Device making safe and rationalising payments by cheques and banker's cards

摘要

The invention relates to a self-contained apparatus establishing a formal identification between the user and the owner of a means of payment, by use of a confidential code related to the account number of the owner. The apparatus checks the compatibility between the code provided by the customer and a theoretical code calculated by the apparatus according to a secret algorithm corresponding to that which is used by the bank to set up the confidential code for the client. All the information which is indispensable for guaranteeing the validity of the payment are carried on a written marking and, in the case of the cheque, indications aiming to rationalise the processing of cheques are applied directly to the reverse of the cheque. The appliance is furthermore protected against attempts at fraudulent use. The device according to the invention is particularly intended to equip businesses as a means of protection against the use of stolen cheques and cards. It is of interest also to banking organisations, by the reduction in the cost of processing cheques. IMAGE