Abstract:
A secure tender electronic card for use in purchasing a service or a commodity comprises: a plastic substrate; at least two radio frequency identifications (RFIDs) embedded within the plastic substrate, the RFIDs including: a card code RFID with an identification chip having embedded therein an electronic card identification code associated with a card account file resident in a remote server, the card account file including a beneficiary code and a card usage parameter; and a tender RFID with a tender chip having embedded therein a code associated with at least some of the monetary value of the electronic card.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The present application is related to Provisional patent application entitled “System and method for secure electronic tender,” filed 12 Feb. 2012 and assigned filing No. 61/597,825, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates generally to electronic monetary transactions and, more specifically, to a system and method for securely using electronic tender in monetary transactions. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Most debit and credit cards are associated with some sort of a bank account, or an institution that can extend credit. If an unscrupulous individual appropriates another person&#39;s card, he may obtain access to the account by fraudulently using the card, and can access the funds of the cardholder. Even worse, online activity by such unscrupulous individuals often results in a great deal of fraud and identity theft. 
         [0004]    In addition, a user may wish to have a means of executing a one-time payment, or a series of similar payments, to a vendor of his choice, without resorting to paying by cash, by credit card, or by debit card. That is, the user might wish to have the convenience of paying for a service or commodity via a transaction similar to using a pre-paid card, but wishes to have this convenience at a commercial establishment which does not offer or accept pre-paid cards. This may occur, for example, when making a payment at a toll booth, or when purchasing a meal at an independent restaurant, or when making a charitable donation, or when patronizing a street vendor in a tourist venue, or when wishing to make a secure transaction while on travel. 
         [0005]    More generally, the user may wish to have a method of transacting a purchase or a payment by using an electronic card that allows only certain types of transactions, where the allowable types of transactions are known only to the valid user of the card. What is needed for such situations is a more secure method of making purchases and conducting monetary transactions that mitigates the probability of monetary loss or third-party fraud. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    In one aspect of the present invention, a secure tender electronic card having monetary value suitable for use in purchasing a service or a commodity comprises: a plastic substrate; at least two radio frequency identifications (RFIDs) embedded within the plastic substrate, the at least two RFIDs including: a card code RFID with an identification chip, the identification chip having embedded therein an electronic card identification code associated with a card account file resident in a remote server, the card account file including a beneficiary code and a card usage parameter; and a tender RFID with a tender chip having embedded therein a code associated with at least some of the monetary value of the electronic card. 
         [0007]    In another aspect of the present invention, a secure tender electronic card system comprises: a secure tender electronic card server having a card account file, the card account file associated with an electronic card identification code, the card account file having stored therein a usage parameter; a secure tender electronic card having a first radio frequency identification (RFID) with an identification chip and a second RFID with a tender chip, the identification chip having stored therein the electronic card identification code, the tender chip associated with a monetary value assigned to the secure tender electronic card; an RFID card reader operative to read the electronic card identification code; and a point-of-sale electronic terminal in communication with the RFID card reader and with the secure tender electronic card server, the point-of-sale electronic terminal operative to retrieve the electronic card identification code from the RFID card reader and transmit the electronic card identification code to the secure tender electronic card server, the point-of-sale electronic terminal further operative to retrieve the usage parameter from the secure tender electronic card server. 
         [0008]    In still another aspect of the present invention, a method for conducting a secure monetary transaction comprises the steps of: presenting a secure tender electronic card as payment for at least one of a service or a commodity; reading a radio frequency identification chip in the secure tender electronic card so as to retrieve a card usage parameter associated with the secure tender electronic card, the identification chip having embedded therein an electronic card identification code associated with a card account file resident in a remote server; if the card usage parameter is met under the monetary transaction, executing the secure monetary transaction so as to provide at least one of the service or the commodity to a user of the secure tender electronic card; and, if the card usage parameter is not met under the monetary transaction, cancelling the secure monetary transaction. 
         [0009]    The additional features and advantage of the disclosed invention is set forth in the detailed description which follows, and will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description or recognized by practicing the invention as described, together with the claims and appended drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    The foregoing aspects, uses, and advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood from the following detailed description of the present invention when viewed in conjunction with the accompanying figures, in which: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatical illustration of a secure tender electronic card suitable for use in a secure tender electronic card system, in accordance with an aspect of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a flow diagram explaining customer/user acquisition of the secure tender electronic card of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a flow diagram explaining customer/user use of the secure tender electronic card of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  shows an RFID card reader reading the unique card ID of the secure tender electronic card of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a flow diagram explaining a sequence of actions taken by a user after the secure tender electronic card has been reported as lost or stolen; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a flow diagram illustrating a task of monitoring for expiration of the secure tender electronic card of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0017]    The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention. 
