A communication system comprising: a plurality of reader devices (120-1, 120-m) each having a midrange wireless transceiver; a plurality of access terminals (130-1, 130-n); wherein the plurality of reader devices (120-1, 120-m) are communicatively coupled to the plurality of access terminals (130-1, 130-n) and each reader device of the plurality of reader devices (120-1, 120-m) is configured to: maintain a transaction service attributes database in a memory of the reader device, the transaction service attributes database storing a set of transaction service characteristics and associated characteristic identifiers; broadcast a beacon at a periodic interval using the midrange wireless transceiver, the beacon including a transaction service indicator; receive a connection request from a communication device; establish a wireless connection with the communication device; perform an application selection process with the communication device by updating a selected application identifier characteristic in the transaction service attributes database based on file control information received from the communication device; perform application data processing with the communication device by updating the transaction service attributes database with application data received from the communication device; and perform authorization request processing for the communication device, the authorization request processing including generating an authorization request message based on application data characteristics in the transaction service attributes database, wherein only one reader device of the plurality of reader devices (120-1, 120-m) broadcasts a beacon including the transaction service indicator at a time, such that other reader devices of the plurality of reader devices (120-1, 120-m) do not broadcast a beacon until after the wireless connection has been established with the communication device. a plurality of reader devices (120-1, 120-m) each having a midrange wireless transceiver; a plurality of access terminals (130-1, 130-n); wherein the plurality of reader devices (120-1, 120-m) are communicatively coupled to the plurality of access terminals (130-1, 130-n) and each reader device of the plurality of reader devices (120-1, 120-m) is configured to: maintain a transaction service attributes database in a memory of the reader device, the transaction service attributes database storing a set of transaction service characteristics and associated characteristic identifiers; broadcast a beacon at a periodic interval using the midrange wireless transceiver, the beacon including a transaction service indicator; receive a connection request from a communication device; establish a wireless connection with the communication device; perform an application selection process with the communication device by updating a selected application identifier characteristic in the transaction service attributes database based on file control information received from the communication device; perform application data processing with the communication device by updating the transaction service attributes database with application data received from the communication device; and perform authorization request processing for the communication device, the authorization request processing including generating an authorization request message based on application data characteristics in the transaction service attributes database, wherein only one reader device of the plurality of reader devices (120-1, 120-m) broadcasts a beacon including the transaction service indicator at a time, such that other reader devices of the plurality of reader devices (120-1, 120-m) do not broadcast a beacon until after the wireless connection has been established with the communication device. maintain a transaction service attributes database in a memory of the reader device, the transaction service attributes database storing a set of transaction service characteristics and associated characteristic identifiers; broadcast a beacon at a periodic interval using the midrange wireless transceiver, the beacon including a transaction service indicator; receive a connection request from a communication device; establish a wireless connection with the communication device; perform an application selection process with the communication device by updating a selected application identifier characteristic in the transaction service attributes database based on file control information received from the communication device; perform application data processing with the communication device by updating the transaction service attributes database with application data received from the communication device; and perform authorization request processing for the communication device, the authorization request processing including generating an authorization request message based on application data characteristics in the transaction service attributes database, wherein only one reader device of the plurality of reader devices (120-1, 120-m) broadcasts a beacon including the transaction service indicator at a time, such that other reader devices of the plurality of reader devices (120-1, 120-m) do not broadcast a beacon until after the wireless connection has been established with the communication device.