Apparatus and method for using unique charge cards dispensed from a vending machine

A dispensing machine that can be accessed repeatedly by a card issued by the machine, the machine comprising:

• bins for holding and dispensing a plurality of video tape cassettes;
• memory means for storing representations of bin numbers, identification codes, available customer credit, telephone numbers and tape rental data;
• computer processor means for accessing information in the memory means and for entering information in the memory means;
• credit card reader means responsive to information from a credit card used by a customer for transferring credit for the customer to the computer processor means for storage in the memory means;
• key pad means responsive to actuation by a customer for entering representations of credit amount information and customer information to be processed by the computer processor means;
• modem means for communicating the credit card information to a remote data base and for determining whether the credit card amount information desired by the customer is available from the remote database;
• dispenser means for dispensing customer cards to customers under control of the computer processor means wherein each customer card dispensed from the dispenser means comprises a respective unique identification code;
• and
• customer card reading means coupled to the computer processor means for obtaining representations of information from the customer card and for communicating the representations to the computer processor means.

A dispensing machine that can be accessed repeatedly by a card issued by the machine, the machine comprising:

• bins for holding and dispensing respective video tape cassettes wherein each bin can hold only one video tape cassette;
• memory means for storing information including product location in the bins, unique customer identification codes and available credit;
• computer processor means for accessing information stored in the memory means and for controlling access to the bins;
• currency module means for accepting currency from a customer, counting the total amount of currency accepted and communicating a representation of the total amount to the computer processor means;
• key pad means for entering customer information into the machine and communicating the customer information to the computer processor means;
• customer card storage and dispensing means under control of the computer processor means for dispensing a customer card to a customer upon request by the customer;
• card reader means coupled to the computer processor means for obtaining a unique identification code from the customer card and communicating the code to the computer processor means;
• and
• bar code reader means for reading a bar code on a video tape cassette and communicating a representation of the bar code to the computer processor means.