         [0018]    The present invention relates to a secure method of making a purchase or payment, by using a pre-paid electronic card rather than a debit or credit card. The user of the electronic card can specify in advance of purchasing the electronic card one or more usage parameters for the electronic card. 
         [0019]    There is shown in  FIG. 1  a functional diagrammatical illustration of a secure tender electronic card (STEC) system  10 , in accordance with the present invention. A customer/user  12  may access the STEC system  10  by purchasing from a vendor or merchant a secure tender electronic card  20  at a retail transaction station, conventionally referred to as a point of sale (POS) electronic terminal  14 , such as may be found in various types of commercial establishments worldwide. 
         [0020]    The size, physical appearance, and material construction of the secure tender electronic card  20  may be similar to that of a conventional credit card or debit card. An electronic card substrate  38  may comprise a plastic polymer material, such as polyvinyl chloride. The POS electronic terminal  14  may include a data entry component  16 , such as a physical or virtual keyboard, or a voice-recognition input device (not shown), in communication with a display device  18 , such as an LED display, an LCD display, or a plasma panel, as is well-known in the retail marketing field. 
         [0021]    Alternatively, the POS electronic terminal  14  may comprise a touch-sensitive screen (not shown) so as to combine both the functions of the data entry component  16  and the display device  18  into a single unit, as is known in the relevant art. The POS electronic terminal  14  may be in wired or wireless communication with a LAN, a WAN, a VPN, or other communication network, such as the Internet/Cloud  30 , so as to enable the POS electronic terminal  14  to perform various commercial transactions remotely from a central server, as described below. A POS communication link  32  may be provided between the POS electronic terminal  14  and the Internet/Cloud  30 . The POS communication link  32  may comprise a wired connection (e.g., an Ethernet network), a wireless link (e.g., a Bluetooth link or a Wi-Fi access capability), or a combination of a wired and wireless link, as is well-known in the relevant art. 
         [0022]    Actions initiated by the customer  12  in accessing the STEC system  10 , and the subsequent actions executed by the merchant or vendor accessing the POS electronic terminal  14 , may be explained with additional reference to a flow diagram  40 , shown in  FIG. 2 . The customer  12  may offer to purchase the secure tender electronic card  20  from the merchant at the POS electronic terminal  14 , at step  42 . Alternatively, at step  42 , the customer  12  may receive the secure tender electronic card  20  at no cost from the merchant, as a reward or monetary benefit provided in response to an earlier customer commercial transaction, contest, or promotion, for example. 
         [0023]    The customer  12  may select a secure tender electronic card  20  having a pre-printed sponsor designator  22  thereon, where the selected sponsor may be a charitable organization, a brand name, a professional sports team, a geographical region, an institution of higher learning, a patriotic organization, or another such entity either having name recognition or desiring to acquire name recognition. 
         [0024]    The sponsor may have underwritten a portion of the manufacturing costs of the secure tender electronic card  20  in exchange for any sponsor advertising to be realized as the customer  12 , or another user, presents the secure tender electronic card  20  to make a purchase, or to gain admission to a desired venue, for example. Accordingly, the merchant operating the POS electronic terminal  14  may have, displayed for purchase, an assortment of secure tender electronic cards  20  identified with various organizations, for convenient selection by the customer  12 . 
         [0025]    When payment for the secure tender electronic card  20  is made at the POS electronic terminal  14 , or if the customer  12  otherwise acquires the secure tender electronic card  20  from the merchant, the POS electronic terminal  14  may be used to communicate with a STEC server  60 , via a server communication link  34  that may be part of a LAN, a WAN, a VPN, or other communication network, such as the Internet/Cloud  30 . 
         [0026]    Once this communication has been established, the POS electronic terminal  14  may transmit to the electronic tender card server  60  data related to the pending transaction, as described in greater detail below. As can be appreciated, the server communication link  34  may comprise a wired connection, a wireless link, or a combination of wired and wireless links. The STEC server  60  may respond to the communication from the POS electronic terminal  14  by opening a new user STEC account file  62 , at step  44 . 
