1. A system for obtaining and storing information in an integrated circuit card used by a cardholder for conducting transactions over one or more environments each having a different type of card-accepting terminal, comprising: a memory unit in said card having data records for storing information, said records being accessible by a terminal computer operating compatible software and said records having both formatted and unformatted fields, said formatted fields being accessible using generic labels, and said unformatted fields being accessible using non-generic labels; wherein generic labels are labels understandable to a variety of terminal types; non-generic labels are labels understandable only to specific terminal types; wherein the formatted fields are fields that are understandable to a variety of terminal types and software associated with said terminal types; and the unformatted fields are fields that are understandable only to specific terminal types and software associated with said terminal types.