip reader slot;

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Figure 5 is a rear view of the payment terminal with one type of card with the CW code visible through the CW code viewing aperture;

Figure 6 is a rear view of the payment terminal with another type of card with the 30 CW code visible through the CVV code viewing aperture;

Figure 7 is a view of the payment terminal split along a central vertical plane through the middle of the device showing the internal configuration of the slots and readers;

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Figure 8 is a right side view of an alternative construction of payment terminal; and

5 Figure 9 is a diagrammatic representation of a payment terminal mounted in a cradle.

Referring initially to Figures 1 to 7 inclusive of the drawings, there is shown a payment terminal, indicated generally by the reference numeral 1, comprising a casing having a 10 front side 3, a rear side 5, a top side 7, a bottom side 9, a left side 11 and a right side 13. A magnetic swipe card slot 15 is formed in the casing on the right side of the casing and extends along the entire length of the side from the top 7 to the bottom 9. A chip reading slot 17 (as best illustrated in Figure 8) is also formed in the casing perpendicular to the magnetic strip swipe slot 15. The chip reading slot 17 and the magnetic strip swipe slot 15 15 are co-planar and share a common slot portion therebetween i.e. that portion of the slots that overlap.

The payment terminal 1 contains components necessary for completing card payments including a processor, an accessible memory and a communications module (not 20 shown). There is further provided a user interface, in this case provided by way of a touchscreen 19 on the front of the payment terminal. The touchscreen 19 is capable of displaying payment information including prompting for additional user input or interaction and providing a keypad for the insertion of payment information. The communications module is capable of setting up a connection to the internet and the 25 payment terminal effectively comprises a web browser to display a web page on at least portion of the user interface, thereby allowing the payment transaction to be completed as an internet based purchase transaction.

The payment terminal comprises a Card Verification Value (CVV) code viewing aperture 30 21 formed in the rear 5 of the casing coincident with the chip reading slot 17 to permit viewing of the CVV code 35 from a card when the card is fully inserted in the chip reading slot 17 (as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6). The CW code viewing aperture extends practically the entire way across the rear of the casing from the right side to a point adjacent to the left side of the casing. An activation button 23 is recessed into the

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casing and is accessible through the CW code viewing aperture 21 provided a card has not been inserted into the chip reading slot.

Referring now to Figure 7, there is shown a view of the payment processor split along a 5 central vertical plane through the middle of the device showing the internal configuration of the slots 15, 17 in more detail and a pair of readers, namely a magnetic strip reader 27 and a chip reader 29, located internal the payment terminal adjacent to their respective slot. The magnetic strip reader 27 is located in the payment terminal adjacent the top side 7 of the payment terminal. In this position, the magnetic strip reader 27 will 10 be able to read data from a magnetic strip (not shown) on a card 25 passed through the magnetic strip swipe slot. The magnetic strip reader is positioned to the side of the magnetic strip swipe slot adjacent the rear 5 of the casing. The chip reader 29 is located adjacent the inner end of the chip reading slot 17 and is positioned to the side of the chip reading slot 17 adjacent the front 3 of the casing. In this position, the chip reader 29 will 15 be able to read data from a chip 39 on the card 25 when the card 25 is fully inserted into the chip reader slot 17 and facing forwards in the slot.

It can be seen from Figure 7 that the jaws 32, 33 at the mouth of the chip reading slot 17 are chamfered to facilitate ease of insertion of the card 25 into the chip reading slot. It 20 can also be seen from Figure 7 that the width of the magnetic strip swipe slot is marginally less than the distance from the top of a card 25 to the top of the uppermost row of embossed characters on the card. This ensures that the card is positioned accurately in and guided through the magnetic strip swipe slot in a consistent manner.

25 Referring specifically to Figures 3 to 6 inclusive, there is shown a plurality of representations of the payment terminal in various stages of use. In Figure 3, a card 25 is introduced into the magnetic strip swipe slot 15 at the top 7 of the payment terminal. The card 25 is swiped downwards in the direction of arrow A. Preferably, the card 25 is swiped all the way down the magnetic strip swipe slot 15 until the card exits the slot at 30 the bottom 9 of the payment terminal. Once the magnetic strip 31 has been swiped in the payment terminal, the card is then inserted into the chip reading slot 17 in the direction of arrow B, as illustrated in Figure 4, until the innermost end of the card abuts against the end of the chip reading slot 17. If there is a chip 39 present on the card, it may be read by the chip reader 29.