         [0027]    The POS electronic terminal  14  may further be in communication with a radio frequency identification (RFID) card reader  56  that is configured to read a unique card RFID  26  embedded within the secure tender electronic card  20 . The unique card RFID  26  includes an ID chip  76  containing a unique STE card ID  64  for the secure tender electronic card  20 . The RFID card reader  56  may establish communications with the unique card RFID  26 , and the corresponding card ID  64  may then be obtained from the ID chip  76  and transmitted to the STE card server  60  for use in associating the newly-opened STEC account file  62  with the correct secure tender electronic card  20 , at step  46 . 
         [0028]    Preferably, the customer  12  is also asked to provide an optional STE card personal identification character code or identification number (PIN)  68  for entry into the STE card account file  62 , at step  48 . This may be done by allowing the customer  12  to privately enter the PIN  68  into the POS electronic terminal  14 , or into a peripheral device (not shown) in communication with the POS electronic terminal  14 . The customer  12  preferably enters the PIN  68  without allowing anyone else to view the characters entered to create the STE card PIN  68 . 
         [0029]    The STE card PIN  68  may be required at a later time, for example, to mitigate or prevent fraudulent use when the secure tender electronic card  20  is presented in an attempt to make a monetary transaction that exceeds a previously specified amount, or that is being applied to a non-authorized purchase, for example. In an exemplary embodiment, the customer  12  may also specify an expiration date/time  88  for the secure tender electronic card  20 , at step  48 . Accordingly, once the expiration date/time  88  has been reached, the secure tender electronic card  20  will be automatically invalidated by the STE card server  60 , and any funds remaining in the STE card account file  62  will be transferred to a stated beneficiary, such as a charity or humanitarian organization, previously selected by the customer  12 . 
         [0030]    The RFID card reader  56  may also be used to search for the presence of one or more valid tender RFIDs  28  embedded in the secure tender electronic card  20 . The tender RFIDs  28  each include a tender chip  78  having encoded therein a pre-established code providing a monetary value for the individual tender RFID  28 . In an exemplary embodiment, one or more of the tender RFIDs  28  may have a monetary value of zero. As can be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the unique card RFID  26  and the tender RFIDs  28  may be in electronic communication with one another to provide for optimal communication with the RFID card reader  56 . 
         [0031]    In addition, one or more of the tender RFIDs  28  may comprise a passive component, whereby the passive tender RFID  28  is not responsive to a query from the RFID card reader  56 . This configuration of an embedded array of valid tender RFIDs  28 , zero-value tender RFIDs  28 , and passive tender RFIDs  28  on the same secure tender electronic card  20  serves to thwart a potential fraudulent user from being able to optically or electronically inspect the secure tender electronic card  20  and infer whether or not the secure tender electronic card  20  has a value proportional to the number of tender RFIDs detected therein. 
         [0032]    The sum of all the tender values in the valid, non-zero tender RFIDs  28  in the secure tender electronic card  20  may be specified as an initial, pre-paid monetary value  84  of the secure tender electronic card  20 . This monetary value  84  may also be transmitted to the STE card server  60  for placement into the corresponding account file  62  as an initial STE card balance  66 , at step  46 . It can be appreciated that the purchase price of the secure tender electronic card  20  substantially reflects the monetary value  84  as read by the RFID reader  56 . 
         [0033]    The code associated with each individual tender RFID  28  further includes information related to one or more pre-established deposit accounts from which the specific tender RFID  28  may draw funds for the payment or monetary transaction requested. Accordingly, the corresponding pre-established deposit accounts associated with a particular secure tender electronic card  20  may comprise: (i) one single account for all the tender RFIDs  28  on the secure tender electronic card  20 ; (ii) a system of distributed deposit accounts associating multiple deposit accounts for each of the tender RFIDs  28  on the secure tender electronic card  20 ; (iii) a system of distributed deposit accounts associating multiple tender RFIDs  28  on the secure tender electronic card  20  with a single deposit account; or, (iv) a system of distributed deposit accounts associating multiple deposit accounts for some of the tender RFIDs  28 , and a single account for the remaining tender RFIDs  28  on the secure tender electronic card  20 . 
         [0034]    It can be appreciated that a single secure tender electronic card  20  may thus be associated with many dozens or hundreds of deposit accounts in a financial system. This configuration of a distributed system of accounting and financial authorization serves to limit fraudulent use of the funds deposited for access when the legitimate user purchased the secure tender electronic card  20 . 
