Method and apparatus for finding and accessing a vehicle fueling station, including an electric vehicle charging station

A first station, for dispensing fuel or electricity to vehicles, comprising:

• a processor;
• a communication module connected to the processor to provide communication with mobile computing devices;
• a dispensing element, controllably enabled by the processor, for dispensing at least one of fuel and electricity;
• and,
• a memory accessible to the processor, the memory containing executable instructions, which when executed by the processor perform a process of:
• a) accepting a first data, through the communication module, from a first mobile computing device of a first patron, the first data representative of at least a certificate, the certificate created by a management system and representing an authorization for dispensing;
• b) dispensing to a vehicle, with the dispensing element, in response to the first data;
• c) making a record in the memory, the record comprising a second data representing the dispensing and at least a portion of the certificate;
• d) providing a third data, through the communication module, to a second mobile computing device of any patron, the third data deliverable by the second mobile computing device to the management system, the third data representative of the record;
• e) accepting a fourth data, through the communication module, from a third mobile computing device of any patron, the fourth data representative of at least an acknowledgment of the record, the acknowledgment created by the management system and representing receipt by the management system of the third data, wherein e) accepting fourth data is further through a second station and the communication module has communication with the second station;
• and,
• f) deleting the record from the memory, in response to the fourth data.