Patent ID: 8117444

Claim:
A method, comprising: receiving a first request at a host computer, from a service device, for information regarding authentication of a user and identifying a price of a product or service to be purchased by the user, wherein the first request is in response to a transaction at the service device; authenticating the transaction before confirming the transaction with the user in response to determining that the price is below a first threshold amount, which corresponds to a first authentication level; and authenticating the transaction after confirming the transaction with the user in response to determining that the price is above the first threshold amount and less than or equal to a second threshold amount, which corresponds to a second authentication level, wherein the first threshold amount is less than the second threshold amount, wherein the confirming comprises: transmitting from the host computer to a mobile communications device a second request for user identification information in response to receiving the first request; receiving the user identification information from the mobile communications device at the host computer in response to the second request; comparing the user identification information and authentication information to generate comparison results; and using the comparison results for the confirmation.