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Card Groups are containers for Card Numbers. The Group contains the definition of how card numbers will be generated, and the automatic expiry options for card numbers, where applicable. Further to this, the activity for cards over time can be analysed at the group level.
Group Code
The Group Code is a unique identifier for the group. When generating, importing or adding card numbers, the group code must be specified.
Generating Card Numbers
To generate card numbers, select Generate Card Numbers. Select the group within which to generate the card numbers and enter the number of cards to be generated. Cards will be generated based on the group configuration. Cards are always be generated with a status of Pending. To understand card statuses, view Card Statuses. The card generate action is queued and executed in the background and so can take a few minutes before the new card numbers are available. To review the status of background queued items, view the Import Log from Configuration. A maximum of 100,000 card numbers can be generated for each request.
Card numbers are generated using one of the configured options:
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Option
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Description
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Number Series
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Card numbers will be generated using an incrementing number defined by the selected Number Series. The number series configuration can also indicate whether the number to be used should be masked with prefix and/or suffix characters.
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GUID
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Card numbers will be generated using a Globally Unique Identifier. Card numbers generated will be 36 upper-case characters, including 4 hyphens.
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Short GUID [default]
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Card numbers will be generated using an encoded Globally Unique Identifier. Card numbers generated will be 22 upper-case characters.
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Masked Random Value
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Card numbers will be generated using randomized characters presented within the supplied Mask. The mask must contain one or more (up to a maximum of 10) replacement characters:
# - replaced with a random alphanumeric character
* - replaced with a random alphabetic character
+ - replaced with a random numeric character
^ - replaced with a random special character from the set: @#*&%-+
Masks can contain multiple fixed characters as required.
Specify one or more characters in the Excluded Characters field, to ensure the generated card numbers do not include any commonly confused characters.
To ensure random alphabetic characters are always upper case, select Upper-case only?.
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When configuring a Mask to be used for card number generation, it is recommended to consider excluding commonly confused characters, such as I 1 o 0.
Card Number Expiration
Card Numbers can optionally be configured with an expiration date. Redemption, adjustment or withdrawal actions attempted against a Card Number after the expiration date will not be permitted. A card number's status will automatically be adjusted to be Expired when the current date is after the expiration date.
Where a group is configured with the Use Activation Tokens option selected, expiration dates are generated when the card number is Allocated.
Where a group is configured with the Use Activation Tokens option deselected, expiration dates are generated when the card number is Active.
See Activation Tokens for more information.
Expiration dates are assigned based on the group configuration, where the following options are available:
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Option
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Description
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Do not expire
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Card numbers will not expire
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Fixed Expiry Date
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The expiry date will be a fixed date. A fixed date and time must be entered in the Expiry Date.
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Period of hours
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The card number will expire after a period of hours from the point it is Allocated or Activated. A number of hours must be entered in Period.
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Period of days
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The card number will expire after a period of days from the point it is Allocated or Activated. A number of days must be entered in Period. The expiry time on the calculated day will always be 23:59:59 UTC.
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Period of weeks
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The card number will expire after a period of weeks from the point it is Allocated or Activated. A number of weeks must be entered in Period. The expiry time on the calculated day will always be 23:59:59 UTC.
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Period of months
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The card number will expire after a period of months from the point it is Allocated or Activated. A number of months must be entered in Period. The expiry time on the calculated day will always be 23:59:59 UTC.
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Period of years [default]
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The card number will expire after a period of years from the point it is Allocated or Activated. A number of years must be entered in Period. The expiry time on the calculated day will always be 23:59:59 UTC.
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End of current day
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The card number will expire at the end of the day when it is Allocated or Activated. The expiry time will be calculated as 23:59:59 UTC.
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End of current week
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The card number will expire at the end of the week when it is Allocated or Activated. The expiry time will be calculated as 23:59:59 UTC. The last day of the week will be regarded as Sunday.
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End of current month
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The card number will expire at the end of the month when it is Allocated or Activated. The expiry time will be calculated as 23:59:59 UTC.
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End of current year
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The card number will expire at the end of the year when it is Allocated or Activated. The expiry time will be calculated as 23:59:59 UTC.
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Where the Permit Expiry Override? option is selected, a custom expiry date can be provided when a card number is Allocated or Activated.
Group Configurations
Groups which are configured with the Default? option selected will be used for the generate, manual add or get next available actions, where a group code is not specified.
A Maximum Card Balance can be specified to ensure that cards can never be Allocated, Activated or Adjusted to an excessive balance. Specifying a maximum card balance can help avoid fraudulent and human error scenarios.
To facilitate card numbers being created with a user-specified number, select the Permit Manual Creation? option. Entered card numbers will be validated to ensure they are unique.
Activation Tokens
Activation tokens can be used to facilitate a two stage activation process for Card Numbers. This is typically used where a gift card number is purchased by a customer, and they then provide the card number to the intended recipient. The recipient is then required to Activate their card number, at which point it is available for redemption and the expiry date is calculated.
To enable activation tokens for card numbers, select Use Activation Tokens? in the group configuration.
When the card number is purchased it will be given a status of Allocated where Use Activation Tokens? is selected, or a status of Active where Use Activation Tokens? is not selected.
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