Electronic payment system with PIN and sub-account configurations

1. An electronic account access card, comprising:

a plate; and

an information storage device coupled to the plate and configured to store access authorization information,

wherein the information storage device is configured to be read by a card reader, the card reader being configured to receive an entry of a sub-account PIN associated with an electronic sub-account and the electronic sub-account is configured to provide access to at least a portion of funds available to a primary electronic account,

wherein the access authorization information and the sub-account PIN together are configured to allow for authorizing access to perform an electronic transaction associated with the electronic sub-account, other than a restricted transaction,

wherein the restricted transaction is associated with the access authorization information,

wherein the electronic sub-account is configured to be activated by the sub-account PIN, the sub-account PIN being same as a PIN for the primary electronic account, and

wherein the electronic sub-account is configured to be deactivated by the sub-account PIN.

2. The card as recited in claim 1 , wherein the sub-account PIN associated with the electronic account is between 4 and 7 digits in length.

3. The card as recited in claim 1 , wherein the restricted transaction is further associated with at least one of time and day restrictions, a spending limit, a geographic location, and a number of transactions.

4. A method comprising:

setting up a primary electronic account;

generating a minimum length value for a PIN for the primary electronic account;

producing a number of digits to form the PIN, the number of digits defined by said generated length;

setting up one or more sub-accounts corresponding to the primary electronic account, the one or more sub-accounts configured to provide access to at least a portion of funds available to the primary electronic account using sub-account PINs associated with the one or more sub-accounts;

setting up one or more spend controls for at least one of the one or more sub-accounts; and

activating at least one of the one or more sub-accounts with the associated sub-account PIN, wherein the associated sub-account PIN is same as the PIN for the primary electronic account; and

deactivating the at least one of the one or more sub-accounts with the associated sub-account PIN.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein the PIN is any of a 5, 6, or 7-digit number.

6. The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein at least one of the one or more spend controls is configured to allow the at least one of the one or more sub-accounts to have access to an entirety of the primary electronic account.

7. The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein at least one of the one or more spend controls is configured to allow the at least one of the one or more sub-accounts to be activated for a single transaction.

8. The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein at least one of the one or more spend controls is configured to allow the at least one of the one or more sub-accounts to be activated for one or more of a specified time period, a specified merchant, and a specified geographic location.

9. The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein at least one of the one or more spend controls is configured to allow access to the one or more sub-accounts for a maximum daily amount for a specified time period.

10. The method as recited in claim 4 , further comprising:

activating at least one of the one or more sub-accounts with the associated sub-account PIN, wherein the associated sub-account PIN is different from the PIN for the primary electronic account; and

deactivating the at least one of the one or more sub-accounts with the associated sub-account PIN.

11. The method as recited in claim 4 , further comprising:

presenting a sub-account of the one or more sub-accounts to a merchant to pay for a transaction; and

upon request, presenting the sub-account PIN associated with the sub-account.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the presenting the sub-account PIN associated with the sub-account includes accessing the sub-account PIN embedded in a magnetic strip of a card in response to an electronic request for verification from an account granting institution.

13. The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein the one or more sub-accounts and the one or more spend controls are set up through a telephonic or network-based management interface that is remote from an account granting institution.

14. A method comprising:

receiving a request to setup one or more sub-accounts corresponding to a primary electronic account;

determining one or more spend controls and a number of digits for a sub-account PIN for at least one sub-account of the one or more sub-accounts, wherein the number of digits for the sub-account PIN is defined by a length of the sub-account PIN;

receiving a transaction request, wherein the transaction request includes an identification of a sub-account number for the at least one sub-account;

determining whether the transaction request is allowed based on the one or more spend controls and the sub-account PIN for the at least one sub-account; and

billing the primary electronic account for activation or deactivation of the one or more spend controls associated with the at least one sub-account.

15. The method as recited in claim 14 , wherein the determined number of the digits for the sub-account PIN is at least 5.

16. The method as recited in claim 14 , further comprising:

sending a request for the sub-account PIN for the at least one sub-account in response to receiving the transaction request.

17. The method as recited in claim 14 , further comprising:

receiving a deactivation request for the at least one sub-account, the deactivation request including the sub-account PIN for the at least one sub-account; and

denying the transaction request.

18. The method as recited in claim 14 , wherein the determining whether the transaction request is allowed based on the one or more spend controls and the sub-account PIN for the at least one sub-account further comprises:

identifying data of at least one of:

(i) a geographic location;

(ii) an amount of the transaction request;

(iii) a time of day for the transaction request;

(iv) biometric data associated with the at least one sub-account; and

(v) a number of times a transaction has been requested for the at least one sub-account; and

comparing the identified data with the one or more spend controls associated with the at least one sub-account.

19. A system comprising:

means for setting up a primary account;

means for generating a minimum length for a PIN for the primary account;

means for producing a number of digits to form the PIN, the number of digits being at least as great as said generated minimum length;

means for setting up one or more sub-accounts corresponding to the primary account, the one or more sub-accounts configured to provide access to at least a portion of funds available to the primary account using sub-account PINs associated with the one or more sub-accounts;

means for setting up one or more spend controls for at least one of the one or more sub-accounts;

means for activating at least one of the one or more sub-accounts with the associated sub-account PIN, wherein the associated sub-account PIN is same as the PIN for the primary electronic account; and

means for deactivating the at least one of the one or more sub-accounts with the associated sub-account PIN.

20. A tangible computer-readable medium having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

generating a minimum length value for a PIN for a primary account;

producing a number of digits to form the PIN, the number of digits defined by said generated length;

setting up one or more sub-accounts corresponding to the primary account, the one or more sub-accounts configured to provide access to at least a portion of funds available to the primary account using sub-account PINs associated with the one or more sub-accounts;

setting up one or more spend controls for at least one of the one or more sub-accounts;

activating at least one of the one or more sub-accounts with the associated sub-account PIN, wherein the associated sub-account PIN is same as the PIN for the primary electronic account; and

deactivating the at least one of the one or more sub-accounts with the associated sub-account PIN.

21. A system comprising:

means for receiving a request to setup one or more sub-accounts corresponding to a primary account;

means for determining one or more spend controls and a number of digits for a sub-account PIN for at least one sub-account of the one or more sub-accounts, wherein the number of digits for the sub-account PIN is defined by a length of the sub-account PIN;

means for activating at least one of the one or more sub-accounts with the associated sub-account PIN, wherein the associated sub-account PIN is same as the PIN for the primary electronic account;

means for receiving a transaction request, wherein the transaction request includes an identification of a sub-account number for the at least one sub-account;

means for determining whether the transaction request is allowed based on a time of day restriction associated with the transaction request, the one or more spend controls and the digits for the sub-account PIN for the at least one sub-account; and

means for deactivating the at least one of the one or more sub-accounts with the associated sub-account PIN.

22. A tangible computer-readable medium having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request to setup one or more sub-accounts corresponding to a primary account;

determining one or more spend controls and digits for a sub-account PIN for at least one sub-account of the one or more sub-accounts, wherein the number of digits for the sub-account PIN is defined by a length of the sub-account PIN;

activating at least one of the one or more sub-accounts with the associated sub-account PIN, wherein the associated sub-account PIN is same as the PIN for the primary electronic account;

receiving a transaction request, wherein the transaction request includes an identification of a sub-account number for the at least one sub-account;

determining whether the transaction request is allowed based on a time of day restriction associated with the transaction request, the one or more spend controls and the digits for the sub-account PIN for the at least one sub-account; and

deactivating the at least one of the one or more sub-accounts with the associated sub-account PIN.