Patent ID: 8117129

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving, at a computer based fare collection system, for a first time, an alias account code, wherein the alias account code is associated with a mass transit registration account, wherein the alias account code is an alias for a transaction account code issued by a transaction account issuer, and wherein the alias account code is translated by the transaction account issuer based upon the transaction account code; determining, by the computer based system, a first time, whether the alias account code is in a temporary database table of restricted alias account codes; allowing, by the computer based system, access to a mass transit vehicle, in response to the alias account code not being in the temporary database table, prior to obtaining authorization of the alias account code; obtaining, by the computer based system, the authorization of the alias account code; updating, by the computer based system, the temporary database table by including the alias account code in the temporary database table in response to a ride limit being reached; receiving, at the computer based system, for a second time, the alias account code; determining, by the computer based system, for the second time whether the alias account code is in the temporary database table of restricted alias account codes; denying, by the computer based system, access to the mass transit vehicle, in response to the alias account code being in the temporary database table; obtaining, by the computer based system, a status of the alias account code; adding, by the computer based system, the alias account code to a permanent database table in response to the alias account code not being active; and removing, by the computer based system, the alias account code from the temporary database table in response to the alias account code being active.