Patent ID: 8256682

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a foldable data card assembly comprising: manufacturing or purchasing a specific data card comprising an indicia of a personal account number (PAN); creating a special number associated with the PAN, but not equivalent to, and separate from and different from, the PAN; printing the special number on the specific data card; after the printing step, wrapping or folding the specific data card inside a package, the package not yet associated with the specific data card; reading or otherwise obtaining the special number from the specific data card; after the reading or otherwise obtaining step and with the specific data card packaged inside the package, generating activation information and is associated with the special number and is separate from and different from the special number, thereby linking the specific data card and the activation information, such that an activation transaction using the activation information renders the specific data card available for use; and printing the activation information on the package with the specific data card inside.