On the Internet downloading different types of pay-software or visiting Internet pay- sites, or in the case of making purchases through the Internet a frequent problem that occurs is that during payment the clients have to provide their account number or bankcard number.

This can provide the opportunity for abuse, and scares many clients away from those paying sites where abuse does not otherwise take place.

This derives from the special situation that is a unique feature of the Internet.

A characteristic of this payment method is the duality that the buyer (who pays) always provides real and physically tangible data.

The seller (who gets the money) with respect to the transfer of the money is real, but in the case of possible complaints and with respect to other legal and non-legal points of view of the realisation of the buyers'interests the seller is virtual and cannot be reached in many cases.

The Internet also provides access to the most varied kinds and forms of information.

Beside the possible abuse, the average person surfing the Internet is discouraged from using certain Internet services because in the case of paying by bankcard he/she loses his/her anonymity.

This is a discouraging factor because the buyer's anonymity is lost, while at the same time the service providers and seller retain theirs in essence.

This results in an unbalanced business and information relationship that many people who use the Internet do not wish to accept.

A unique problem is that while people are surfing the Internet they can easily "overspend"themselves. This means that in connection with visiting the different pay sites they spend significantly more money than they had originally planned to.

This is partly advantageous for the service providers and partly disadvantageous for them, because the client may not revisit those sites where they would go if they had enough money for it.

For solving the above problems there are certain initial trials on the Internet. These have mainly been created to filter out the financial abuses. However, none of them have made any breakthrough as yet.

The aim of the invention is to create a solution with which the problems that have been outlined can be remedied.

Money, stocks, etc. as they are interpreted today, in the majority of cases are really not the same thing as the older interpretation of money, stocks, etc.

To simplify it to the extremes : The significant difference between them is that today you really do not need to have the bank notes, coins or stocks, it is enough if you have information about them. The information needs to be information that everyone.. believes" in, in other words in the case of a bankcard, for example, a bankoard exists behind the information, and according to the certification of the bank there is, money" on the account. (That is the positive amount appearing on the bank account can be exchanged for bank note at any time without restriction.) In accordance with this the function of means of payment is filled by a bankcard, cheque or anything else about which a.. reliable" Rnancial institution declares that it will exchange it for bank notes at any time.

So in this case real means of payment are the embodiment of two things: -the thing reliable", in general a bank promissory note and -the information about which it can be"known"that there is a promissory note backing it up.

The application system described in the following is very significant because it protects the information for well-meaning clients who purchased the promissory note from the given financial institution.

Over and above this it ensures that the promissory note is universally accepted and ensures that it is convertible to other bank promissory notes, finally turning it into a sort of bank note.

The starting point of the system is the information that is connected to the purchase that the later buyer (who hands over the money in the traditional sense) gives to the seller.

The information carrier is the pay data carrier behind which appears the bank promissory note.

The single types of data carrier of the data carriers useable and in use in computing and entertainment electronics-for example, hard drives, CD, DVD, etc.-do not differ from one another, in other words one is the same as another. Appropriate standards-e. g.: ISO standards-deal with this sameness, the external and internal structure, in the jargon compatibility, and this is natural.

At the same time in the case of narrow specialist field uses-such as magnetic cards, especially credit cards, bank ATM cards there are express endeavours being made in order to differentiate between uniformly formed data carriers. In these narrow specialist fields typically the known data carriers are provided with some sort of differentiating feature after production, for example the magnetic cards are coded. A typically applied practice is that in parallel with the filling up of the card after production the known solution is that the card user receives a personal identification number-the so-called PIN code-in order to prevent unauthorised use. American patent description registration number 5.206.494 describes an invention where these known cards consist of two main parts : a preliminarily, magnetically coded part, and a second part also magnetically coded that may be placed in a moveable way into the first part. Different other known solutions exist to prevent unauthorised use, and to identify the legal owner, such, for-example, is the American patent description registration number 3.258.277, which also uses the photograph of the legal owner during the identification.

