Patent ID: 7886969

Claim:
A method comprising: providing tender at a point of service terminal operated by a load agent, the point of service terminal being in operative communication with a payment processing network, wherein the point of service terminal thereafter sends a transaction authorization request to an issuer of a portable consumer device via the payment processing network, wherein the portable consumer device is to be used by a user and wherein the issuer thereafter authorizes or does not authorize the transaction authorization request; receiving at the point of service terminal, an indication that the transaction authorization request has been approved or not approved; and if the transaction authorization request has been approved, the portable consumer device is either initially loaded or reloaded with an amount associated with the tender provided at the point of service terminal, wherein the payment processing network is adapted to process debit and credit card transactions, wherein the transaction authorization request comprises a prepaid load transaction code in a data field that indicates that the transaction being conducted is a prepaid load transaction, instead of a normal debit or a credit card transaction, a network identification code, an acquirer code, and an issuer code, wherein the transaction authorization request is approved, and the tender and other tenders provided by other consumers are aggregated and an amount associated with the aggregated tenders is sent to an acquirer of the load agent, wherein the acquirer participates in a clearing and settlement process with various issuers including the issuer of the portable consumer device, and wherein the issuer of the portable consumer device receives the amount associated with the tender provided at the point of sale.