Patent ID: 7089214

Claim:
A method for permitting a user to conduct a charged transaction utilizing a charge terminal of an electronic transaction system, the charge card terminal being configured to interface with a charge card for the purpose of conducting the charge card transaction, providing a merchant where the charge card transaction is to be conducted, comprising accepting at a charge card terminal for the merchant where the charge card transaction is to be conducted to accept the merchant card and a pin number or cellular phone number from the user conducting the charge card transaction, detecting the use of the merchant card at a central processing payment server, the payment server using the transaction associated phone number or pin number as an index to a database which stores a cellular phone number for the person required to authorize the transaction, the database further stores a record of whether the authorizers cellular phone has an imbedded portable electronic authorizing action device (PEAD), in response to said detection step, utilizing the phone number or pin number to cause a call to be placed to a cellular phone of a person required to authorize the charge card transaction, sending a report of the users charge card transaction to the cellular phone, and authorizing approval of the charge card transaction back to the merchant's charge card terminal only upon approval by the authorized persons, the authorizing person approving the transaction by entering a pin number at the cellular phone into the PEAD.