The common disadvantage of the known solutions is that if the unauthorised access is successful, then the possibility exists for the unauthorised person to abuse the situation.

In the case of bank access the total amount on the bank account may be withdrawn without authorisation, what is more, even further debts may arise. Many clients do not make use of such payment service where such abuse occurs just because of this.

I recognised that the data carriers used especially in the field of computing and entertainment electronics, besides retaining their existing known functions, they may be used for the realisation of further useful functions. For years, a solution used to avoid the unnecessary damage to public telephones is the use of money-replacing telephone cards.

I realised that with the appropriate supplementation the data carriers mass produced in the consumer society may also be made suitable-besides retaining their original function -for carrying out financial transactions. Naturally it is expedient to restrict this new type of function realised by me, in accordance with determined set amount. The use of the data carrier for this different purpose as a pay data carrier, with its use also being restricted, is advantageous also because an unauthorised instance of use make take place only up until the set limit, in other words an unauthorised intervention may only take place up to the extent of the restriction. On the basis of the above the pay data carrier favourably needs to be writable and readable, and should be of a random access type.

I also recognised that the pay data carrier suitable for carrying out financial transactions, provided with a marking equivalent to a determined set amount may only be used as a means of payment in the system that belongs to the company that ordered or manufactured the pay data carrier, henceforward system owner. The explanation for this is that if a single seller only uses this new system, then it is clear that the money coming in belongs to it, because it is both the manufacturer and the seller, too. There is a reason to use this solution in this case also, but it really becomes useful if the system can be distributed widely and the system becomes open to any number of sellers. I realised that in order to realise this it is necessary for the pay data carrier to be given a unique identifier that clearly differentiates it from the other pay data carriers. This possible solution of the pay data carrier that can also be used as a means of payment is satisfactory for any seller (who receives money) and buyer (who gives the money).

In order for the pay data carrier that has a unique identifier code to be used and for financial transactions to be able to be carried out with it in accordance with the invention an appropriate database needs to be established.

The subject of the invention is a procedure that relates to the operation of a system operating with the use of pay data carriers, during which pay data carriers are produced that may be used as means of payment, with a determined and/or variable value, the pay data carriers are supplied with a unique identifier code and in the system-practically with the help of a computer-the pay data carriers with a determined and/or variable value are stored in a basic status database, together with the associated unique identifier code. The essence of the procedure is that in the case of the sale of the pay data carriers a further database is created in which the possibility for the sold pay data carriers to become active is stored. Then the legal owners of the pay data carriers can activate their pay data carrier (s) by applying for activation at the further database, so making it possible to carry out financial transactions with it (them).

In an advantageous conception of the procedure the pay data carrier can, if necessary, be filled up and/or refilled with value in accordance with the sales process of the pay data carrier.

In a further advantageous conception of the procedure at the same time as filling up or refilling the pay data carrier as necessary, the activation registration can also be realised.

The activation can take place relating to a given period-by giving the stating and ending parameters of the usage period-it may be carried out using a supplementary code or with the joint application of the two.

The circumstances of the performance of the financial are recorded in a documentation database and in accordance with the amount of the financial transaction the value stored in the active pay data carrier database of the pay data carrier that has a determined and/or variable value is reduced.

The subject of the invention is also a system operating with the use of further pay data carriers that has distribution points ensuring the distribution of pay data carriers that have unique identifier codes belonging to the system owner. The system is set up so that the system owner has a database that identifies the manufactured pay data carriers that have unique identifier codes, the system owner and the distribution points have an electronic data transfer connection with each other. The system also has a further database-that is activated separately-that records the sale of the pay data carriers and following the performance of the financial transaction, a documentation database that stores the circumstances of the performance of the financial transaction.

I illustrate the operation of the solution according to the invention in detail in the following.

