Adhesive tapes help combat credit card abuse

Consumers and merchants have exchanged goods through the concept of credit for generations. Transactions were completed using credit coins and charge plates as currency. And it wasn't until about half a century ago that plastic payments as we know them today became a way of life. Plastic cards have changed the way that consumers pay for goods and services and today at least 50% of purchases are made with a plastic card. The forerunners of plastic cards are a long way from the sophisticated and widely-accepted cards of today but they did lay the foundations for the convenience and ease-of-use that we now enjoy. As credit cards have grown an integral part of the purchase process, the need for higher security became paramount and the demand on manufacturers to produce cards with a longer shelf life and high security features turned into a top priority. This demand has driven the introduction of a dual interface in credit cards to protect against fraudulent use. Top aid this process, a specially developed adhesive has been specified in card production. tesa HAF 8410 HS is a heat activated double-sided adhesive film designed for the embedding of chip-modules into smart cards with high security and long life requirements. Based on reactive phenolic resin and nitrile rubber, it can be used on PVC, ABS, PET and PC cards, offering good workability on all common implanting lines, alongside outstanding ageing resistance and long-lasting flexible properties due to high rubber content. The product is used to embed the antenna and chip in dual-interface cards which transmit encrypted information on contactless payments supporting dynamic card authentication processes in the fight against financial fraud. The antenna enables the user to tap the card against a reader or terminal and the transaction is done, there's no swiping, inserting the card, PIN or signature required. This technology speeds up transaction, offers much higher security because it doesn't leave the owner and therefore reduces the opportunity for the card to be skimmed and with less wear and tear on the card it has a longer shelf life. From a security aspect contactless payments are very safe as cards do not transmit any details about the owner's identity, only the card details through an encrypted code. The card transmits an encrypted code that is unique to a particular transaction and this code changes every time the card is used. This is known as dynamic card authentication. The short read range makes it very difficult for criminals to gain access to card information and they cannot make counterfeit cards, as the encrypted codes would have expired. Marketing manager Jeremy Smith commented "tesa is delivering state-of-the-art adhesive technology to the financial services industry through the tesacohesion customer care programme, providing technical support to select the right tape for the application in question while working to enhance efficiencies by through advice on the best methods for process integration".