Abstract: A system for conducting financial transactions is provided comprising: payment cards having stored account information in bar-coded format; and terminals each equipped with at least one optical bar code reader for reading the account information in bar-coded format, the terminals utilizing the account information for processing over a payment network and authorizing the financial transaction.

Abstract: A system for conducting financial transactions is provided wherein payment cards have stored account information including a first portion readable by a first machine-readable technology and a second portion readable by a second different machine-readable technology. Terminals employing both of said first and second technologies are used to capture said card account information for conducting each such transaction.

Abstract: A system for conducting a financial transaction over a payment network is disclosed, which system includes a micropayment system interfaced with the payment network for allowing identification of the transaction as a micropayment transaction and allowing, at the option of the cardholder, repudiation of the micropayment transaction automatically by crediting the cardholder's account the amount of the micropayment transaction.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, when an appropriate transaction message is received by a payment gateway, instead of requesting an authorization of the transaction through the payment network, the payment gateway instead sends an authorization response back to the message originator. The payment gateway may perform authentication functions and send transaction data back to the message originator. In this way, the payment gateway may be used for authentication functions while the message originator may use its existing payment system protocols to conduct authorization functions.

Abstract: A method is provided for conducting a transaction over a computer network (such as the Internet) where the remote wallet server conducts a transaction with a merchant computer in a format substantially compliant with a chip card electronic commerce protocol or specification, regardless of whether or not the payment card of the consumer involved in the transaction is a chip card.