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Vending machine, a vending system and methods for operating same

  • US 5,728,999 A
  • Filed: 06/06/1995
  • Issued: 03/17/1998
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1994
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A vending machine offering for sale at least two different items, at least one item being a low cost item, to a plurality of customers each having a payment card, said payment card being operative to pay from both a local account and a remote account, said remote account being unsuited for payment of said low cost item, said vending machine comprising:

  • a vending unit for storing an accessible inventory of said at least two items and for selectively enabling and barring free access of a customer to said accessible inventory; and

    a card payment unit cooperating with said vending unit, which upon receipt of said payment card, validates, prior to said enabling, that said payment card can charge said remote account for the value of said accessible inventory, and which, after said barring, receives from said payment card a payment sum in accordance with the price of the items removed from said accessible inventory, by automatically selecting, according to said payment sum and the status of said local account, whether;

    to receive said payment sum from said local account;

    orto receive said payment sum from said remote account;

    orto both replenish said local account from said remote account and receive said payment sum from said local account.

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