Decoding system running on a mobile device and coupled to a payment system that includes at least one of, a user database, a product database and a transaction database

A decoding system coupled to a payment system, comprising:

• a decoding engine running on a mobile device, the decoding engine in operation decoding signals produced from a read of a buyer's financial transaction card, the decoding engine in operation accepting and initializing incoming signals from the read of the buyer's financial transaction card until the signals reach a steady state, detecting the read of the buyer's financial transaction card once the incoming signals are in the steady state, identifying peaks in the incoming signals and digitizing identified peaks in the incoming signals into bits;
• a transaction engine running on the mobile device and coupled to the decoding engine, the transaction engine in operation receiving as its input decoded buyer's financial transaction card information from the decoding engine;
• and
• the transaction engine being configured to be coupled to a card reader with a sourcing power device.