A system and method for substantially immediate issuance of transaction cards includes at least one unassigned transaction card including a storage medium having a card number encoded thereupon. A lead-in area and a volume space are allocated in the data recording area in advance. The second GUI display screen can include a device specific image and device specific instructions. The metal may be cast directly in a stent-like form or cast into sheets or tubes from which the inventive stents are produced.