Patent ID: 7433848

Claim:
A system for performing a transaction presupposing the use of a portable data carrier carrying transaction data which are accessed within the transaction, the system comprising: a node computer connected with a plurality of terminals via a terminal network, the node computer having stored therein software for providing a terminal with at least one functionality for performing a requested transaction; each of said terminals having a reading apparatus accessing a portable data carrier and being programmed to receive software for further configuring the terminal to perform a requested transaction; said terminals being programmed to receive a request for performing a requested transaction and to identify a type of the requested transaction; said terminals being programmed to make a determination that the terminal is not configured to perform the requested transaction type; said terminals being programmed to request software from said node computer by forming a start sequence, encrypting the start sequence and transmitting the start sequence to the node computer, the start sequence comprising requested transaction information and card data read by said reading apparatus from a portable data carrier; said node computer being programmed to receive said start sequence, decrypt said start sequence, and transmit requested software to said terminals; said terminals being programmed to receive the requested software via the terminal network; wherein the requested software further configures the terminal to perform the requested transaction type, and the terminal is configured to perform the requested transaction in interaction between the node computer and the terminal while accessing a portable data carrier, the terminal and the node computer each performing partial steps of the transaction.