         [0035]    In an exemplary embodiment, an STE card balance  66  may be provided in the STE card account file  62  identified by the STE card ID  64  assigned to the secure tender electronic card  20 . The initial STE card balance  66  may comprise a monetary value equal to the initial monetary value  84  credited to the secure tender electronic card  20  when purchased by the customer  12 . Subsequently, when the secure tender electronic card  20  is presented for payment, an RFID card reader, such as may be found in a retail establishment or at a toll booth, may ascertains the current monetary value  84  by: (i) determining the STE card ID  64  from the ID chip  76 ; (ii) accessing the STE card server  60 ; (iii) locating the STE card account file  62  using the STE card ID  64 ; and (iv) reading the current STE card balance  66  information. 
         [0036]    Accordingly, when the secure tender electronic card  20  is initially purchased, the monetary value  84  on a purchase receipt  80  may thus be verified against the card balance  66  in the STE card account file  62 . If a discrepancy is found between the monetary value  84  and the STE card balance  66 , the customer  12  may be offered a substitute secure tender electronic card for purchase. In an exemplary embodiment, the ID chip  76  information may also include the pre-specified expiration date/time  88  for the secure tender electronic card  20 . If this expiration date has been pre-determined for the unique card RFID  26 , the customer  12  will not be asked to provide an expiration date. Alternatively, the customer  12  may be given the option of removing the pre-specified expiration date/time  88  from the secure tender electronic card  20 , such that the pre-specified expiration date/time  88  can be determined only by a valid merchant of vendor accessing the accessing the STE card server  60 , as described above for ascertaining the STE card balance  66   
         [0037]    After the customer  12  has purchased the secure tender electronic card  20 , and the STE card balance  66  has been verified, the operator of the POS electronic terminal  14  may give the purchase receipt  80  to the customer  12  for safekeeping. The purchase receipt  80  may further include one or more of: (i) a printout of the card code  82 , (ii) a beneficiary code  58  identifying the beneficiary selected by the user, (iii) a unique identifier  54  for the specific merchant who sold the secure tender electronic card  20  to the customer  12 , (iv) the monetary value  84  initially assigned to the secure tender electronic card  20 , (v) a date/time stamp  86  of the card purchase transaction, (vi) the expiration date/time  88  for the secure tender electronic card  20 , and may include (vii) a personal identification  68  selected by the user. As noted above, the expiration date/time  88  may be a date and/or time selected by the customer  12 , or may be a pre-specified expiration date encoded within the ID chip  76 . 
         [0038]    The customer  12  or other authorized user of the secure tender electronic card  20  may be charged with the task of keeping the information provided in the purchase receipt  80  in a safe place, as explained in greater detail below. For security purposes, a card code label  24 , comprising an alphanumeric code, is temporarily attached to the secure tender electronic card  20 , as the card code label  24  is not intended to remain with the secure tender electronic card  20  itself. Accordingly, the card code label  24  may be provided only on the packaging for the secure tender electronic card  20 , or may alternatively be provided on a temporary sticker affixed to the secure tender electronic card  20  intended for subsequent removal by the customer  12 . 
         [0039]    The beneficiary code  58 , a date/time of STE card purchase  86 , a printout  82  of the code on the card code label  24  (stored as an STE card code entry  74 ), the customer-selected PIN  68 , and the expiration date  88  may be sent to the STE card server  60  and stored in the STE card account file  62 , at step  50 . It can be appreciated that, for security purposes, once the user physically removes the card code label  24  from the secure tender electronic card  20 , the correlation between the STE card ID  64  and the card code printout  82  resides only in the STE card server  60 . The customer  12  may then take possession of the secure tender electronic card  20  and the purchase receipt  80 , at step  52 . 
         [0040]    After the secure tender electronic card  20  has been purchased, the customer  12  may access the STE card server  60  via the RFID card reader  56 , or other communication device (not shown) to select one or more usage parameters to be associated with the secure tender electronic card  20 , as explained in greater detail below. The selected usage parameters are stored as a usage parameters file  70  in the STE card server  60 , as is known in the relevant art. 
         [0041]    To use the secure tender electronic card  20  for making a purchase from a retail facility, for example, the user may follow a procedure illustrated in a flow diagram  90 , in  FIG. 3 . The user presents the secure tender electronic card  20  to the RFID card reader  56  provided by the retail facility, at step  92 . The RFID card reader  56  may read the unique card RFID  26 , using emission  116  set to a ‘read’ mode, and receiving a response emission  114  from the secure tender electronic card  20 . 
