Method and system for digital account management

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising program instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system of a vending machine, perform a method comprising:

• determining a change deposit amount, wherein
• the change deposit amount is a result of a transaction,
• the determining is performed by a digital change application executed by the one or more processors of the computing system of the vending machine, and
• the digital change application is in communication with a point-of-sale device of the vending machine and is configured to facilitate initiation of an electronic transfer operation;
• performing an authorization operation, wherein
• the authorization operation comprises
• sending a request for authorization from the digital change application to a digital change server, wherein
• the request for authorization comprises a digital change identifier that identifies a customer account, and
• receiving an authorization message;
• determining whether the authorization message indicates that the transaction is authorized, wherein
• the authorization message indicates that the transaction is authorized if the authorization message comprises a digital change token;
• and
• in response to a determination that the authorization message indicates that the transaction is authorized,
• initiating an electronic transfer operation, wherein
• the vending machine is operated by a merchant that maintains funds in a merchant account at a financial institution,
• the merchant account is identified by merchant account information, and the electronic transfer operation comprises
• facilitating performance of an electronic transfer of funds in an amount of the change deposit amount from the merchant account to the customer account by communicating the merchant account information and the digital change token to the financial institution.

A vending machine comprising:

• a computing system comprising
• one or more processors, and
• a computer-readable storage medium coupled to the one or more processors, comprising program instructions, which, when executed by the one or more processors, perform a method comprising
• determining a change deposit amount, wherein
• the change deposit amount is a result of a transaction,
• the determining is performed by a digital change application executed by the one or more processors, and
• the digital change application is in communication with a point-of-sale device of the vending machine and is configured to facilitate initiation of an electronic transfer operation;
• performing an authorization operation, wherein
• the authorization operation comprises
• sending a request for authorization from the digital change application to a digital change server, wherein
• the request for authorization comprises a digital change identifier that identifies a customer account, and
• receiving an authorization message;
• determining whether the authorization message indicates that the transaction is authorized, wherein
• the authorization message indicates that the transaction is authorized if the authorization message comprises a digital change token;
• and
• in response to a determination that the authorization message indicates that the transaction is authorized,
• initiating an electronic transfer operation, wherein
• the vending machine is operated by a merchant that maintains funds in a merchant account at a financial institution,
• the merchant account is identified by merchant account information, and
• the electronic transfer operation comprises
• facilitating performance of an electronic transfer of funds in an amount of the change deposit amount from the merchant account to the customer account by communicating the merchant account information and the digital change token to the financial institution.