Patent ID: 7474904

Claim:
A device for acquiring information relating to payment means and for transferring this information to a server center of a banking organization, the device comprising: means for reading the payment means, a central processing unit to which the reading means are connected, a first modem for establishing a first telephone link between the central processing unit and the server center, first means for dialing telephone numbers, said first dialing means being associated with the first modem, wherein the first means for dialing telephone numbers and the associated first modem consist of elements of wired telephony circuits, so that the device is able to be connected to a switched telephone network for establishing the first telephone link, a second modem for establishing a second telephone link between the central processing unit and the server center, second means for dialing telephone numbers, said second dialing means being associated with the second modem, wherein the second means for dialing telephone numbers and the associated second modem consist of elements of wireless telephony circuits, so that the device is able to be connected to a wireless telephony network for establishing the second telephone link, and a switching facility for selectively placing the central processing unit in communication with the first or second means for dialing telephone numbers such that the central processing unit may be selectively connected to the server center via the first telephone link of the second telephone link.