Patent ID: 7234638

Claim:
An apparatus for performing at least some non-financial transactions, the apparatus comprising: a portable information storage device including: a processor for executing routines used to control operation of said device; and a memory coupled to said processor, said memory including: a plurality of sets of benefit package information, each of the sets of benefit package information including: i) benefit package selection criteria data, ii) a plurality of benefit item identifiers, each benefit item identifier identifying a non-monetary item to be supplied as a benefit and iii) quantity information including a plurality of non-monetary quantity values, each non-monetary quantity value corresponding to a different benefit item identified by a benefit item identifier included in the same set of benefit package information as the corresponding non-monetary quantity value; an account owner interface that allows an account owner to access and modify benefit package information included in said memory, said account owner interface allowing the account owner to read benefit package information from said memory and to perform at least one of: increasing one of the non-monetary quantity values included in one of the sets of benefit package information and storing a new set of benefit package information in said memory; and a retailer interface, said retailer interface prohibiting a retailer from storing information on a new benefit to be provided or incrementing a stored non-momentary quantity value indicating the amount of a benefit to be provided but allowing the retailer to obtain benefit account information from said portable electronic device and to cause decrementing of non-monetary quantity values stored in said memory.