Patent ID: 8870065

Claim:
A method for providing balances for an account accessed by an electronic card, the method comprising: accessing the account with an electronic card; reading the electronic card with a portable card balance reader, the portable card balance reader having dimensions suitable to fit in a pocket of a user, the portable card balance reader also comprising function keys allowing the user to enter commands to the portable card balance reader; recording a ledger balance of the account in a local memory of the card balance reader, wherein a ledger balance of the account is an amount of deposited funds of the user less any amount on hold by one or more creditors; recording an available funds balance of the account in the local memory of the card balance reader, wherein the available funds balance is an amount of deposited funds of the user less any amount withheld by a financial institution awaiting clearance; providing at least one display on the card balance reader for displaying at least one of the ledger balance and the available funds balance; calculating with the card balance reader a minimum balance by comparing the ledger balance and the available funds balance, and determining the minimum balance; and comparing the minimum balance with an amount of a desired expenditure.