systems, methods and devices for selling transaction instruments

A method for funding an open transaction instrument for use in a retail environment, comprising:

• receiving at least one of:
• a tracking code and an account code associated with the open transaction instrument, wherein the account code is a conversion from a corresponding tracking code that is also associated with the open transaction instrument, wherein the open transaction instrument is directly accessible by the consumer, and wherein at least one of:
• a package and the open transaction instrument includes the tracking code, wherein the package contains the open transaction instrument;
• receiving a funding request;
• verifying the validity of at least one of:
• the account code and the tracking code;
• and,
• transmitting an approval of the funding request.

A method for facilitating communication of payment messages between an issuing bank and a merchant, wherein the payment messages relate to a transaction account associated with an open transaction instrument purchased in a retail environment, comprising:

• transmitting from the merchant to the issuer a request to debit a purchase amount from a balance of the transaction account, wherein an account code is associated with the transaction account, wherein at least one of:
• a package and the open transaction instrument includes the tracking code, wherein the package contains the open transaction instrument, and wherein the open transaction instrument was directly accessible by the consumer and activated using the tracking code;
• and,
• receiving, at the merchant and from the issuer, a message that indicates that the transaction account associated with the open transaction instrument is a valid transaction account, the balance of the transaction account associated with the open transaction instrument is at least equal to the purchase amount and the balance will be reduced by the purchase amount.

A method for creating open transaction instruments for use in a retail environment, comprising:

• configuring each of the account codes to respectively correspond to each transaction account, wherein the open transaction instrument is associated with the transaction account, wherein at least one of:
• a package and the open transaction instrument includes a tracking code, and wherein the package contains the open transaction instrument;
• facilitating use of the open transaction instrument, wherein the open transaction instrument is offered by a merchant to a consumer and is directly accessible by the consumer;
• and,
• transmitting the account codes to a third party, wherein the third party facilitates establishing each tracking code that respectively corresponds to each of the account codes.