Patent ID: 8849706

Claim:
A method of shopping using pre-loaded pricing information, comprising the steps of: determining a purchase plan; obtaining pricing information from a pricing information provider, wherein said pricing information comprises cost, a provider identifier, validity limitations, and an object identifier; loading said pricing information onto a handheld wireless device; obtaining an image of a two dimensional visual indicia, wherein said two dimensional visual indicia provides information associated with the retrieval of validity-limited pricing information; determining whether a merchant identifier information in said validity-limited pricing information exists within said pricing information, wherein: (a) if said merchant identifier does not exist within said pricing information, then storing said validity-limited pricing information within the handheld wireless device, and (b) if said merchant identifier does exist within said pricing information, then determining that validity limitations within the validity-limited pricing information have not expired; in response to determining that the validity limitations within the validity-limited pricing information have not expired, updating said pricing information on said handheld wireless device with said validity limited pricing information; scanning at least one linear visual indicia using said handheld device to obtain a cost associated with a product or service; updating a budget total based on an obtained cost.