Provided is a first mobile device having a card shape, the first mobile device including a storage unit configured to store one or more pieces of card payment information; a payment information transmission unit configured to transmit at least one of the one or more pieces of card payment information in a contact or contactless manner to a payment terminal; and a controller configured to determine whether the first mobile device is in a detached state with respect to a second mobile device or a cover of the second mobile device, and to determine whether to transmit the at least one of the one or more pieces of card payment information, based on the determination of whether the first mobile device is in the detached state.

A monitoring device according to an embodiment determines whether an information terminal, which moves together with a purchaser and receives data input regarding commodities for purchase by the purchaser, is present in a second place different from a set first place. The monitoring device detects that the information terminal is left unattended in the second place. The monitoring device activates an alarm in response to the information terminal being left unattended in the second place for a threshold period of time.

A point of sale (POS) device includes a nest portion and a cradle portion. The nest portion includes one or more payment card or near field communication (NFC) readers. The cradle portion couples to differently-sized interchangeable frames, which in turn help secure a mobile computing device to the cradle portion of the POS device. The mobile computing device is connected via a connector to the rest of the POS device. Payment card information read by the readers is conveyed to the mobile computing device over the connector for processing. The POS device may also include tamper detection circuitry.

A point of sale (POS) device includes a nest portion and a cradle portion. The nest portion includes one or more payment card or near field communication (NFC) readers. The cradle portion couples to differently-sized interchangeable frames, which in turn help secure a mobile computing device to the cradle portion of the POS device. The mobile computing device is connected via a connector to the rest of the POS device. Payment card information read by the readers is conveyed to the mobile computing device over the connector for processing. The POS device may also include tamper detection circuitry.

A system and a method for processing a payment by using a card reader device is provided. The method includes: initiating, by a processor, a communication with a server that is associated with a financial institution via an Internet connection; receiving, from the server, a first payment processing application that is associated with the financial institution; receiving, from the card reader device, payment information that relates to a proposed transaction; using the first payment processing application to determine whether to authorize the proposed transaction based on the received payment information; displaying either a confirmation message indicating that the proposed transaction is authorized or a rejection message indicating that the proposed transaction is not authorized; and transmitting a result of the determination to the server.

A new approach is proposed that contemplates systems and methods to enable an individual to complete a financial transaction by swiping a magnetic stripe card through a card reader connected to a mobile device. The size of the card reader is miniaturized to be portable for connection with the mobile device. The card reader is configured to reliably read data encoded in a magnetic strip of the card with minimum error in a single swipe and provide a signal that corresponds to the data read to the mobile device, which then decodes the incoming signal from the card reader and acts as a point-of-sale device to complete the financial transaction. Such an approach enables a person to become either a micro-merchant (payee) or a buyer/customer (payer) without having to purchase expensive card reader devices or software.

Various embodiments for contextual tapping engines. For example, an application executing on a computing device may authenticate credentials associated with an account and detect a tap of a contactless card to the computing device. The application may receive, from a communications interface of the contactless card, action data used to determine an action associated with the tap of the contactless card to the computing device. The application may determine a context of the application based on a current output of the application. The application may determine, based on the action data, the determined context, and data associated with the account, a first action associated with the tap of the contactless card to the computing device, the first action associated with at least one of the application and an operating system (OS). The application may initiate performance of the first action based on the tap of the contactless card.

Various embodiments include at least one of devices, systems, methods, and software systems and method enabling communication and signaling devices. One embodiment is in the form of a method that includes receiving, via a network, data from a mobile device of an authenticated customer, including data of items for purchase scanned by the mobile device and storing the data of the scanned items for purchase in a cart data structure associated with an account of the authenticated customer. The method also includes receiving, via the network, data indicating the mobile device is located at a pay station and payment data from the mobile device to pay for items represented in the cart data structure. This method further includes transmitting, via the network and in response to the received payment data, a payment confirmation to the mobile device generated upon successfully processing a payment for items in the cart data structure.

A handheld and/or optical and/or audio device for electronic and/or wireless transactions providing dedicated communication and dedicated function activatable components to extend or expand the operation of the device to permit the user to perform additional actions and/or transactions facilitated by the RFID/NFC-operability. Methods of using the device for conducting business or social transactions are also included.

The disclosure relates to, inter alia, a transaction support program and system for a portable device. When the program is executed, the reading portion of a portable device reads IC storage information stored in an external IC chip. An acquisition portion acquires information for transaction. A communication portion transmits the information for transaction to an external transaction support system so as to perform a transaction. At least part of the information for transaction is acquired based on the IC storage information read with the reading portion.