System and method for retail

A retail unit serving a customer on a purchase, the customer having an electronic wallet including an electronic cache and an electronic purse, said electronic cache Including a storage device for storing a cache balance and an expiration date, said electronic wallet is operative for paying for a purchase via its electronic cache sums equal to or larger than a predetermined minimal checkbook payment sum, for paying from its electronic purse sums equal to or smaller than the value stored therein, and for paying for replenishing the electronic purse via the electronic cache sums equal to or larger than a predetermined minimal purse replenishment sum, the retail unit comprising:

• a point of sale for determining a purchase price;
• and
• a payment unit communicating with said point of sale for retrieving said purchase price therefrom and interfacing with said electronic wallet for automatically selecting, according to said cache balance, said expiration date, said purchase price, said value stored in said electronic purse, said minimal checkbook payment sum and said minimal purse replenishment sum, whether
• to reject payments attempted on insufficient cache balance or after said expiration date, or
• to receive said purchase price via said electronic cache and to reduce said cache balance by said purchase price, or
• to receive said purchase price from said electronic purse, or
• to receive via said electronic cache a calculated purse replenishment sum which is at least the larger of said minimal purse replenishment sum and the difference between said purchase price and said value stored in said electronic purse, to reduce said cache balance by said calculated purse replenishment sum, and to replenish said electronic purse with the difference between said calculated purse replenishment sum and said purchase price.

A retail unit serving a customer on a purchase, the customer having an electronic wallet for paying for a purchase via its electronic checkbook sums equal to or larger than a predetermined minimal checkbook payment sum, for paying from its electronic purse sums equal to or smaller than the value stored therein, and for paying for replenishing said electronic purse via said electronic checkbook sums equal to or larger than a predetermined minimal purse replenishment sum, the retail unit comprising:

• a point of sale for determining a purchase price;
• and
• a payment unit interfacing with said electronic wallet and communicating with said point of sale for retrieving said purchase price therefrom, said payment unit comprising:
• an electronic checkbook transaction unit for receiving payment via said electronic checkbook;
• an electronic cash drawer;
• an electronic purse payment unit for receiving payment from said electronic purse and depositing it in said electronic cash drawer;
• an electronic purse loading unit for replenishing said electronic purse by transferring a sum from said electronic cash drawer to said electronic purse;
• and
• an automatic transaction manager for automatically selecting, according to said purchase price, said value stored in said electronic purse, said minimal checkbook payment sum and said minimal purse replenishment sum, whether
• to activate said electronic checkbook transaction unit to receive said purchase price via said electronic checkbook, or
• to activate said electronic purse payment unit to receive said purchase price from said electronic purse and deposit it in said electronic cash drawer;
• or
• to activate said electronic checkbook transaction unit to receive via said electronic checkbook a calculated purse replenishment sum which is at least the larger of said minimal purse replenishment sum and the difference between said purchase price and said value stored in said electronic purse, and to activate said electronic purse loading unit to replenish said electronic purse from said electronic cash drawer with the difference between said calculated purse replenishment sum and said purchase price.

A retail unit serving a customer on a purchase, the customer having an electronic wallet for paying from its electronic purse sums equal to or smaller than the value stored therein, and for paying for replenishing said electronic purse via the electronic checkbook of said electronic wallet sums equal to or larger than a predetermined minimal purse replenishment sum, the retail unit comprising;

• a point of sale for determining a purchase price;
• and
• a payment unit interfacing with said electronic wallet and communicating with said point of sale for retrieving said purchase price therefrom, the payment unit comprising:
• an electronic cash drawer;
• an electronic purse payment unit for receiving payment from said electronic purse and depositing it in said electronic cash drawer;
• an electronic purse loading unit for replenishing said electronic purse by transfer from said electronic cash drawer;
• an electronic checkbook transaction unit for receiving via said electronic checkbook sums for the replenishment of said electronic purse;
• and
• an automatic transaction manager for automatically selecting, according to said purchase price, said value stored in said electronic purse and said minimal purse replenishment sum, whether
• to activate said electronic purse payment unit to receive said purchase price from said electronic purse and deposit it in said electronic cash drawer, or
• to activate said electronic checkbook transaction unit to receive via said electronic checkbook a calculated purse replenishment sum which is at least the larger of said minimal purse replenishment sum and the difference between said purchase price and said value stored in said electronic purse, and to activate said electronic purse loading unit to transfer from said electronic cash drawer to said electronic purse the difference between said calculated purse replenishment sum and said purchase price.

A retail method for serving a customer addressing a payment unit in order to pay for a purchase, said payment unit including an electronic cash drawer, the customer having an electronic wallet for paying for a purchase via its electronic checkbook sums equal to or larger than a predetermined minimal checkbook payment sum, for paying from its electronic purse sums equal to or smaller than the value stored therein, and for paying for replenishing said electronic purse via said electronic checkbook sums equal to or larger than a predetermined minimal purse replenishment sum, the method comprising:

• determining a purchase price;
• and
• automatically selecting, according to said purchase price, said value stored in said electronic purse, said minimal checkbook payment sum and said minimal purse replenishment sum, whether
• to receive said purchase price via said electronic checkbook, or
• to receive said purchase price from said electronic purse and deposit it in said electronic cash drawer, or
• to receive via said electronic checkbook a calculated purse replenishment sum which is at least the larger of said minimal purse replenishment sum and the difference between said purchase price and said value stored in said electronic purse, and to transfer from said electronic cash drawer to said electronic purse the difference between said calculated purse replenishment sum and said purchase price.

A retail method for serving a customer addressing a payment unit in order to pay for a purchase, the customer having an electronic wallet including an electronic cache and an electronic purse, said electronic cache including a storage device for storing a cache balance and an expiration date, said electronic wallet is operative for paying for a purchase via its electronic cache sums equal to or larger than a predetermined minimal checkbook payment sum, for paying from its electronic purse sums equal to or smaller than the value stored therein, and for paying for replenishing the electronic purse via the electronic cache sums equal to or larger than a predetermined minimal purse replenishment sum, the method comprising:

• determining a purchase price;
• and
• automatically selecting, according to said purchase price, said value stored in said electronic purse, said minimal checkbook payment sum and said minimal purse replenishment sum, whether
• to reject payments attempted on insufficient cache balance or after said expiration date, or
• to receive said purchase price via said electronic cache and to reduce said cache balance by said purchase price, or
• to receive said purchase price from said electronic purse, or
• to receive via said electronic cache a calculated purse replenishment sum which is at least the larger of said minimal purse replenishment sum and the difference between said purchase price and said value stored in said electronic purse, to reduce said cache balance by said calculated purse replenishment sum, and to replenish said electronic purse with the difference between said calculated purse replenishment sum and said purchase price.