The system owner (who makes the promissory note) manufactures the pay data carrier or has it manufactured.

After the pay data carrier has been produced the system owner places the identifier code of the pay data carrier in its records.

These records consist of a database of the pay data carriers that have the unique identifier code.

This is not yet a means of payment in this condition.

In the database the system owner keeps a record of the amount of money on the pay data carrier according to its unique identifier code (in figure e. g. HUF 1000 or HUF 0) and whether the pay data carrier may be (re) filled.

These in principle can also be compounded in a code, however, for further use separate codes are very suitable.

The means of payment function and system can be used according to the following.

The pay data carrier is available in the shops, in other words to places that publicly distribute the pay data carrier. These laces may be bank branches, post offices, stores or small shops, etc.

The buyer comes into contact with the pay data carrier her, in other words, they buy the given pay data carrier here.

Depending on the type of pay data carrier, they may be monetarily filled up, filled up and refillable or not yet filled up.

This means that a pay data carrier can be imagined that is distributed in a filled up state to an amount determined by the system owner (e. g. HUF 2000). The buyer may consume this amount during use, but after the amount has been used the given pay data carrier can not be used anymore as a means of payment. This is the monetarily filled up type, not refillable.

Those pay data carriers belong to the reffflable type that may be refilled by bank transfer or other method up to the amount limit found on the pay data carrier. Within this type two versions are possible, one is distributed already filled up (e. g. HUF 5000) and the other is distributed without being filled (e. g. HUF 0). This latter type is the later filable pay data carrier type.

The pay data carrier purchase takes place, the distribution point receives the data carrier's purchase price from the buyer.

At the same time as this the buyer receives the pay data carrier.

The following step is that the system owner needs to be notified of the sale of the given pay data carrier with a unique identifier code, and an amount of money for the pay data carrier needs to be transferred to the system owner. (The method of the transfer and its scheduling is only a mere detail.) The informing and the transfer are carried out by the distribution point.

On the basis of the notification the system owner compares the code of the pay data carrier that has a unique code with the appropriate record of the database of the manufactured pay data carriers that have unique identifier codes.

If a manufactured pay data carrier with such a code exists, then the unique identifier code of the pay data carrier with this code is recorded in the database of pay data carriers that may be activated.

These two steps may be simplified, if only the system owner distributes the given pay data carrier.

The two steps above may be simplified to a certain degree, if the financial performance takes place with the notification, so theoretically it is not necessary to create the database of manufactured pay data carriers that have unique identifier codes. This takes place in the case that the system owner is not the manufacturer of the commissioner of the manufacture in the case of the given pay data carrier, but it carries out the further tasks.

This system is more open, but from a certain aspect makes the operation less filtered.

The problem here comes from how and in what way does the manufacturer write the unique identifier code of the pay data carriers that have unique identifier codes so that this is in harmony with the unique identifier code or codes used by the system owner (system owners).

Naturally, this problem can be dealt with without creating the database of the manufactured pay data carriers that have unique identifier codes, but the pay data carriers that have unique identifier codes that have been manufactured need to be registered somewhere according to their code.

The pay data carriers recorded in the activatable pay data carrier database are not yet means of payment, although theoretically there is nothing to prevent the given pay data carrier from being immediately useable as a means of payment.

According to the security element built into the system the condition of the pay data carrier becoming a means of payment is that the buyer activates the pay data carrier with a so-called activating registration.

The system owner registers the amount of money on the pay data carrier in the database according to its unique identifier code, also whether the pay data carrier can be refilled and other data required for security reasons, e. g. supplementary code, if there is one, date and place sold, etc.

Before the pay data carriers are activated empty, the pay data carrier needs to be filled up. This may take place by bank transfer with reference to the unique identifier code of the pay data carrier, by payment with cash or in another way.

The essential phase in the filling up process is for the buyer to transfer the amount intended for the filling up to a separate account of the system owner, and only has to refer to the unique identifier code of the pay data carrier.

