Patent ID: 8775310

Claim:
A method comprising the steps of: issuing a recyclable contactless payment device to a first patron of a venue; facilitating said first patron using said contactless payment device at said venue; facilitating said first patron returning said contactless payment device for recycling; deactivating and storing said contactless payment device; in association with said issuing, collecting user preference information from said first patron; in association with said deactivating, disposing of a remaining balance of said recyclable contactless payment device in accordance with said preference information; providing a system, said system in turn comprising distinct software modules stored in a non-transitory manner on at least one tangible computer readable recordable storage medium, said modules comprising a return detection module, a refund module, a balance and preference database module, and a deactivation module, wherein, in said step of collecting said user preference information, said user preference information is stored in said balance and preference database module, at least a portion of said balance and preference database module executing on at least one hardware processor; detecting, with said return detection module executing on said at least one hardware processor, that said first patron has returned said recyclable contactless payment device for recycling and that said recyclable contactless payment device returned for recycling by said first patron is genuine; detecting, with said refund module executing on said at least one hardware processor and interfacing with said balance and preference database module, that said remaining balance exists and is to be disposed of in accordance with said user preference information; wherein: said step of deactivating said recyclable contactless payment device is carried out using said deactivation module executing on said at least one hardware processor; and said step of disposing of said remaining balance of said recyclable contactless payment device in accordance with said preference information is carried out using said refund module executing on said at least one hardware processor; and repeating said issuing and facilitating using steps for at least a second patron of said venue, with said recyclable contactless payment device.