Patent ID: 7533065

Claim:
A method for making a purchase and paying for the purchase with a wireless electronic device, the method comprises: granting credit from a creditor to a customer, the granting of credit to the customer includes the creditor giving to the customer an electronic certificate, which is stored in the wireless electronic device of the customer, the electronic certificate including a commitment by the creditor to pay the purchase on behalf of the customer without checking a monetary balance of the customer during the purchase; using the electronic device in order to establish a wireless connection with an automatic service or goods vending machine, wherein the certificate granted by the creditor is partly encrypted by a symmetrical encryption key formed on the basis of information known both to the creditor and to the vending machine and information that can be calculated from data contained in the certificate; and wirelessly utilizing the electronic certificate contained in the electronic device when making the purchase in the automatic service or goods vending machine and verifying the authenticity of the certificate in the vending machine prior to delivering goods or services; whereafter the vending machine delivers the goods or services to the customer without checking the monetary balance of the customer based on the commitment and charges the creditor for the purchase after the goods or services are delivered.