Abstract: A method which allows the continued use of a credit card which is expired in terms of time or value units for automatic vendors which are in communication with a central evaluation location. The method of the invention allows a continuation of telephone calls, for example, even with an expired telephone credit card. This occurs in that debiting of the fee units used or made to the account of the card owner at the central evaluation location in a chronologically limited transition time after every service performance so that a call is not cut-off in the middle of a call.

Abstract: A method for the evaluation of used fee units of a card owner and of a central evaluation location (uP) stored on credit cards (KK) for automatic vendors.In the present invention an evaluation method which prevents manipulations at the credit card is used.This results in that the used fee units are stored in at least one counter (RZ1, RZ2) arranged on the credit card (KK) whose current reading is called in by the central evaluation location (uP) at intervals unknown to the card owner, particularly at randomly oriented intervals, and, subsequently is compared in the evaluation location (uP) to the most recently called-in counter reading. The account of the card owner is charged with the difference between the old and the new fee units.