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It will be seen from Figures 3 and 4 that the card remains forward-facing (with the front of the card facing an operator of the device) throughout the swiping of the card and the insertion of the card in the chip reader slot. This facilitates card handling and speed of 5 card payment processing. For example, an operator can hold the terminal in their left hand and manipulate the card first in the magnetic strip swipe slot 15 and then in the chip reading slot 17 using their right hand. The card can be transitioned from the swiping action in the magnetic strip swipe slot 15 to the insertion action in the chip reading slot 17 by simply rotating the card clockwise through 90°. The operator will not have to let go 10 of the card or flip the card back-to-front during these actions thereby simplifying handling of the card. Referring to Figures 5 and 6, it can be seen that when the card is fully inserted into the chip reading slot 17, the CW code 35 is visible through the CW code viewing aperture 21, regardless of the position of the CW code on the signature strip 37.

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Once the card 25 has been swiped in the magnetic strip swipe slot 15 and thereafter inserted into the chip reader slot 17, the operator of the payment terminal will be prompted (graphically on the user interface 19) to follow a process of steps such as to enter an amount of the transaction as well as the CVV code appearing on the card 25. If 20 the operator has not already viewed and temporarily memorized the CW code, the operator may view the CW code by turning the payment terminal around in their hand so that the rear of the payment terminal is presented to them. Once viewed, the terminal can be turned back to its original configuration to allow the operator to insert the CW number. This may be done without removing the card from the payment terminal. If the 25 card 25 has a chip 39, the operator of the payment terminal may be prompted to pass the payment terminal to the customer who will be prompted to insert their PIN number for verification with the PIN number that is stored in the chip 39 on the card 25.

Referring to Figure 8, there is shown an alternative construction of payment terminal, 30 where like parts have been given the same reference numerals as before. The payment terminal, indicated generally by the reference numeral 41, further comprises a channel 43 formed in the chip reading slot 17. The channel is substantially parallel to the main longitudinal axis of the chip reading slot 17 and extends inwardly from the right side of the payment terminal towards the left side of the payment terminal. The channel 43 and

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the remainder of the slot 17 are dimensioned so that a card (not shown) can only be inserted into the chip reading slot when the raised numbering and lettering on the front of the card including, for example, the card number, the card owners name and the card expiry date, are aligned with the channel 43. The remainder of the slot 17 will be 5 dimensioned to be too narrow to allow insertion of the card with numbering or lettering. In this way, the card cannot be inserted the incorrect way around and must be inserted with the numbering and lettering in alignment with the channel 43.

Referring to Figure 9, there is shown a diagrammatic representation of the payment 10 terminal according to the invention in a dedicated mounting cradle 51. The mounting cradle will preferably be rotatably mounted on a counter or other surface (not shown) to allow the payment terminal to be rotated about its mounting to allow insertion of payment information by both the operator and the customer in turn. Furthermore, by having the mounting cradle rotatably mounted on the counter, this will allow the mounting cradle 15 and the payment terminal to be rotated around to permit viewing of the CVV by the operator. It is envisaged that many different constructions of mounting cradle could be used. It is further envisaged that the payment terminal may be provided with an accelerometer that is activated when the payment terminal is mounted in the mounting cradle. If the accelerometer detects movement of the payment terminal in the cradle, the 20 payment terminal will be turned on ready to process a payment. Preferably, the mounting cradle will be provided with electrical connectors to engage complementary charging connectors on the payment terminal for use in recharging a battery (not shown) in the payment terminal.

25 In addition to the above, various modifications may be made to the payment terminal described above without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is envisaged that the touchscreen may be provided with a transparent material or a polarised sheet of material that will only allow viewing of the touchscreen from a certain limited viewing angle. Preferably, the CVV code viewing aperture will be illuminated 30 using a miniaturised LED adjacent or preferably substantially surrounding the CW code viewing aperture and arranged to direct light inwardly into the aperture to illuminate the CW code and in some instances substantially the entire signature strip field. The CW code viewing aperture may be dimensioned to permit viewing of substantially all of the

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signature strip so that the signature (if provided) on the signature strip can also be used as well as or instead of the CW code in a payment transaction authentication process.

