Airtime card for the sale and activation of wireless services for a wireless device

A method of authorizing wireless services for a wireless device, the method comprising:

• providing an airtime card for the authorizing of a prepaid wireless service, the airtime card including a near field communication tag, the near field communication tag including a unique identifier corresponding to the prepaid wireless service associated with the airtime card;
• configuring the unique identifier to be received by a near field communication reader of the wireless device;
• communicating with the near field communication tag of the airtime card with a point-of-sale;
• programming the unique identifier of the near field communication tag of the airtime card in response to a payment transaction with the point-of-sale;
• transmitting the unique identifier of the near field communication tag of the airtime card to a wireless service backend system with the point-of-sale;
• transmitting the unique identifier of the near field communication tag of the airtime card to the near field communication reader of the wireless device;
• transmitting the unique identifier of the near field communication tag of the airtime card from the wireless device to the wireless service backend system in an authorization message;
• receiving the unique identifier of the near field communication tag of the airtime card in the wireless service backend system from the wireless device, the wireless service backend system configured to receive at least a portion of said transmitted unique identifier of the near field communication tag of the airtime card in the authorization message transmitted to the wireless service backend system from the wireless device for the authorization of the wireless service corresponding to the unique identifier stored in the near field communication tag of the airtime card;
• searching with the wireless service backend system a database for the transmitted unique identifier of the near field communication tag of the airtime card to confirm that the unique identifier of the near field communication tag of the airtime card is authentic and authorizing with the wireless service backend system the wireless service based on the confirmation that the unique identifier of the near field communication tag of the airtime card is authentic;
• monitoring with the wireless service backend system the usage of the prepaid wireless service by the wireless device;
• and
• limiting with the wireless service backend system the usage of wireless service by the wireless device once the prepaid wireless service has been expended,
• wherein the unique identifier of the near field communication tag of the airtime card is recorded in a database of the wireless service backend system when the airtime card is purchased.

A system for authorization of prepaid wireless services, the system comprising:

• an airtime card including a near field communication tag, the near field communication tag including a unique identifier corresponding to a prepaid wireless service, wherein said unique identifier is configured to be transmitted, using a near field communication reader of a wireless device, to a processor of the wireless device;
• a wireless service backend system configured to receive at least a portion of said unique identifier in an authorization message transmitted to the wireless service backend system from the wireless device for the authorization of the wireless service corresponding to the unique identifier stored in the near field communication tag of the airtime card;
• and
• the wireless service backend system further configured to search a database for the unique identifier to confirm that the unique identifier is authentic and the wireless service backend system further configured to authorize the wireless service based on the confirmation that the unique identifier is authentic,
• wherein the wireless service backend system is configured to monitor the usage of the prepaid wireless service by the wireless device;
• wherein the wireless service backend system is configured to limit the usage of wireless service by the wireless device once the prepaid wireless service has been expended;
• wherein a point-of-sale is configured to communicate with the near field communication tag of the airtime card, the point-of-sale is configured to program the unique identifier of the near field communication tag of the airtime card in response to a payment transaction, and the point-of-sale is configured to transmit the unique identifier of the near field communication tag of the airtime card to the wireless service backend system;
• wherein the wireless service backend system is further configured to receive the unique identifier from the point-of-sale in response to the payment transaction and the wireless service backend system is further configured to record the unique identifier of the near field communication tag of the airtime card in the database of the wireless service backend system when the airtime card is purchased;
• wherein the point-of-sale is further configured to receive a selection of wireless service type and the point-of-sale is configured to transmit the selection of wireless service type and the unique identifier of the near field communication tag of the airtime card to the wireless service backend system;
• wherein the wireless device is configured to execute an activation application with a processor of the wireless device, the activation application executed by the wireless device reads the unique identifier of the near field communication tag of the airtime card, and the activation application executed by the wireless device transmits the unique identifier of the near field communication tag of the airtime card and wireless device information to the wireless backend system;
• wherein the wireless service backend system is further configured to receive the wireless device information, that is included in the authorization message, from the wireless device;
• wherein the wireless device information comprises at least one of the following:
• International Mobile Station Equipment Identity (IMEI), an Electronic Serial Number (ESN), a Mobile Equipment Identifier (MEID), a serial number for a subscriber identity module (SIM), or an Integrated Circuit Card Identification (ICCID);
• wherein the prepaid wireless services include one or more of:
• wireless data, text messaging, and wireless talk time;
• wherein the wireless service backend system is further configured to search the database for the unique identifier to determine that the unique identifier is not approved and the wireless service backend system is further configured to stop authorization of the wireless service based on the determination that the unique identifier is not approved;
• wherein the near field communication tag is a radio frequency identification chip that include ISO/IEC 14443 protocols;
• wherein the unique identifier is recorded in a database of the wireless service backend system when the airtime card is purchased;
• wherein the unique identifier recorded in the database is verified by the wireless service backend system when the prepaid wireless service is redeemed;
• wherein the wireless backend system is implemented by a mobile virtual network operator;
• and
• wherein the prepaid wireless services include one or more of:
• wireless data, text messaging, and wireless talk time.