Powering financial transaction token with onboard power source

There is provided a card or token for use in financial transactions. The financial transaction token or card has an onboard energy storage device that enables onboard electronics to operate when the card is not in the proximity of a merchant Point-Of-Service (POS) terminal. In one implementation, the onboard energy storage device includes a capacitor such as a thin-film capacitor that stores sufficient energy to power onboard electronics without the need for an onboard battery. The card may be incorporated within various conventional apparatus such as a see-through and/or protective substrate, an item of clothing, an item of jewelry, a cell phone, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a credit card, an identification card, a money holder, a wallet, a personal organizer, a keychain payment tag, and like personality.