Patent ID: 8360329

Claim:
An apparatus for making a payment comprising: a first payment module configured to execute a first payment routine when a particular power source is both present in the apparatus and active, wherein the particular power source is active when the particular power source is able to supply power to the first payment module to execute the first payment routine, and wherein the first payment routine comprises transmitting to a payment terminal information about a payment vehicle stored in memory of the apparatus; a switching module configured to execute a switching routine when a switching condition is detected, wherein the switching routine comprises activating a deactivated second payment module, and wherein the switching condition is based at least partially on current state of the particular power source; and the second payment module configured to execute a second payment routine without a need for the particular power source, wherein the second payment routine comprises allowing information about a payment vehicle stored in memory of the apparatus to be transmitted to the payment terminal, wherein the switching module is configured to use a user interface of the apparatus to ask a user whether the user wants to activate the second payment module when the switching module detects the switching condition, the switching condition comprising the particular power source being discharged past a predefined level.