Dynamics Unveils First-of-Its-Kind Payment Device

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dynamics, Inc., an innovator in next-generation payment devices, unveils its mobile device in a card form factor at DEMO Fall 2010, an emerging technology conference.

“After years of working with top card issuers, we are giving the public a glimpse at what many are embracing as the next evolution of US payments”

The startup, which has been operating in stealth mode over the past three years, closed one of the largest Series A financing rounds in payments last year -- $5.7 million led by Adams Capital Management.

“After years of working with top card issuers, we are giving the public a glimpse at what many are embracing as the next evolution of US payments,” said Jeff Mullen, CEO of Dynamics.

The device is Card 2.0™ -- a paper-thin, flexible computing platform in a payment card form factor. The device includes the Electronic Stripe™ -- the world’s first fully card-programmable magnetic stripe. The Electronic Stripe™ can be read at any existing point-of-sale (POS) magnetic stripe reader. The device itself can change any bit of information on this programmable stripe at any given time. The technology does not require any change to the 60 million 1970s-era magnetic stripe readers or reeducation of its merchant base. The device is designed to be as thin, flexible, and durable as a traditional payment card and last over three years on a single battery charge.

Countless applications can be realized with the Card 2.0™ platform technology and are referred to as Payments 2.0® applications. Two Payments 2.0® applications will be showcased onstage tomorrow at DEMO:

MultiAccount™: The device includes two buttons on the face of a card. Next to each button is a printed account number and a light source. A user can select an account by pressing one of the buttons. The card visually indicates the selection by turning ON the light source associated with the selected account. Additionally, the magnetic-stripe information associated with the selected account is written to the Electronic Stripe™. The card can then be swiped at any magnetic stripe reader.

Hidden™: The device includes five buttons on the face of a card and a paper-thin flexible display. The display hides a portion of a cardholder’s payment card number. To turn the device ON, a user must enter a personal unlocking code into the card. If the user enters in the correct unlocking code, the card will then visually display the user’s payment card number so that the user can read the number for online transactions. The Electronic Stripe™ is then populated with the correct magnetic information so that the card can also be used with magnetic stripe readers. After a period of time, the display turns OFF and the Electronic Stripe™ erases itself – thus removing all critical payment information from the surface of the card. If the card is lost or stolen, the card is essentially useless.

Issuers can now introduce new payment functionality to all cardholder segments without changing the magnetic stripe infrastructure. For example, an issuer may introduce a fraud-reduction card in order to attract a security-conscious consumer, an enhanced loyalty card to attract an affinity-oriented consumer, and a money management card to attract a budget-conscious consumer.

Consumers can now make payment choices on their card and, in turn, the card can deliver these choices to the card issuer at the point of sale. “We call this heightened social interaction between a cardholder and their issuer the Payments 2.0® space,” added Mullen.

“Dynamics has disrupted the payment ecosystem without disrupting the payment infrastructure – and introduces extreme consumer value in the process,” said Joel Adams, Founder, Adams Capital Management. “The technology breakthrough is unprecedented. By simply upgrading their cards, a large issuer can now upgrade its magnetic stripe infrastructure without upgrading the magnetic stripe infrastructure of its competitors.”

About Dynamics, Inc.

Dynamics, Inc. was founded and seeded in 2007 by Jeff Mullen, its CEO. Dynamics produces and manufactures intelligent powered cards such as advanced payment cards. Focused on introducing fast‐cycle innovation to top card issuers, the company’s first commercial application is the world’s first fully card-programmable magnetic stripe for use in next‐generation payment cards – the Electronic Stripe™. The company has won many of the world’s most prestigious international business plan competitions, including the Rice Business Plan Competition, Carnegie Mellon McGinnis Venture Competition and the University of San Francisco Business Plan Competition. Dynamics is backed by Adams Capital Management and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa. with offices in Silicon Valley and New York City. More information can be found at www.poweredcards.com.

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