An electronic certificate system facilitates the secure application of certificates against wireless data transfers with a distributer system by a device user. A certificate enabled device carried by the user stores electronic certificates in memory. When the distributer system detects a certificate enabled device within a proximity radio frequency field, the distributer system queries and obtains applicable certificates for the user from the certificate enabled device carried by the user, applies the certificates to a data transfer, and securely communicates the resulting data transfer metadata back to the certificate enabled device.