Electronic wallet

In an electronic wallet, a method comprising the steps of:

• storing at least a balance corresponding to an account in a financial institution;
• automatically initiating a financial transaction with the financial institution from the electronic wallet;
• selective call receiving a wireless message transmitted from a remote transmitter, the wireless message including financial information relating to the balance for confirming the financial transaction with the financial institution;
• and
• updating the balance in response to the wireless message.

A communication system for communicating financial information, comprising:

• storing means for storing at least a balance corresponding to an account in a financial institution;
• paging system transmitting means coupled to a computer system associated with the financial institution for transmitting a wireless message including information relating to the balance corresponding to the account in the financial institution, the wireless message confirming a financial transaction with the financial institution;
• selective call receiving means for receiving the wireless message from the paging system transmitting means;
• and
• updating means, coupled to the storing means and to the selective call receiving means, for updating the balance in the storing means in response to the wireless message.

An electronic wallet, comprising:

• storing means for storing at least a balance corresponding to an account in a financial institution;
• selective call receiving means for receiving a wireless message transmitted from a remote transmitter, the wireless message including financial information relating to the balance for confirming a financial transaction with the financial institution;
• updating means, coupled to the storing means and to the selective call receiving means, for updating the balance in the storing means in response to the wireless message;
• wireless message transmitting means, coupled to the storing means and to the selective call receiving means, for initiating a financial transaction with the financial institution by transmitting a wireless message including financial information corresponding to the account, the selective call receiving means operating to receive a confirmation of the financial transaction by receiving the wireless message transmitted from the remote transmitter and including the financial information relating to the balance;
• modem means coupled to the initiating means for initiating the financial transaction with the financial institution via modem communication, and then confirming the financial transaction by the selective call receiver subsequently receiving the wireless message from the remote transmitter;
• verifying means, coupled to the selective call receiving means and to the wireless message transmitting means, for verifying the financial transaction with the received wireless message including financial information relating to the balance;
• printing means coupled to the storing means for printing check/vouchers for initiating financial transactions with the financial institution, each financial transaction being confirmed with a wireless message including financial information relating to the balance;
• magnetic reading means coupled to the storing means for magnetically reading into the storing means a representation of financial information from at least one financial card;
• magnetic writing means coupled to the storing means for magnetically writing a representation of the financial information stored in the storing means from one of the at least one financial card to a universal financial card for initiating a financial transaction with a financial institution corresponding to the one of the at least one financial card, the financial transaction being confirmed by the selective call receiver subsequently receiving the wireless message from the remote transmitter;
• timer means coupled to the storing means for storing time information in the storing means;
• and
• securing means, responsive to a received wireless message having access control information, for prohibiting user access to financial functions of the electronic wallet.