System and method for management of credit subscriptions

A system for managing a credit subscription corresponding to a customer, wherein the credit subscription comprises a quantity of a credit with a predetermined validity duration, the credit subscription is active for a subscription lifetime, and the credit is redeemable for vending of a media article from an article dispensing machine in a variable value transaction, the system comprising:

• at least one processor in communication with the article dispensing machine and a network, the at least one processor also in communication with a memory, the memory for storing a credits database for managing information regarding credits for vending of the at least one media article from the article dispensing machine, wherein the memory stores a plurality of instructions which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
• receive a subscription management message comprising a customer number identifying the customer, a subscription package code, and a subscription lifetime specification for credits redeemable in a variable value transaction involving a media article;
• translate the subscription package code to a predetermined quantity of the credit for use in vending of the media article from the article dispensing machine;
• create the credit subscription in the credits database, if the customer number and the credit subscription do not exist in the credits database, wherein the quantity of the credit in the credit subscription is assigned to the predetermined quantity, and the subscription lifetime is based on the subscription lifetime specification;
• update the credit subscription in the credits database, if the customer number and the credit subscription exist in the credits database, and if:
• the subscription lifetime specification denotes a renewal of the credit subscription;
• or
• the subscription package code differs from an existing subscription package code for the customer in the credits database;
• wherein the quantity of the credit in the credit subscription is assigned to the predetermined quantity, and the subscription lifetime is based on the subscription lifetime specification;
• and
• delete the credit subscription in the credits database, if the customer number and the credit subscription exist in the credits database and the subscription lifetime specification denotes a deletion of the credit subscription.