Patent ID: 6467684
Filing Date: 2002-10-22
Classification: G06Q,G07F

Abstract:
A pre-paid card system for purchasing products or services, comprising:a plurality of cards, each card having a unique identity number associated therewith, the cards being in an activated state and further having different purchasing values, for one-time use only; a host computer provided with a database for storing the identity numbers of the cards and their associated one-time purchasing values and including an indicator corresponding with each identity number which indicator can be switched between an activated state in which the card associated with the status is available for use in the payment of goods or services and an inactive state, in which the card associated with the status is not available for use in payment for goods or services; at least one merchant computer associated with a merchant offering a product or service for sale, said merchant computer being provided with a database containing details of said product or service for sale, including the price of the product or service; means for receiving input from a purchaser identifying the product or service of said merchant being purchased and identifying the identity number of a card for use in payment of the purchase; means for transferring the identity number identified by said purchaser to the host computer; and means for comparing the identity number identified by the purchaser with the identity numbers in the database of the host computer for matching the identity number identified by the purchaser with an identity number in the database of the host computer to validate the purchase if a matching identity number with a corresponding indicator in the activated state is found and the identity number which is associated with said card having a purchasing value that is at least equal or larger than the price of the product or service being purchased, and subsequently disqualifying the identity number for payment of a further purchase, irrespective of whether the purchasing value of the identity number is equal to or larger than the purchase price, by switching said indicator to an inactive state.