The system owner will note the filling up in a database with a record made in the database of activatable pay data carriers.

Filling up does not in itself necessarily mean activation, but there is nothing to prevent filling up also to serve as activation.

There are several possible ways of activating the pay data carrier.

As to which way the system owner selects is a business policy question to be considered, and is also dependent on which system is more compatible with the technical environment of the already existing cash-free means of payment.

On the event of activation registration the buyer activates the pay data carrier by contacting the client service centre set up for this purpose through the Internet, by telephone or in another way.

Here the buyer gives the unique identifier code of the given pay data carrier, and then states when he/she would like to use the given pay data carrier as a means of payment (e. g. in the following 30 minutes).

Following this the system owner places the unique identifier code of the given pay data carrier in the active means of payment database.

The active means of payment database contains the unique identifier code of the given pay data carrier, the amount on the pay data carrier, the start and end parameters of the period of use (e. g. yy-mm-dd-hh-mtn-ss : yy-mm-dd-hh-mm-ss).

If the pay data carrier contains the amount 0 or on the basis of the time parameters it has no place on the database, all data pertaining to the given pay data carrier is deleted.

It follows from this that with this type the activation has to be carried out numerous times, because after the deadline has expired the pay data carrier will not work as a means of payment, even if it is filled up. A single activation restricted from below and open from above is not excluded either, but in this case the security factor of the activation operation itself is reduced.

The activation system operating with a supplementary code is similar to the PIN code system or may even be the same as it.

According to a possible solution on activation the system owner asks for a code that accompanies the given pay data carrier, that can only be known by the buyer, that is placed inside the original packaging of the pay data carrier or given to the buyer in another way.

An advantageous version of this solution may be that without the given code the system owner will not allow the activation of the pay data carrier.

In this case the system owner has to store the appropriate supplementary code number beside the unique identifier code of the appropriate pay data carrier in the database of the manufactured pay data carriers that have unique identifier codes.

In the case of the buyer registering activation, beside the unique identifier code sent by the buyer, the system owner also asks the buyer for this code, and on comparing the two codes is convinced that the buyer is bona fide.

If the two codes sent by the buyer are the same as the two appropriate codes in the system owner's database, the record of the given pay data carrier is placed in the database of the active means of payment.

According to another possible solution the buyer him/herself provides a supplementary code, sending it to the system owner during the first registration. This solution is not able to carry out the checking function, but it increases the security factor with respect to the buyer; and reduces the possibility of unauthorised use.

Following this, the given pay data carrier is placed in the active means of payment database, if the system owner finds agreement with the data of the earlier databases.

Here the pay data carrier has to be activated once.

Joint activation is the activation in unison for a given period and activation taking place with the supplementary code. The registration supposes the existence of a supplementary code, but during registration the time period for the use of the py data carrier as a means of payment also has to be given.

Here activation takes place several times.

It is surprisingly simple to build in a protective algorithm into the system. As during activation registration the fact that the subject is a computer data carrier can be exploited well.

Supposing the existence of an Internet environment the registration can be solved by the buyer placing the pay data carrier into the appropriate reading unit, and from herein the registration is carried out by the algorithm that is on the pay data carrier. This algorithm may be more than a simple algorithm, because among the information given to the system owner, apart from the unique identifier code, there can also be codes, bad sector and block numbers.

The system owner is to take care of the interpretation of this, the processing of the incoming data and its comparison with its own documentation. This documentation can supplement the manufactured and/or activatable pay data carrier database.

The pay data carrier is different to the usual pay data carriers that have bank accounts common in the financial world.

The difference comes from the essence of the new pay data carrier described in the invention and from the essence of its application. This pay data carrier may also operate as an anonymous pay data carrier, that is with it there is no need for a client name or unique account number.

