Patent ID: 7630926

Claim:
A method of adding a value redeemable with one or more providers including a specific provider having a pre-existing customer account identified by a specific customer account number, the method utilizing a central processor in selective communication with a point of sale terminal and the one or more providers, the method comprising: receiving, at the central processor, from a point of sale terminal a request to add a value to the pre-existing customer account of a customer, the request resulting from a purchase of the value and comprising: value identification data associated with the value; account identification data associated with the pre-existing customer account; the value identification data and account identification data being received by the point of sale terminal; determining, by the central processor, the specific provider based on the account identification data; communicating, by the central processor, with a processor of the specific provider; and providing, by the central processor, to the processor of the specific provider, the value identification data and the account identification data, wherein the value is added to the pre-existing customer account by the specific provider based on the value identification data provided.