Patent ID: 8292164

Claim:
A method comprising: providing a portable consumer transaction payment device (PCTPD) having: a substrate with opposing surfaces; memory, in contact with the substrate, storing data that includes an identifier for an account issued by an issuer to an account holder for use of the PCTPD to conduct a transaction on the account to make a purchase from a merchant; a battery powered circuit having one or more batteries installed in a compartment within the PCTPD; and an electronic component, in contact with the substrate, powered by the battery powered circuit; making an electrical measurement of the one or more batteries, when the one or more batteries are installed in the compartment within the PCTPD, at each of a plurality of different times when the PCTPD is exposed to different predetermined environmental test conditions, wherein the predetermined environmental test conditions include: a substantial vacuum condition, for a predetermined time, applied to the PCTPD, a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time period, and a predetermined motion for a predetermined time; and outputting each said electrical measurement.