The unique identifier code of the pay data carrier itself or other code numbers possibly based on this, or a number based on the supplementary information generated randomly or directly on the basis of an algorithm, etc., or a single appropriate element of the number series found on the data carrier is in essence the, virtual bank account number".

It is a virtual bank account number in the meaning that it does not provide numerous account number services that have bank functions, e. g. the balance of an anonymous account may not be negative.

It is also virtual in the meaning that the given, virtual account number"is not connected to a unique bank account, but to a registration system. In accordance with this it is not able to implement a significant volume of account turnover, the limits of its possibilities come to an end at a given payment amount. Regarding how large this amount is depend on the system owner's business policy relating to this.

It is not virtual in the meaning that it is able to carry out a payment function, it is even suitable for obtaining cash in practice up to the amount of money on the pay data carrier.

The pay data carrier may have a relationship with any form of payment used today.

The basis of this relationship is that using a bankcard as an example-without restricting my patent application to this example-the card issuing place may issue the cardholder with a pay data carrier, on the basis of the unique identifier code of which pay data carrier the system owner is able to identify the related card, and after identification setting a virtual code for the card and/or the pay data carrier (even temporarily) which is clearly harmonised with the card during payment. At such a time the payment obviously takes place with the virtual card number.

In the following I describe the process how payment takes place on the Internet on the basis of the invention.

In order for the buyer to be able to pay with the pay data carrier it is necessary for the pay data carrier to be filled up monetarily, that is for the amount on it not to equal 0 or for there to be money on its account (this latter is for when the pay data carrier is not independent: e. g. when it is used jointly with a bankcard).

In order for the buyer to be able to pay with the pay data carrier it first needs to be activated. This step can in theory be left out, but from the point of view of security it is a significant factor.

On registering for activation the system owner, in accordance with the type of activation (see above) activates the pay data carrier.

This activation can be established in such a way that the unique identifier code of the pay data carrier is the virtual account number that the buyer sends to the seller, but it may also be established by the system owner giving a new number formed from data provided to it during activation, i. e. from the unique identifier code of the pay data carrier and the supplementary information (e. g. supplementary code, time of activation, etc.) which will henceforward be the buyer's virtual account number.

The single use account number may, however, also be created in such a way that the appropriate element (s) of the single-use account number string selected according to an appropriate algorithm and recorded on the given financial data carrier earlier will be the account number (s) to be used.

It may be more practical to use the expression single use card number in place of single use account number, because in the present system the sellers ask for card numbers from the buyers on the Internet.

After activation the buyer finds the seller on the Internet from which he/she wishes to purchase a service or goods.

On being notified by the seller the buyer provides the seller with the information it requests, then uses the seller's services or makes a purchase.

The task of the seller (who receives the money) is the same as with payment by card, the seller accepts the virtual account-/card number sent to it and the notification regarding the amount, then on the basis of this data it request the transfer of this amount from the system owner.

Before transfer the system owner compares the data it has received with its current records.

At the request of the seller the system owner checks whether there is any money behind the virtual account number or, in the case of pay data carrier with an associated card, check the existing bank account, and if according to this check the requested amount may be transferred from the virtual/real account, then the transfer may be carried out. (in physical reality itself) The circumstances of the transfer are recorded in the so-called documentation database.

The system owner can make good use of this database in order to discover and filter out any possible abuse, but it is also useful for the sellers taking part in the transaction..

This has been about a single use account number up till now, at such a time this number is placed in the archive with the remark"not reusable".

The seller accepts the payment as being performed, if the system owner has transferred the desired amount to it or has given some sort of guarantee pertaining to this.

The present version of the software on the seller's side does not make it possible for the buyer to make a record of the seller's data.

In the present system, however, it is possible for the transaction circumstances of the seller, its name, address, etc to be sent to the buyer, who may record this on his/her pay data carrier.

After this the seller makes it possible for the buyer to use the service selected or purchase the goods, etc.

