Patent ID: 7240032

Claim:
A method for protecting consumer personal data, the method comprising: receiving an application for a payment instrument, wherein the application comprises personal data and a privacy preference of a consumer, and wherein the application is requested before the payment instrument is issued; saving the application in electronic form in a database that is associated with an issuing financial institution who issued the payment instrument; storing at least some of the personal data and the privacy preference onto the payment instrument, wherein the payment instrument further includes consumer account information necessary to tie a debit or credit payment transaction to a consumer account that is associated with the issuing financial institution; receiving a purchase request at a credit or debit processing system that is associated with a merchant financial institution, wherein the purchase request is in response to presentation of the payment instrument and includes the customer account information and at least some of the personal data and the privacy preference from the payment instrument; and saving the privacy preference in a database associated with the merchant financial institution; whereby the purchase request provides the consumer account information as well as the personal data and the privacy preference from the use of the payment instrument, without separate entry of the personal data and the privacy preference from an instrument other than the payment instrument; and wherein the payment instrument comprises a check, and wherein the privacy preference is printed onto the check.