Pre-paid usage system for encoded information reading terminals

A management system, comprising:

• a computer executing:
• a payment processing software module;
• a fleet management software module in communication with the payment processing software module, wherein the fleet management software module is configured, responsive to receiving a customer-initiated request and after the payment processing software module processes a payment for the customer-initiated request, to generate an unlocking message;
• a terminal comprising:
• a memory;
• and
• an encoded information reading device configured to output raw message data containing an encoded message and/or output decoded message data corresponding to an encoded message;
• wherein the terminal is configured to:
• initialize a counter of encoded information reading operations, stored in the memory, responsive to receiving an unlocking encoded message generated by the fleet management software module;
• before executing an encoded information reading operation, determine whether the encoded information reading operation is permitted by comparing the counter of encoded information reading operations to a pre-defined constant value;
• and
• in the course of executing each encoded information reading operation, either increment the counter of encoded information reading operations or decrement the counter of encoded information reading operations;
• and
• wherein the counter of encoded information reading operations reflects either a number of executed encoded information reading operations or a number of remaining pre-paid encoded information reading operations.

An encoded information reading (EIR) terminal comprising:

• a memory storing a counter of EIR operations, the counter of EIR operations reflecting either a number of executed EIR operations or a number of remaining pre-paid EIR operations;
• an EIR device configured to output data associated with an encoded message;
• wherein the EIR terminal is configured to:
• initialize the counter of EIR operations, stored in the memory, responsive to inputting an unlocking encoded message via the communication interface and/or the EIR device;
• before executing an EIR operation, ascertain whether the EIR operation is permitted by comparing the counter of EIR operations to a pre-defined constant value;
• and
• in the course of executing each EIR operation, either increment the counter of EIR operations or decrement the counter of EIR operations.