A prepaid phone card system, comprising:</claim-text> a. at least one phone card having a unique identification number encoded on it, said identification number comprising a bank identification number approved by the American Banking Association for n a banking network, said identification number corresponding to said prepaid phone card system; b. a bank processing hub computer under bank hub software control and in communication over a banking network with a pre-existing standard retail point-of-sale device for receiving phone card activation data when said phone card is swiped through said point-of-sale device, said phone card activation data comprising said unique identification number of said phone card and a phone card activation amount; and c. a phone card computer under phone card software control and in communication with said bank processing hub for activating a phone card account in a phone card database corresponding to said phone card, said phone card account comprising balance data representative of a phone card activation amount. view more

A multifunction card system comprising: a. at least one card having a unique identification number encoded on it, said identification number comprising a bank identification number approved by the American Banking Association for use in a banking network; b. a transaction processor receiving card activation data from an unmodified existing standard retail point-of-sale device, said card activation data including said unique identification number; c. a processing hub receiving directly or indirectly said activation data from said transaction processor; and d. said processing hub activating an account corresponding to the unique identification number, thereby permitting later access to said account. view more

The multifunction card system of claim 57, wherein said card is selected from the group consisting of an electronic gift certificate card, a phone card, a loyalty card, and a medical information card.

A method of activating a prepaid card having a unique identification number encoded on it, the identification number comprising a bank identification number approved by the American Banking Association for use in a banking network, the method comprising the steps of: a. swiping the card through an unmodified existing standard point-of-sale device; b. transmitting the identification number and an activation amount from the point-of-sale device to a processing hub; and c. activating an account in the processing hub corresponding to the identification number. view more