Information Cards

An information card is a digital version of the cards that most people carry in their physical wallets. Information cards, like physical cards, represent information about the cardholder, and are valid for use in different situations. Information cards, like physical cards, contain different items of information about the cardholder; these items are called claims, and examples of claims might include the cardholder's name, or the card expiry date.

There are currently two different types of information cards:

Personal Cards

Personal cards are the digital equivalent to a business card - business cards are created to quickly and conveniently communicate affiliation and contact information (we call this information 'self-asserted'). This method of communicating data works well, even though it is possible to lie with a business card, because the information communicated is only used for simple purposes. Business cards do not work well for communicating data that users might gain from lying about: for example, no business will let you buy something by supplying a business card with a credit card number on it.

Managed Cards

Managed Cards are the digital equivalent to a drivers license - a card that describes a user, but whose content the user does not directly control. Managed cards are useful in cases where the word of the user themselves is not enough. In the case of a managed card, the user initiates a connection between the consuming site and an authority who will make claims on behalf of a user. The user can see what claims are made, but cannot edit the content of the claims. This card is useful for transactions made on behalf of the user where repudiation is a risk.

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