Bank One issued 6 Visa Cash cards during their 3 year program.

Catalog #	Cash	Expired	Chip	Card Mfr.	Quantity	Venue	Used at:
BKO (1)	$2	Sep-98	Gemplus	Gemplus	Unknown	Data Center	Cafeteria, Internal Store
BKO (1a)	$0	No Date	Gemplus	Gemplus	Unknown	Data Center	Cafeteria, Internal Store
BKO (2)	$20	Sep-98	Gemplus	Gemplus	Unknown	Data Center	Cafeteria, Internal Store
BKO (2a)	$20	Sep-98	Gemplus	Gemplus	Unknown	Data Center	Cafeteria, Internal Store
BKO (3)	$20	Sep-99	Schlumb.	Schlumb.	Unknown	Data Center	Cafeteria, Internal Store
BKO (4)	$20	Sep-00	Schlumb.	Schlumb.	Unknown	Data Center	Cafeteria, Internal Store

Program Overview - Bank One Visa Cash Cards:

Bank One Visa Cash cards were issued from 1997 through 2000 and all expired at the end of September 2000. Currently it is known that Bank One issued six (6) Visa Cash cards in four (4) card styles for their Visa Cash program. These Visa Cash cards were given away to visitors and employees for use in testing the Visa Cash card concept and system in Bank One's operation center. The card was to be used as a cash replacement to buy items at the cafeterias and the internal company store located in the  data center. When the Visa Cash  card's value was used up the card was simply thrown away. To get the card, you had to be an employee or visitor of Bank One and then use the card before it expired or the value left on the card became worthless. This card was never sold to the general public and only a very small and unknown quantity were issued. Like other Visa Cash participant banks, once the Visa Cash program was discontinued, Bank One destroyed their remaining stock and those Visa Cash cards were lost to collectors forever as were those thrown away by the employees.  

_{Click on any image below to enlarge.}

^{Bank One began their Visa Cash program sometime in 1997 and issued the "Special Edition" card 1997 or early 1998. The bank used the famous Bank One logo as the front design.  Note that none of the Bank One Visa cash cards in the program had magnetic stripes on the back. The start date of the program is unknown. Each card issued had $2 value stored in each card. These cards were provided to employees and visitors for free. It was important for employees to use the cards to provide testing of the cards, point of sale terminals, settlement, reporting and a number of system functions.} 

To continue to promote and the system Bank One handed out this promotional card during the first part of 1998. The card had $2 value printed on the front, however it was strictly a promotional card and while it said $2 cash value on the front, no value was loaded on this card. Note the different chip in the sample card and most likely we have been told just a contact pad, with no actual chip underneath, which significantly reduces the cost of production. VisaCash.org is trying to confirm this was the case.   

^{Now out of test and into "production" the first $20 Bank One Visa Cash card was issued also in 1998. To obtain the card, you had to be a employee or visitor of the Bank One data center, provide $20 to the bank (we are not sure who or where in the bank operations center they were sold) and then use the card before the end of September 1998 or the value left in the card became worthless. This card was never sold to the general public and only a very small and unknown quantity were issued. Because all the Bank One Visa Cash cards in the program were disposable, their was never a need for signature space like on some reloadable cards.}  

^{A second Bank One $20 card was issued some time after the first production card. The first  $20 production card (2) had lighter shading and colors that were different than the $2 Special Edition card (1), so by revising the colors and shading this Visa Cash card brought back a consistent color scheme. It may not be easy to tell that from these scans. There are no design differences on the reverse of the revised $20 Visa Cash card. It is now thought by VisaCash.org that (2) the first $20 production Visa Cash card basically was a printing error and  (2a) with its color redesign was the original intention for the card issue. It continues to be unknown at this time if that is for certain why the card  was reprinted, what quantities and why the decision was made. VisaCash.org continues to research this card.} 

^{A entirely new Bank One Visa Cash design with a new card from Schlumberger was issued in the fall of 1998. Note that each Bank One card was disposable and had a one year life.  It is unknown at this time why Bank One changed vendors, the design was completely redone and why these decisions were made. VisaCash.org continues to research this card and information relating to its history.} 

^{The next year saw the same card design from Schlumberger but a entirely different chip and the last of the program. Bank of America in 2002 issued a Visa Cash card that was also disposable with this same chip. That card is listed in the revised VisaCash.org catalog as BOA (32). The program was discontinued when the BKO (4) cards expired.  It is unknown at this time why Bank One changed vendors, the design was completely redone and why the decisions were made. VisaCash.org continues to research this card and information relating to its history.}

---------------------------------------------------------

If you or someone you know has more information concerning the Bank One Visa Cash program, please contact us.