Contactless payment chip comes in ultrathin module

Card manufacturers can now create thinner PVC prelaminate sheets for the contactless layer.

A novel ultrathin module from Texas Instruments for contactless payment applications removes another technology barrier for broader proliferation of contactless payment.

Now 26% thinner than conventional packaged contactless chip offerings, the new ultrathin module enables card manufacturers to produce an increasing array of colourful and distinctive products with higher yields as a result of causing fewer visual imperfections than thicker chip modules.

Banks are increasingly offering new graphics-rich contactless cards to differentiate their brand and stay "top of wallet" with consumers.

Over the next few years, banks will issue more than 50 million opaque contactless cards annually with the expectation that number will double in 2010 (ABI Research).

Using the new TI ultrathin module, the industry's thinnest contactless payment chip, card manufacturers can create thinner PVC prelaminate sheets for the contactless layer.

The 280um ultrathin module enables the creation of prelaminates as thin as 345um.

This allows the card manufacturers to print the card's colourful artwork on thicker print stock while maintaining the 680-840um ISO standard for card thickness.

Thicker print stock makes these complex cards more durable and able to survive multiple passes through a printing press during standard card manufacturing processes, translating to higher yields of finished cards.

According to Trevor Pavey, Manager of Contactless payment at Texas Instruments: "With the new ultrathin design of our contactless payment module, card manufacturers can achieve higher production yields, while keeping bank customer satisfaction high and giving them the flexibility to bring to market a new range of exciting new card products".

"The new ultra thin module developed by Texas Instruments will allow printing on much thicker core stocks", says Jean Francois Durand, Vice President of Global Manufacturing Operations for Oberthur Technologies of America Corp.

"This development supports the use of more complicated artwork on contactless cards, thus enabling intricate designs rivalling the best art seen on conventional cards today".

"These powerful designs are extremely important to promoting card and brand recognition in the banking card industry".

TI's ultrathin module operates at extremely low power, delivers a fast transaction speed (typically 120ms) and is developed with a highly sensitive radio frequency chip to enable a successful transaction the first time a customer taps the card to the payment reader.

The module and payment application software operate in dynamic Card Verification Code (CVC) transaction authorisation mode which offers issuers the highest level of security available.

"The use of the TI ultrathin contactless payment module integrates TI's radio frequency performance into a thin new design that enables our banking customers to create unique contactless cards with high-quality, bold new graphics that keep their products 'top of wallet' with consumers", says Matt Smoczynski, VP of Marketing of Perfect Plastic Printing.

"We are really excited about the flexibility this ultrathin packaging brings to our contactless product offering".

The ultrathin module packaging will be available in MasterCard PayPass and other contactless payment products.

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