NOVELTY - Making available to users of fuel-cell-powered portable devices fuel for the portable devices involves entering an agreement with a user to make available to the user fuel for a fuel-cell-powered portable device of the user; receiving a request for authorization to transfer fuel from one fueling station of a system comprising several geographically-distributed fueling stations to the portable device of the user; and authorizing the request. The method transfers fuel from one fueling station to the portable device in response to the authorizing the request.    USE - For making available to users of fuel-cell-powered portable devices fuel (such as hydrogen gas, methanol, formic acid, butane and borohydride compounds) for the portable devices such as portable telephones, music players, portable computers, personal digital assistants, digital cameras, video camcorders, radio receivers, radio transceivers and navigation devices useful for business including coffee shops, restaurants, newsstands, banks, bars, pubs, grocery stores, convenience stores, automobile service stations, repair shops, telephone showrooms, hardware stores, book stores, bakeries, clothing stores, department stores, and stores selling parts for automobiles or other products (claimed).    ADVANTAGE - The method supports a network of geographically distributed stations for replenishing portable devices with small amounts of fuel. The availability of such a network provides enhanced convenience for users of portable electronic devices. By providing ubiquitous fueling stations, the network permits the almost instantaneous top up of fuel reservoirs in portable devices at times most convenient to users. The use of the network eliminates the overhead costs and potential wastefulness of cartridge only refueling. The method provides network of fueling stations that provides opportunity to distribute fuel on a large scale, to move a business into refueling, with long-term growth in non-petroleum fuels, and to earn revenue through a high volume of individually small transactions. The fueling system provides opportunity to earn revenue through sales of service contracts, to attract users of fuel-consuming portable devices to other business operations, and to replace the consumption of primary batteries and electrical power that may be generated from fossil fuels with the consumption of hydrogen or other clean fuels. The system develops the fuel cell industry by making fuel for fuel-cell powered devices conveniently and affordably available to consumers, and provides an incentive to customers by providing free refueling as a loss leader or consumer premium.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are included for the following:    (1) maintaining fuel-cell-powered portable device in an operational state involving transacting commercial transactions at different businesses having a fueling station co-located with the business; and connecting the portable device to a fueling station of the business with which the transaction is being made;    (2) providing services to a fuel cell system connected to a device involving forming a customer account on a system; forming a fuel cell system identifier for a fuel cell system connected to the device on the system; linking the fuel cell system identifier to the customer account; disposing a copy of the fuel cell system identifier on the device; generating an authorization sequence; connecting the fuel cell system to the service station; generating a request for authorization to provide a service from the service station to the system; generating a verification from the device; transmitting an authorization from the system to the service station; and, providing the service to the device at the service station, or, if the authorization is not received, terminating the request for service; and    (3) replenishing a supply of fuel in a portable device involving connecting the portable device to a fueling station and permitting the fueling station to replenish the supply of fuel in the portable device; and adding a payment amount for replenishing the supply of fuel in the portable device to a payment transaction relating to goods or services other than replenishing the supply of fuel in the portable device.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure shows a flow chart of the method for replenishing fuel cell powered portable devices.