Throughout this specification, the term Card Verification Value (CW) code has been 5 used however it will be understood that many different terms and acronyms are used to describe the same code, including, but not limited to CVV2, the Card Verification Code (CVC I CVC2), the Card Code Verification (CCV), the Card Security Code (CSC), the Card Verification Data (CVD), the Card Verification Value Code (CWC) or simply the Verification Code (V-Code). The CW code is a code not stored on the magnetic strip but 10 instead is printed on the card itself. For Mastercard, Visa and some other Credit and Debit cards, the CW digits are printed on the rear of the card on or adjacent to the signature strip. It is for these types of cards with the CW code printed on the back of the card on the signature strip that the present invention is particularly disposed towards. Other card providers, such as American Express, print a four digit CVV code on the front 15 right hand side of the card. It will be understood that although the CW code of these cards will not be visible through the CVV viewing aperture 21, the CVV code will still be visible during a transaction. In this way, the payment terminal according to the present invention may be used with numerous disparate types of cards.

20 It is envisaged that the payment terminal will be approximately the size of a smart phone such as an iPhone (Registered Trade Mark (RTM)) and will have dimensions of the order of 114mm tall, 15mm deep and 60mm wide. The magnetic slot will preferably be of the order of 30mm wide and approximately 1.1mm deep. The chip reading slot 17 will be approximately 54mm long, 54mm wide (sufficient to fit a card) and have a depth of the 25 order of 1.1mm outside the channel (as shown in Figure 9) and a depth of the order of 1.8mm along the length of the channel 43. The CVV code viewing aperture will also have a length of approximately 54mm and a width of approximately 20mm. The chip reading slot 17 will preferably be located equidistant from the top 7 and bottom 9 of the payment terminal and the CW code viewing aperture will preferably be located 30 equidistant from the top 7 and bottom 9 of the payment terminal 1 also. It is envisaged that the terminal could be larger than that described in detail above. For example, the payment terminal could be provided on a computing tablet-sized device. However, the payment terminal will be provided with the same features and functionality as before.

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In this specification the terms "comprise, comprises, comprised and comprising" and the terms "include, includes, included and including" are deemed totally interchangeable and should be afforded the widest possible interpretation.

5 The invention is in no way limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described but may be varied in both construction and detail within the scope of the claims.

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Claims

Claims:

(1) A payment terminal for processing card payment transactions comprising:

5 a casing having a plurality of sides including a front, a rear, a top, a bottom, a left side and a right side;

a magnetic strip swipe slot formed in the casing and a magnetic strip reader;

10

a chip reading slot formed in the casing and a chip reader;

a processor;

15 an accessible memory;

a communications module;

a user interface mounted on the front of the casing; characterized in that

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there is provided a Card Verification Value (CW) code viewing aperture formed in the casing coincident with the chip reading slot to permit viewing of the CVV code from a card when the card is inserted in the chip reading slot.

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(2) A payment terminal as claimed in claim 1 in which the CW code viewing aperture is formed in the rear of the casing and extends inwardly from the rear of the casing into the chip reading slot.

30 (3) A payment terminal as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which the CVV code viewing aperture extends across the rear of the casing from the right side of the casing to a point adjacent the left side of the casing.

A payment terminal as claimed in any preceding claim in which the CVV code viewing aperture is dimensioned and located to permit viewing of substantially the entire signature strip of a card when the card is inserted into the chip reading slot.

A payment terminal as claimed in any preceding claim in which there is an activation switch positioned on the casing accessible through the CW code viewing aperture.

A payment terminal as claimed in claim 5 in which the activation switch is recessed into the casing.

A payment terminal as claimed in any preceding claim in which there is provided a light source adjacent the CW viewing aperture operable to illuminate at least part of the card viewable through the CW viewing aperture.

A payment terminal as claimed in any preceding claim in which the magnetic strip swipe slot and the chip reading slot are co-planar with respect to each other.

A payment terminal as claimed in any preceding claim in which the main longitudinal axis of the magnetic strip swipe slot is perpendicular to the main longitudinal axis of the chip reading slot.

A payment terminal as claimed in any preceding claim in which the magnetic strip swipe slot and the chip reading slot share a common slot section.

A payment terminal as claimed in any preceding claim in which the chip reading slot extends inwardly into the casing from the right side of the casing.

A payment terminal as claimed in any preceding claim in which the magnetic swipe slot extends along the entire length of the right side of the casing from the top of the casing to the bottom of the casing.

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(13) A payment terminal as claimed in any preceding claim in which the chip reading slot comprises a channel running along the length of the chip reading slot parallel to the longitudinal axis of the chip reading slot.

5 (14) A payment terminal as claimed in any preceding claim in which the magnetic strip reader is mounted on the rearwardmost surface of the magnetic strip swipe slot facing forwardly relative the casing.

(15) A payment terminal as claimed in any preceding claim in which the chip reader is 10 mounted on the forwardmost surface of the chip reading slot facing rearwardly relative the casing.

(16) A payment terminal substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

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