Magnetically encoded credit cards and prepaid payment cards; encoded electronic chip cards for use as credit cards; encoded smart cards embedded with transponders and containing programming used to function as credit cards; downloadable software and applications for facilitating and administering banking, loans, financing of purchases, consumer lending, loan applications, credit card applications, credit and loan account management, payment by credit card or virtual payment method, electronic funds transfer services, electronic payment services, transaction authentication services, routing, authorization and settlement services, and fraud detection and control services; downloadable software for enabling the electronic transfer of funds between users; downloadable software for enabling peer-to-peer payments; downloadable software for enabling the electronic transfer of funds between users, including peer-to-peer payments, consumer-to-business payments, business-to-consumer payments, and business-to-business payments; downloadable software for enabling the electronic transfer of funds made via electronic payments and credit card