Wireless mobile communicator for contactless payment on account read from removable card

A cellular telephone comprising:

• a magnetic strip card reader having a card receiving position thereof and configured for removably receive a planar substrate having a surface with a magnetic strip thereon into the card receiving position of the magnetic strip card reader;
• a display screen;
• an input device;
• cellular telephony communications apparatus;
• short range communications apparatus configured for communications having a range of not more than about 300 meters;
• memory for storing instructions and data;
• and
• a computing apparatus, when the magnetic strip card reader is in the receiving position thereof, configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory to:
• read information encoded in the magnetic strip on the planar substrate;
• derive, from the information encoded in the magnetic strip on the planar substrate, an identifier for an account issued by an issuer;
• transmits, using the short range communications apparatus, the identifier for the account;
• receive, using the short range communications apparatus, in response to the transmission of the identifier for the account, a total currency amount of a transaction with a merchant being conducted on the account by use of the cellular telephone;
• render, on the display screen, a prompt requesting authorization of a withdrawal of the total currency amount for the transaction from the account;
• receive, from the input device in response to the rendered prompt, an indicator as to an approval of the requested authorization for the withdrawal of the total currency amount for the transaction from the account;
• transmit, using the using the short range communications apparatus, information corresponding to the indicator;
• and
• receive, using the short range communications apparatus, in response to the transmission of the information corresponding to the indicator, a remaining currency balance in the account;
• render, on the display screen in response to the receiving of the remaining currency balance in the account, the remaining currency balance in the account;
• encode, with the magnetic strip card reader, the received remaining currency balance in the information in the magnetic strip on the planar substrate;
• receive, from the input device, an indicator corresponding to a demand balance inquiry;
• read, in response to the receipt of the indicator corresponding to the demand balance inquiry, the encoded remaining currency balance in the information in the magnetic strip on the planar substrate;
• and
• render, on the display screen, in response to the reading of the encoded remaining currency balance in the information in the magnetic strip on the planar substrate, a display representing the remaining currency balance in the account as encoded in the magnetic strip on the planar substrate.

A World Wide Web (Web) enabled wireless mobile communications system, comprising:

• means for reading a data bearing card and configured to removably receive the data bearing card into a card receiving position thereof;
• a user interface including:
• means for displaying;
• and
• means for receiving input;
• means for transreceiving wireless communications over the Internet;
• means for storing instructions and data;
• and
• computing means for executing the instructions and a Web browser providing interactive communications with the Web;
• wherein when the means for reading a data bearing card is in the receiving position thereof, the computing means executes instructions to:
• read, using the means for reading a data bearing card, information encoded in memory of the data bearing card;
• derive, from the information encoded in the memory of the data bearing card, an identifier for an account issued by an issuer;
• transmit, using the wireless communications apparatus, the identifier for the account for delivery to a logical Internet address;
• receive, from a logical Internet address, using the means for transreceiving wireless communications, in response to the transmission of the identifier for the account, a total currency amount of a transaction with a merchant being conducted on the account by use of the wireless mobile communications apparatus;
• render, using the means for displaying, a prompt requesting authorization of withdrawal of the total currency amount for the transaction from the account;
• receive, from the means for receiving input of the user interface, in response to the rendered prompt, an indicator as to an approval of the requested authorization for the withdrawal of the total currency amount for the transaction from the account;
• transmit, using the means for transreceiving wireless communications, information corresponding to the indicator for delivery to a logical Internet address;
• receive, from a logical Internet address, using the means for transreceiving wireless communications, in response to the transmission of the information corresponding to the indicator, a remaining currency balance in the account;
• render, using the means for displaying, in response to the receiving of the remaining currency balance in the account, the remaining currency balance in the account;
• encode, with the means for reading a data bearing card, the received remaining currency balance in the information in the data bearing card;
• receive, from the means for receiving input of the user interface, an indicator corresponding to a demand balance inquiry;
• read, using the means for reading a data bearing card, in response to the receipt of the indicator corresponding to the demand balance inquiry, the encoded remaining currency balance in the information in the data bearing card;
• and
• render, using the means for displaying, in response to the reading of the encoded remaining currency balance in the information in the data bearing card, the remaining currency balance in the account as encoded in the memory of the data bearing card.

A wireless mobile communications method, comprising:

• reading, using a card reader, information encoded in memory of a data bearing card in a card receiving position thereof;
• deriving, from the information encoded in the memory of the data bearing card, an identifier for an account issued by an issuer;
• and
• transmitting, using wireless communication, the identifier for the account;
• receiving, using wireless communications, in response to the transmission of the identifier for the account, a total currency amount of a transaction with a merchant being conducted on the account using wireless communication;
• rendering, using a display, a prompt requesting authorization of withdrawal of the total currency amount for the transaction from the account;
• receiving, from an input device, in response to the rendered prompt, an indicator as to an approval of the requested authorization for the withdrawal of the total currency amount for the transaction from the account;
• transmitting, using wireless communication, information corresponding to the indicator;
• receiving, using wireless communication, in response to the transmission of the information corresponding to the indicator, a remaining currency balance in the account;
• and
• rendering, using the display, in response to the receiving of the remaining currency balance in the account, the remaining currency balance in the account;
• encoding, using the card reader, the received remaining currency balance in the account in the memory of the data bearing card;
• receiving, from the input device, an indicator corresponding to a demand balance inquiry;
• reading, in response to the receipt of the indicator corresponding to the demand balance inquiry, the encoded remaining currency balance in the account in the memory of the data bearing card;
• and
• rendering, on the display, in response to the reading of the encoded remaining currency balance in the account in the memory of the data bearing card, a display representing the remaining currency balance in the account as encoded in the memory of the data bearing card.

A processor-readable medium storing processor-executable instructions to:

• read, using a card reader, information encoded in memory of a data bearing card in a card receiving position thereof;
• derive, from the information encoded in the memory of the data bearing card, an identifier for an account issued by an issuer;
• and
• transmit, using wireless communication, the identifier for the account;
• receive, using wireless communications, in response to the transmission of the identifier for the account, a total currency amount of a transaction with a merchant being conducted on the account using wireless communication;
• render, using a display, a prompt requesting authorization of withdrawal of the total currency amount for the transaction from the account;
• receive, from an input device, in response to the rendered prompt, an indicator as to an approval of the requested authorization for the withdrawal of the total currency amount for the transaction from the account;
• transmit, using wireless communication, information corresponding to the indicator;
• receive, using wireless communication, in response to the transmission of the information corresponding to the indicator, a remaining currency balance in the account;
• and
• render, using the display, in response to the receiving of the remaining currency balance in the account, the remaining currency balance in the account;
• encode, using the card reader, the received remaining currency balance in the account in the memory of the data bearing card;
• receive, from the input device, an indicator corresponding to a demand balance inquiry;
• read, in response to the receipt of the indicator corresponding to the demand balance inquiry, the encoded remaining currency balance in the account in the memory of the data bearing card;
• and
• render, on the display, in response to the reading of the encoded remaining currency balance in the account in the memory of the data bearing card, a display representing the remaining currency balance in the account as encoded in the memory of the data bearing card.