Abstract: An electronic purse card includes a housing, a plurality of electrical contacts thereon for communication with a foreign transaction device, a memory, and a processor operatively joined to the memory and contacts. The memory includes first and second registers for storing a main amount of currency and a withdrawable amount of currency, respectively. The processor allows downloading of a selected portion of the currency from the first register into the second register, and withdrawal of currency by the transaction device solely from the second register to limit currency withdrawals. In a method of use, the card is inserted into the transaction device for withdrawing a transaction amount from solely the second register. The second register may be replenished by selectively downloading currency amounts from the first to second registers.