A device control system includes: an instruction device that controls operation of an electrical device which requires key information to operate; and a terminal device that communicates with the instruction device. The terminal device includes a terminal communicator that: receives, from the instruction device, identification information for identifying the electrical device; and transmits, to a server, the identification information and use request information indicating a request for using the electrical device. The instruction device includes: an instruction communicator that receives, from the server, the key information and use period information indicating an available time period of the electrical device; and an instruction controller that, when the key information and the use period information are received via the instruction communicator, activates the electrical device for the available time period indicated in the use period information.

The invention relates to a bank card (100) comprising a presentation surface of a pictogram (120) coding at least one item of information for executing a transaction.

A method for displaying wireless service usage information and account information using an account management application operating on a wireless device includes receiving, at the account management application operating on the wireless device and from a tracking module, wireless service usage information for a wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device, the wireless service usage information including one or more units of wireless services that the wireless subscriber has used, receiving, at the account management application operating on the wireless device and from a service provider over a wireless network, account information associated with the wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device, the service provider being different from the wireless device and the wireless network, and enabling presentation, on a display of the wireless device, of the account management application including the wireless service usage information and the account information for the wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device.

Systems and methods are provided for implementing the exchange of electronic gift cards. A purchaser may purchase an electronic gift card and specify a recipient (400). The recipient may receive an initial notification of the gift (402), which excludes a portion of the gift description. The recipient may receive a supplemental notification (408) providing the excluded portion of the gift description, when the recipient's personal electronic device (130) detects the presence of a wireless beacon (120) within one or more redemption locations. The recipient may be prompted to accept or reject the gift (410), and/or to submit thank you content at the time of gift delivery (414), which may be relayed to the purchaser via direct messaging and/or social media. The wireless beacons (120) may also be utilized for providing personalized retailer services, and forming temporary micro dynamic virtual social communities (620, 621, 622).

Techniques and arrangements for personalizing gift cards based, in part, on exchanging personalized messages between a customer that buys a gift card and a customer that receives and uses the gift card. A point-of-sale (POS) device of a merchant may receive a personalized message from the customer buying the gift card at the time of the purchase. The POS device may then present the personalized message to the customer receiving the gift card when the customer uses the gift card to satisfy a cost of a transaction between the merchant and the customer. During or after the transaction, the POS device may further receive feedback from the recipient customer of the gift card. The POS device may then send the feedback to the customer that originally bought the gift card.

A computerized system for activating, issuing and otherwise managing transactions and activities pertaining to stored-value cards over a communications network. A central information database is provided for storing stored-value cardholder and card purchaser information received directly from respective stored-value cardholders and card purchasers PCs through a universal central processor via respective communication gateways. The central processor is coupled for communication realtime to multiple unaffiliated stored-value card processing networks normally operated by respective hosts. Each network includes a stored-value card processor coupled to a stored-value card database and multiple respective merchant communication devices. The central processor is programmed for managing the activation and issuance of transactions and activities for the stored-value card through the respective unaffiliated networks. The universal central processor is programmed to issue the stored-value cards directly to the cardholder or card purchaser by download over respective communication gateways. The universal central processor is further programmed for reporting the card activations, issuances, transactions and activities to the cardholders and the merchants thereby providing a universal management system.

A method includes receiving, on an electronic payment device, a radio frequency signal from a mobile electronic device. The radio frequency signal is used to control an activation of an electric current to one or more color producing components on the electronic payment device. The electric current is transmitted to the one or more color producing components. The one or more color producing components display a color when the electric current is transmitted to the color producing components.

Systems and methods for providing offers, incentives, and rewards across at least two merchants, wherein the system is operable to, in one embodiment, store a consumer profile including at least one account identifier, and wherein the at least one account identifier is related to at least one payment method. The system is further operable to receive at least one real-time purchase record and match elements of the real-time purchase record to the consumer profile, wherein the system is operable to provide merchant offers, incentives, and rewards based on the matching and the at least one real-time purchase record.

A device, system, and method for conducting a secure transaction over a network includes receiving from a merchant a price amount associated with a purchase selection made by a user and an identification of a stored-value financial instrument having been issued to the user, and participating in a user-free electronic dialogue with a non-integrated financial institution, the user-free electronic dialogue including a request to transfer funds from the non-integrated financial institution to satisfy the price amount associated with the purchase selection. The device, system, and method further includes determining whether there are sufficient funds associated with the stored-value financial instrument. The participation in the user-free electronic dialogue to request the funds transfer from the non-integrated financial institution occurs as a result of determining that there are insufficient funds.

A transaction system and process includes providing financial transactions based on a single card. The transaction system and process further including providing prepaid wireless service based on the single card and providing long-distance service based on the single card.