Customers carry a transponder that is mounted in a device such as a key chain or mobile phone. At the point-of-sale, the customer waives the transponder at a RFID reader/antenna that will pick up each transponder's unique identifier signal. The reader/antenna will then pass that information onto the appropriate value added network to verify the customer's profile and credit information. Upon authentication, the terminal processes the transaction, prints a receipt, and the customer is on his way.