Patent ID: 7562813

Claim:
A method for activating a payment instrument in the form of a mobile device, wherein during activation an account identifier is loaded into the mobile device, and wherein the mobile device employs telecommunications signaling and has a payment instrument module that employs wireless signaling separate from the telecommunications signaling for storing the account identifier and for transmitting the account identifier when conducting a transaction, the method comprising: associating a personal identifier with the account identifier and providing that personal identifier to a user prior to activation of the payment instrument; placing the mobile device in proximity to an external wireless device that is external to the mobile device and that is not a payment instrument, the external wireless device transmitting wireless signaling representing the account identifier; transmitting the account identifier from the external wireless device to the payment instrument module; requesting a personal identifier be provided by the user; and enabling the payment instrument to use the transmitted account identifier if the requested personal identifier provided by the user matches the personal identifier associated with the account identifier.