         [0042]    The received information may be transmitted to the STE card server  60  via the POS communication link  32 , the Internet/Cloud  30 , and the server communication link  34 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . If, at decision block  96 , the secure tender electronic card  20  is determined to be invalid because the card ID  64  cannot be read or verified, or the expiration date  88  has passed, the proposed transaction may be canceled, at step  98 . It should be noted that, for security reasons, the user should have previously removed the card code label  24  from the secure tender electronic card  20 . 
         [0043]    Otherwise, at decision block  96 , the secure tender electronic card  20  is presumed to be valid, and an inquiry is made by the STE card server  60  as to whether the proposed monetary transaction, or anticipated purchase, falls within one or more usage parameters previously set for the secure tender electronic card  20 , at decision block  100 . If the one or more usage parameters are not met by the conditions of the pending monetary transaction, in accordance with the usage parameters file  70 , the proposed transaction is canceled, at step  98 . 
         [0044]    If the proposed monetary transaction falls within or meets the usage parameters, the user may be prompted by the RFID card reader  56  to provide the PIN  68 , at decision block  102 . This PIN request is optional and may be made for a proposed purchase which exceeds a certain pre-specified amount so as to avoid fraudulent use of the secure tender electronic card  20 . If the request for the PIN  68  is made, at decision block  104 , and the user cannot provide the proper PIN  68 , the proposed transaction may be canceled, at step  98 . Otherwise, the process proceeds to step  106 . However, for an application in which the secure tender electronic card  20  is to be used for a one-time purchase, such as providing admission to a musical performance, a cinematic presentation, or a sporting event, the user may not be asked to provide the PIN  68  and the process proceeds to step  106 . 
         [0045]    In an exemplary embodiment, the RFID card reader  56  may respond to the correct PIN  68  (if required) by emitting radiation  116  having a specified frequency and/or intensity sufficient to sequentially ‘burn’ one or more of the tender chips  78  in the tender RFIDs  28  on the secure tender electronic card  20 . This process of ‘burning’ inactivates one or more of the tender chips  78 , and produces one or more corresponding invalid RFIDs  118  on the secure tender electronic card  20 . In the example of  FIG. 4 , the secure tender electronic card  20  has been used for a purchase and shows that eight of the thirteen original tender RFIDs  28  shown are valid tender RFIDs  28 , and five tender RFIDs  28  are invalid RFIDs  118 . The secure tender electronic card  20  shown has thus consummated a purchase that required an electronic monetary payment represented by one or more of the five tender RFIDs  28 . 
         [0046]    After the required number of tender RFIDs  28  have been burned or invalidated on the secure tender electronic card  20 , the STE card account file  62  in the STE card server  60  may be updated, at step  108 , by changing the card balance  66  value to reflect the purchase made by the user at step  106 . The user may be able to verify the monetary value  84  of the secure tender electronic card  20  by selecting a ‘read’ function on the RFID card reader  56  and presenting the secure tender electronic card  20 . By thus placing the RFID card reader  56  into a “‘balance mode,” the RFID card reader  56  may display the remaining balance for any secure tender electronic card  20  presented for balance inquiry. 
         [0047]    It can be appreciated that the secure tender electronic card  20  may be carried into a commercial retail area in which one or more RFID card readers  56  are present, but under circumstances in which the user is not planning to make a purchase. For such situations, a metal sleeve (not shown) may be provided to cover all, or a selected portion of, the secure tender electronic card  20  so as to provide protection from stray radiation  116  emitted by a nearby RFID card reader. The sleeve may serve to prevent one or more of the tender RFIDs  28  from being inadvertently invalidated, as is known in the relevant art. The sleeve may be positioned on the secure tender electronic card  20  by the user to ‘expose’ only the number of tender RFIDs  28  that may be required to complete a pending purchase. This sleeve positioning may be made to prevent the RFID card reader  56  from burning or invalidating more than the necessary number of tender RFIDs  28  required for the proposed purchase. 
