Patent ID: 8424750

Claim:
An authorization system comprising: an authorization server; an account server for storing account data relating to a plurality of accounts; an access terminal, including: a token reader for inputting token data from a selected one of a plurality of tokens, the token data identifying one of the plurality of accounts; and input means for inputting transaction data; wherein the access terminal is operable to receive token data from the token reader and to receive transaction data from the input means; and transmit to the account server a first transaction request containing the token data and the transaction data; and to transmit to the authorization server a second transaction request including access terminal identification data identifying the access terminal; the account server being operable to receive the first transaction request; to process the token data to generate account identification data, the account identification data being associated with a portion of the account data; and to transmit a third transaction request to the authorization server, the third transaction request including the transaction data; the authorization server being operable to receive the second transaction request and to receive the third transaction request; to process the transaction data and the access terminal identification data to determine whether the access terminal is authorized to enable the transaction; if the terminal is authorized, to transmit to the account server an authorization request to indicate that the access terminal is authorized; and in response to receipt of the authorization request form the authorization server, the account server is operable to process the transaction data and to modify the account data associated with the account identification data in dependence on the processing.