The invention relates to a method and a system for charging and/or recharging chip cards (12) that have been introduced into mobile radio devices (11) with a credit balance for a sum of money at a collection terminal (30). According to said method and system, the sum of money is credited to the user (11) by means of a value code and/or credit note procedure via a central processing unit (20). The invention relates in particular to a method and a system for charging and recharging SIM cards (12) that have been inserted into mobile radio devices (11). During the credit note procedure, the central processing unit (20) charges the credit balance directly to the chip card (12) of the mobile radio device (11), said card having been assigned to a telephone number, whereas in the value code procedure, the user (10) at the collection terminal (30) receives a value code (50), which he or she uses to charge or recharge a chip card (12) of a mobile radio device (11). The collection terminal (30) can in particular be integrated into ticket machines of a public transport network, or into the terminals of a telecommunications company which are accessible to the public.