The present invention extends to managing prepaid purchasing accounts and
depositing funds therein. A kiosk and management system are connected
over a network. The management system maintains purchasing accounts
usable for multiple product or service purchases. To make a deposit, the
consumer enters credentials at the kiosk, the credentials identifying a
purchasing account. The consumer selects a payment method for making the
deposit. For one or more payment methods (e.g., electronic check
payment), the consumer selects a method to guarantee the deposit. The
consumer also enters a deposit amount which is verified. Cash payments
may be verified by an automated cash acceptor or a retail attendant.
Credit card or debit card payments may be accepted by a card
authorization network. Embodiments of the system also include debiting
the purchasing account by a purchase amount. In addition, the purchasing
account can be managed to view prior deposits and purchases.