Application banking machine gift certificate dispensing system
View Patent ↗An automated teller machine (ATM) ( 10 ) includes a display device ( 14 ), an input device ( 16 ), a cash acceptor ( 22 ), and a cash dispenser ( 24 ). The ATM also has access to a network, such as the Internet. The ATM enables a user thereof to make online purchases of goods and to receive from the user a cash payment for the purchase through a cash acceptor. The ATM administrator pays the merchant who supplies the goods. An ATM may be operative to also dispense purchased digital content and/or gift certificates. Purchased goods may also be hand delivered to an indicated address. The ATM may be further operative to charge a user fee for transactions.
1. An automated banking machine located in a shopping area, comprising:
a storage area having stored therein, non-currency gift items redeemable for at least one of goods and services at at least one of a plurality of merchants in the shopping area,
a gift item dispenser,
wherein the gift item dispenser is operative to dispense from the automated banking machine, gift items from the storage area,
at least one input device,
wherein the at least one input device is operative to receive from a machine user at least one input corresponding to a purchase transaction of a gift item,
wherein the purchase transaction includes selection of the gift item,
wherein the purchase transaction includes payment for the gift item,
wherein the automated banking machine is operative to carry out a cash withdrawal transaction including a dispense of cash responsive to the at least one input device receiving at least one cash withdrawal request from a machine user,
wherein the automated banking machine is operative to carry out a dispense of a gift item responsive to the at least one input device receiving payment for the gift item,
wherein the automated banking machine is operative to cause a monetary amount corresponding to at least a portion of the payment to be credited to an account of an administrator of the shopping area,
wherein the automated banking machine is operative to cause a monetary amount corresponding to at least a portion of the payment to be credited to an account of at least one of the merchants.
2. The automated banking machine according to claim 1 wherein the at least one input device is operative to accept at least one input identifying a machine user account, and wherein the machine is operative to cause a charge to be assessed to the machine user account corresponding to a value associated with dispense of a gift item.
3. A method comprising:
(a) operating an automated banking machine to receive a machine user request for a non-currency gift item,
wherein the automated banking machine includes at least one non-currency gift item dispenser, wherein the automated banking machine is operative to dispense merchant-specific non-currency gift items for each of a plurality of different merchants through operation of the at least one non-currency gift item dispenser,
wherein the automated banking machine includes at least one cash dispenser, wherein the automated banking machine is operative to carry out a cash withdrawal transaction through operation of the at least one cash dispenser responsive to receiving a cash withdrawal request;
(b) operating the automated banking machine to receive machine user selection of a particular merchant from the plurality of different merchants, wherein the particular merchant is in an area where the automated banking machine is located;
(c) operating the automated banking machine to receive machine user selection of a monetary amount;
(d) operating the automated banking machine to receive machine user selection of a payment method;
(e) operating the automated banking machine to receive via the payment method selected in step (d), a user payment associated with the monetary amount selected in step (c);
(f) responsive to receiving the user payment in step (e), operating the automated banking machine to dispense a non-currency gift item corresponding to the machine user request in step (a), wherein the non-currency gift item has a face value corresponding to the monetary amount selected in step (c) and is redeemable for at least one of goods and services from only the particular merchant selected in step (b); and
(g) operating the automated banking machine to cause at least a portion of the user payment received in step (e) to be credited to an account of the particular merchant selected in step (b).
4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the area comprises a shopping area, wherein step (g) further includes operating the automated banking machine to cause at least a portion of the user payment received in step (e) to be credited to an account of an administrator of the shopping area.
5. The method according to claim 3 and further comprising:
(h) prior to dispense of the non-currency gift item in step (f), operating the automated banking machine to modify the non-currency gift item to have a face value corresponding to the monetary amount selected in step (c).
6. The method according to claim 5 and further comprising:
(i) prior to dispense of the non-currency gift item in step (f), operating the automated banking machine to correspond the non-currency gift item to the particular merchant selected in step (b).
7. The method according to claim 3 and further comprising:
(h) operating the automated banking machine to receive at least one input identifying a machine user bank account, wherein the automated banking machine is operative to carry out a cash withdrawal transaction using the machine user bank account;
wherein step (e) includes operating the automated banking machine to cause a value corresponding to the monetary amount selected in step (c) to be assessed to the machine user bank account identified in step (h).