Beverage dispensing system and method

A method of dispensing beverages from a plurality of serving spouts in fluid connection with respective inlet pipes, the inlet pipes locatable within respective beverage receptacles, the serving spout having respective receptacle identifiers and associated with respective prices/price groups or points/points groups, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a kiosk with the plurality of serving spouts and a card reading device;
• maintaining a plurality of product data sets in computer memory, the product data sets including a product identifier and having associated respective receptacle identifiers and price(s) or points;
• obtaining, through reading a stored value device shaped as a portable card using the card reading device at the kiosk, a current monetary or points value associated with a beverage at least partly from the stored value device shaped as the portable card with a portable memory having the stored monetary or points value associated with the beverage, the stored value device having a stored value device identifier corresponding to the monetary or points value associated with the beverage;
• maintaining a plurality of stored value device data sets in computer memory, the stored value device data sets including respective stored value device identifiers and respective stored values, including at least the monetary or points value associated with at least the beverage obtained from the portable memory of the portable card;
• obtaining from a user a serving spout selection;
• dispensing a volume of beverage from the selected serving spout based on a comparison between the price(s) or points associated with the selected serving spout and the stored value;
• maintaining a plurality of user data sets in computer memory, the user data sets including respective user identifiers corresponding to at least one portable card, and stored value device identifiers associated with the at least one monetary or points value of the at least one beverage;
• and
• maintaining a plurality of transaction data sets in computer memory, the transaction data sets including respective stored value device identifiers and receptacle identifiers.