Payment cards and devices with gift card, global integration, and magnetic stripe reader communication functionality

Abstract

A payment card (e.g., credit and/or debit card) or other device (e.g., mobile telephone) is provided with a magnetic emulator operable to communicate data to a magnetic stripe read-head. Gift cards may be inputted by a user into such a payment card or other device such that a user can combine gift cards. Similarly, a user be provided with a global payment account that can be utilized in multiple countries that have different standards for formatting data. A user may be provided with a default country (e.g., United States) but may have a way to select that the user is in a different country (e.g., Japan). Accordingly, a user may select that a Japanese data structure be transmitted through a magnetic stripe reader when the user is in Japan.

1 - 3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . A system, comprising:
 a wireless communications device operable to communicate information to at least one read-head of a magnetic stripe reader without physically contacting the magnetic stripe reader.