BC Card Gains Attention with 'Ogam Card' Patented Technology

President Choi Won-seok Personally Files Patent for Card Business

BC Card, the company with the most patents in the secondary financial sector, is gaining attention for its unique patents. These are card payment technologies utilizing the so-called "five senses (五感)." These patents were registered or introduced as products over a decade ago but have recently been reappraised thanks to the New-tro trend.

In 2008, BC Card issued the first domestic card product embedded with a Light Emitting Diode (LED) terminal inside the card. It works by receiving power from the terminal during contactless payments, such as transportation cards, causing the LED to emit light. At the time, it became a hot topic as a card that allowed users to visually confirm payments, and it was recognized as a patent in 2009.

There is also a sound-based patented technology. A sound module was embedded in the credit card IC chip to produce specific tones or sounds during payment. Development was also carried out to include an ultra-small speaker that pronounces sounds like a human voice, but it did not lead to product release. However, BC Card holds exclusive rights to this patent, making future commercialization possible.

Additionally, a payment technology using vibration has been patented. A circuit is installed on the card plate to generate vibrations during contactless payments. This patent was registered domestically in 2013 and also registered in China, gaining international recognition. BC Card also developed and launched a scent card, the world’s first product that allows users to maintain their desired fragrance. Consumers could spray or drop their preferred perfume onto a module attached to the card surface, and the scent would last for a certain period.

BC Card’s pursuit of patents stems from the need for advanced financial technology as a payment processing specialist. BC Card provides payment network services and payment technologies based on the lifestyle finance platform "Paybook" to banks, card companies, and fintech (finance + technology) firms. Furthermore, Choi Won-seok, CEO of BC Card, actively expands intellectual property rights by personally filing patents related to the card business. The company encourages patent applications by operating a reward program for employees who file patents.

Park Do-hyun, a patent attorney at BC Card, said, “BC Card is the only domestic card company possessing five-sense payment technology, and we have continuously strived to enhance user convenience and provide diverse payment experiences. Since we have secured exclusive rights by registering technologies related to light, sound, and vibration as patents, we will consider ways to utilize them according to customer needs.”