If there is no money left on the virtual account, the system owner takes the unique identifier code of the pay data carrier from the database of active means of payment.

If the pay data carrier was temporarily activated, after the end of the activation period the system owner takes the unique identifier code of the pay data carrier from the database of active means of payment.

The system owner may make it possible for the buyer to make enquiries regarding the balance of the virtual account number.

An especially important possibility is if the unique identifier code of the given pay data carrier or the single use card number given by or designated by the system owner conforms in length and form (syntactically and schematically) to a real card number, e. g. this means. that in essence no further software amendments are necessary on the seller's side in order to be able to deal with the given pay data carrier as a means of payment.

(Naturally the necessary contact points need to be established, but this may be seen as a new type of bankcard which does not differ in essence from the other bankcards,) Following from the above the pay data carrier may be used in all those places where the seller or the cash issue point (also ATM) can contact the system owner.

In these cases the pay data carrier supplied with a supplementary code is advantageous, because this reduces the risk of financial losses on the buyer's side. Supplementation with a traditional PIN code and its application presupposes a cash withdrawal procedure similar to the present bankcard.

In accordance with this a banknote machine supplied with an appropriate reader is able to issue cash from the pay data carrier up to the amount according to the financial amount code of the pay data carrier at any time.

It may also be realised here that the activation itself is the operation to withdraw cash.

This is important because no"leftover"money is left, that is small amounts that cannot be used for further payments are not lost by the buyer.

A significant difference, however, is existence of the single use account-/card number and the real account number behind the bankcard, which are not the same and due to this the system encompasses two dissimilar fields of operation.

The advantages of the solution according to the invention are the following: -The system is completely new, because it is not with a bank deposit that a new payment possibility occurs, but with the purchasing of a pay data carrier.

-The system is completely new, because over and above this, or beside it, it is able to work in unison with the usual bank means of payment.

-It can-replace the payment method by bankcard in the case of purchases made on the Internet up to a given amount limit, -It can create the financial security and discipline of payments on the Internet.

-It ensures complete anonymity.

-It may increase the predisposition of people to use the Internet through financial security provided by it.

-It may be universally used, in essence it may be used in every field where there is an Internet connection.

-Over and above this applications outside of the Internet are also possible.

-The possibilities for using the invention also extend over and above its application on the Internet, it is able to provide certain functions that bankcards do at present.

-The unauthorised use of the system would require complex and extremely large-scale computer technology conditions, which investment would not be returned due to the restricted amount of money that may be on the pay data carrier.

-In order to ensure the above there is double/triple security in the system in order to avoid manipulation by clients not acting in good faith, -The data carriers may be realised with writing and/or reading equipment in common use today, but new equipment can also be established for its use (e. g. in the case of making cash withdrawals).

-It either does not require extra hardware or the installation of software elements or only very little on the part of the buyer.

-It hardly requires the installation of extra hardware and software elements on the part of the seller.

-On the part of the system owner it may be built into the present system with a small amount of extra investment.

The solution offered by us is useful for all those participating in the process.

The buyer enjoys complete financial security.

Abusing a bank account becomes impossible. However, payment may be made to any service provider.

A limit may be set for overspending, the amount spent on the Internet maybe planned.

The damage caused by dishonest sellers can be minimised, there are no serious risks involved for the client.

A further advantage is that due to the system those sellers that cheat the buyers can be filtered out.

It ensures complete anonymity. With this equality is created: the buyer is virtual, as is the seller.

The system may also be used independently of the Internet, it is suitable for withdrawing cash.

The seller is completely sure of receiving the amount it is due.

With the filtering out of dishonest sellers the market position of honest sellers improves.

The system owner is interested in the spreading and maintenance of the method in several fields.

The system, similarly to credit cards, produces significant commission.

This, however, is just one factor.

The second factor is that it increases liquidity and through this strengthens stability.

The third factor is the extra role in which a given system advertises the system owner through its service.