         [0048]    In an exemplary embodiment, the STE card account file  62  may include criteria, or limitations, stored in the usage parameters file  70 , on the proposed monetary transactions the user (either valid or fraudulent) of the secure tender electronic card  20  may attempt to make. Preferably, these usage parameters are known only to the valid holder of the secure tender electronic card  20 . In this way, fraudulent use may be mitigated or prevented as the fraudulent user attempts to initiate a monetary transaction which violates a time/date criterion associated with the secure tender electronic card  20 , or which exceeds another limitation placed on the secure tender electronic card  20  by the user at the time of card purchase. 
         [0049]    Pre-determined criteria placed on the secure tender electronic card  20  (via the card code  24 ) may include one or more usage parameters such as, for example: (i) a requirement that an allowable valid monetary transaction may be made only between specified hours, for example, only between 6:00 PM and 11:00 PM; (ii) a requirement that a valid monetary transaction may be made only for purchase of food, or for a meal at a specified dining establishment or a franchise establishment; (iii) a requirement that a valid monetary transaction may not be made for alcoholic beverages; (iv) a requirement that a valid monetary transaction may not be made on pre-specified days of the week, for example, only Saturday and Sunday; or, (v) a requirement that a valid monetary transaction may be made only for a monetary amount ending in a pre-specified set of values, for example, while a purchase for $5.50 or $29.50 may be allowed, a purchase for any other amount not ending in fifty cents would not be authorized by the STE card server  60 . 
         [0050]    Examples of card limitations, or usage parameters, that may be placed on the use of the secure tender electronic card  20  and encoded in the usage parameters file  70  include: (i) valid monetary transactions include transactions for an amount less than a pre-specified value, for example, a purchase below $25.00 would be allowed, but purchases for a larger amount would not be authorized by the STE card server  60 ; (ii) after an initial purchase is made for an allowable amount, for example $50.00, a subsequent purchase for any amount exceeding the initial purchase amount would not be authorized by the STE card server  60 ; or, (iii) valid monetary transactions include transactions only for an amount greater than a first pre-specified value and less than a second pre-specified value, for example, only purchases between $25.00 and $50.00 would be allowed by the STE card server  60 . 
         [0051]    If the user loses possession of an unexpired secure tender electronic card  20 , at step  122  in flow diagram  120  in  FIG. 5 , the user may establish contact with the STE card server  60 , at step  124 , to report the card loss. The STE card server  60  may query the user for information related to the purchase of the secure tender electronic card  20 , at step  126 . The user may be queried for: (i) the card code printout  82 , (ii) the date/time of purchase  86 , (iii) the expiration date/time  88 , (iv) the identity of the merchant  54 , and/or the identity of the beneficiary (associated with the beneficiary code  58 ). Presumably, this is information that the user should recall, or has recorded, and is thus information which a fraudulent user is not reasonably expected to know. 
         [0052]    If the information or card code printout  82  provided by the user is correct, at decision block  130 , the funds remaining in the card account, that is, the STE card balance  66 , may be transferred to the beneficiary associated with the beneficiary code  58 , at step  132 , and the corresponding STE card account file  62  may then be inactivated. Connection with the STE card server  60  may be terminated, at step  134 . 
         [0053]    If the information provided by the user is not correct, at decision block  130 , the user may be given a second chance to correctly provide the requested information, at step  136 . If the information provided on the second try is correct, at decision block  138 , the funds remaining in the card account, the STE card balance  66 , may be transferred to the beneficiary associated with the beneficiary code  58 , at step  132 , and the corresponding STE card account file  62  is inactivated. If the information provided on the second try is not correct, at decision block  138 , connection with the STE card server  60  may be terminated, at step  134 . 
         [0054]    Under normal circumstances, the user continues possession of his secure tender electronic card  20 , and does not report a lost or missing card, at step  142 , in a flow diagram  140 , in  FIG. 6 . The expiration status of the secure tender electronic card  20  may be monitored, at step  144 , in accordance with a predetermined frequency and schedule. If the card has not expired, at decision block  146 , the STE card server  60  may take no action other than continuation of the monitoring process. If the card has expired, at decision block  146 , the STE card server  60  may transfer the remaining STE card balance  66  to the designated beneficiary, at step  148 . 
         [0055]    It is to be understood that the description herein is exemplary of the invention only and is intended to provide an overview for the understanding of the nature and character of the invention. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of various features and embodiments of the method and apparatus of the invention which, together with their description serve to explain the principles and operation of the invention. Thus, while the invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it will be understood that the present invention is by no means limited to the particular constructions and methods herein disclosed and/or shown in the drawings.