Systems and methods for contactless smart card authentication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2026073384-A1
Application number	US-202519392687-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 18, 2025
Priority date	Mar 27, 2015
Publication date	Mar 12, 2026
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media of activating a card having a contactless chip are provided. One method includes receiving, from a mobile device via a wireless transmission from the card having the contactless chip to the mobile device, a cryptogram, and decrypting the cryptogram to reveal information. The method further includes comparing the revealed information regarding at least one of the card or the user to information in a customer database, confirming the revealed information, and updating the customer database to indicate that the revealed information regarding the at least one of the card or the user is confirmed. The method further includes activating the card for an initial card transaction based on updating the customer database, and providing, to the mobile device, a payment card token associated with the card as part of a mobile wallet transaction using the mobile device involving the card.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of activating a card, the method comprising:
providing the card in a non-activated state; activating the card prior to a transaction, wherein activating the card comprises:
receiving, from a mobile device via a wireless transmission from the card to the mobile device, an authentication request including a cryptogram;
decrypting the cryptogram to reveal information regarding at least one of the card or a user;
comparing the revealed information to information in a database;
updating the database to indicate that the revealed information is confirmed; and
activating, in response to a successful user authentication at the mobile device, the card for the transaction based on updating the database and the successful user authentication information; and providing, to the mobile device, a token associated with the card for a mobile transaction using the mobile device involving the card.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the token causes an application on the mobile device to add the card and present a status of the card.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
receiving, via the application on the mobile device, a selection of a selectable element on a graphical user interface indicating that the card is lost or stolen.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
updating the database to disallow subsequent transactions associated with the token based on the indication that the card is lost or stolen; and providing, to a replacement mobile device, a replacement token.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless transmission is a near-field communication (NFC) tap with the mobile device.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, from the mobile device, at least one of a PIN, biometric data, or an answer to an identification question prior to activating the card, wherein activating the card for the transaction is further in response to receiving a successful response of the at least one of the PIN, the biometric data, or the answer to the identification question.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating an encryption key for the card; and providing, to the mobile device, the encryption key for generating the cryptogram.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the cryptogram is encrypted using the encryption key, and wherein confirming the revealed information comprises verifying that the cryptogram was generated by the card.

9 . A system comprising:
one or more processors; and non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
activating a card prior to a transaction by:
receiving, from a mobile device via a wireless transmission from the card to the mobile device, an authentication request including a cryptogram;
decrypting the cryptogram to reveal information regarding at least one of the card or a user;
comparing the revealed information to information in a database;
updating the database to indicate that the revealed information is confirmed; and
activating, in response to a successful user authentication at the mobile device, the card for the transaction based on updating the database and the successful user authentication information; and

providing, to the mobile device, a token associated with the card for a mobile transaction using the mobile device involving the card.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the token causes an application on the mobile device to add the card and present a status of the card.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving, based on a selection of a selectable element on a graphical user interface, an input indicating that the card is lost or stolen.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
updating the database to disallow subsequent transactions associated with the token based on the input that the card is lost or stolen; and providing, to a replacement mobile device, a replacement token.

13 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the wireless transmission is a near-field communication (NFC) tap with the mobile device.

14 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving, from the mobile device, at least one of a PIN, biometric data, or an answer to an identification question prior to activating the card, wherein activating the card for the transaction is further in response to receiving a successful response of the at least one of the PIN, the biometric data, or the answer to the identification question.

15 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise:
generating an encryption key for the card; and providing, to the mobile device, the encryption key for generating the cryptogram.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the cryptogram is encrypted using the encryption key, and wherein confirming the revealed information comprises verifying that the cryptogram was generated by the card.

17 . A non-transitory computer-readable media with computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:
activating a card prior to a transaction by:
receiving, from a mobile device via a wireless transmission from the card to the mobile device, an authentication request including a cryptogram;
decrypting the cryptogram to reveal information regarding at least one of the card or a user;
comparing the revealed information to information in a database;
updating the database to indicate that the revealed information is confirmed; and
activating, in response to a successful user authentication at the mobile device, the card for the transaction based on updating the database and the successful user authentication information; and
providing, to the mobile device, a token associated with the card for a mobile transaction using the mobile device involving the card.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17 , wherein the token causes an application on the mobile device to add the card and present a status of the card.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving an input indicating that the card is lost or stolen; updating the database to disallow subsequent transactions associated with the token based on the input that the card is lost or stolen; and providing, to a replacement mobile device, a replacement token.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17 , wherein the cryptogram is encrypted using an encryption key, and wherein confirming the revealed information comprises verifying that the cryptogram was generated by the card.

Assignees

• Wells Fargo Bank Na

Inventors

• Ho Peter

Classifications

• G06Q20/354 Primary

  Card activation or deactivation · CPC title

• G06Q20/409

  Device specific authentication in transaction processing · CPC title

• G06Q20/4018

  using the card verification value [CVV] associated with the card · CPC title

• G06Q20/3829

  involving key management · CPC title

• G06Q20/3823

  combining multiple encryption tools for a transaction · CPC title