Airtime card for the sale and activation of wireless service 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;
• receiving a selection of wireless service type at 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 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 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 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 prepaid 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 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 prepaid wireless service based on a confirmation that the unique identifier of the near field communication tag of the airtime card is authentic;
• monitoring with the wireless service backend system a usage of the prepaid wireless service by the wireless device;
• and
• limiting with the wireless service backend system a 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.