Patent ID: 8341084

Claim:
A method for enhancing the functionality of a pre-paid payment card configured for use in an infrastructure in accordance with a payment specification requiring different procedures for normal transactions using said pre-paid payment card in the infrastructure versus that required for topping-up of a balance associated with said prep-paid payment card, comprising the steps of: registering risk mitigation information in association with said pre-paid payment card contemporaneously with an initial top-up of the pre-paid payment card; subsequent to said initial top-up and registration of the risk mitigation information, conducting an online transaction with said pre-paid payment card outside said infrastructure; downloading an indicator to an electronic memory of the pre-paid payment card while conducting the online transaction, the indicator identifying the pre-paid card as having said risk mitigation information associated therewith; presenting said pre-paid payment card to a reader within said infrastructure, and conducting an offline transaction based upon detection by the reader of the indicator in the electronic memory of the pre-paid payment card.