Patent ID: 8706642

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: [1] a computer readable storage medium storing a computer readable program; [2] a processor executing the computer readable program, the computer readable program comprising: [3] an authentication module receiving a first authentication from a user of the payment instrument at an authorized computer that the user designates as authorized to validate authentications for a payment instrument distinct from the authorized computer, electronically transacting payments with a payment server, and comprising a transaction restriction for the payment instrument; [4] a security module residing on the authorized computer and securely storing encryption keys, wherein a first encryption key is a hash of the first authentication, a second encryption key is shared by the security module and the payment server and is required to change the transaction restriction for payment instrument, and the payment server authorizes payments by the payment instrument at a point-of-sale station distinct from the authorized computer and changes the transaction restriction of the payment instrument; [5] the authentication module receiving a second authentication from the user only at the authorized computer; and [6] the security module validating the second authentication with the first encryption key, and authorizing a change to the transaction restriction by the payment server by communicating the second encryption key to the payment server if the second authentication is valid and the security module communicates the second encryption key through the authorized computer.