Reverse vault cash system and methods

Abstract

An electronic cash management system including a plurality of electronic cash safes each associated with a cash acceptor and a communicator under the physical control of a financial institution operating as a vault cash manager which owns the cash located therein and operative upon receipt of cash into one of said plurality of cash safes, verified by the cash acceptor to employ the communicator for providing a computer network notification to the financial institution indicating receipt of the cash as vault cash owned by the financial institution.

1 - 58 . (canceled) 
     
     
         59 . An electronic cash management methodology comprising:
 providing a plurality of electronic cash safes under the physical control of a financial institution, operating as a vault cash manager, which owns cash located therein, each of said plurality of electronic cash safes being associated with a cash acceptor and a communicator;   upon receipt of cash into one of said plurality of electronic cash safes, verified by said cash acceptor, employing said communicator for providing computer network notifications from said plurality of electronic cash safes to said financial institution, indicating receipt of said cash; and   based on said computer network notifications, including in a vault cash balance of said financial institution the amount received and validated as being in said electronic cash safes.   
     
     
         60 . The electronic cash management methodology according to  claim 59  and wherein said providing a plurality of electronic cash safes comprises providing at least one of electronic vending machines, ATMs and electronic kiosks. 
     
     
         61 . The electronic cash management methodology according to  claim 59  and wherein said providing a plurality of electronic cash safes comprises providing data communications functionality for data communication to and from a computerized point of sale. 
     
     
         62 . The electronic cash management methodology according to  claim 59  and wherein said computer network notification is also communicated via a computerized point of sale operator's computer to at least one of a supplier of a product sold in return for said cash and said financial institution. 
     
     
         63 . The electronic cash management methodology according to  claim 59  and also comprising providing ATM functionality. 
     
     
         64 . The electronic cash management methodology according to  claim 63  and wherein said providing ATM functionality employs dispensing at least some of said cash received in one of said plurality of electronic cash safes. 
     
     
         65 . The electronic cash management methodology according to  claim 62  and wherein said product comprises at least one of a pre-paid telephone calling card, train ticket, stored value card, bill paying services, stored value card topping-up services and printable tickets. 
     
     
         66 . An electronic cash management system comprising:
 a plurality of electronic cash safes under the physical control of a financial institution, operating as a vault cash manager, which owns cash located therein;   a cash acceptor associated with each of said plurality of electronic cash safes; and   a communicator associated with each of said plurality of electronic cash safes and with each said cash acceptor,   said cash acceptor being operative to verify an amount of cash received into a corresponding one of said plurality of electronic cash safes,   said communicators being operative to provide computer network notifications to said financial institution, indicating verified receipt of said amount of cash and thus enabling said financial institution to include in a vault cash balance of said financial institution the amount of cash which was received and validated as being in said electronic cash safes.   
     
     
         67 . The electronic cash management system according to  claim 66  and wherein said plurality of electronic cash safes are embodied in at least one of ATMs, electronic vending machines and electronic kiosks. 
     
     
         68 . The electronic cash management system according to  claim 66  and also comprising at least one bill recycler associated with said at least one electronic cash safes for utilizing at least some of cash received in said at least one cash safe. 
     
     
         69 . The electronic cash management system according to  claim 66 , wherein said providing said computer network notification also includes an indication of a sale of a product in return for said cash. 
     
     
         70 . An electronic cash management methodology comprising:
 providing a plurality of electronic vending machines, each having a cash safe, under the physical control of a financial institution operating as a vault cash manager which owns the cash located therein, each of said cash safes associated with a cash acceptor and a communicator;   upon receipt of cash into one of said plurality of electronic vending machines, as verified by said cash acceptor, employing said communicator for providing a computer network notification from said one of said plurality of electronic vending machines indicating receipt of said cash which is then considered as vault cash owned by said financial institution; and   collecting said cash from said one of said plurality of electronic vending machines on behalf of said financial institution and depositing said cash to the account of said financial institution.   
     
     
         71 . The electronic cash management methodology according to  claim 70  and wherein said providing a plurality of electronic vending machines comprises providing data communications functionality for data communication to and from a computerized point of sale. 
     
     
         72 . The electronic cash management methodology according to  claim 70  and wherein said computer network notification is communicated via a computerized point of sale operator's computer to at least one of a supplier of a product sold in return for said cash and said financial institution. 
     
     
         73 . The electronic cash management methodology according to  claim 70 , wherein said providing said computer network notification includes an indication of a sale of a product in return for said cash and wherein said methodology further includes the steps of:
 responsive to said computer network notification, effecting payment to a supplier of said product by said financial institution;   establishing a non-loan interest payable from an operator of said one of said plurality of electronic vending machines to said financial institution in respect of said payment; and   paying by said operator of said one of said plurality of electronic cash safes of said non-loan interest to said financial institution.   
     
     
         74 . The electronic cash management methodology according to  claim 73  and wherein said paying by said operator of said one of said plurality of electronic vending machines of said non-loan interest to said financial institution is effected by remitting by said financial institution to said operator net proceeds of said cash collected from said one of said plurality of electronic vending machines and deposited to the account of said financial institution less said payment to said supplier and less said non-loan interest accrued in respect of said payment to said supplier due to said financial institution. 
     
     
         75 . The electronic cash management methodology according to  claim 70  wherein said methodology further comprises providing ATM functionality. 
     
     
         76 . The electronic cash management methodology according to  claim 75  and wherein said providing ATM functionality employs dispensing at least some of said cash received in one of said plurality of electronic vending machines. 
     
     
         77 . The electronic cash management methodology according to  claim 73  and wherein said product comprises at least one of a pre-paid telephone calling card, train ticket, stored value card, bill paying services, stored value card topping-up services and printable tickets. 
     
     
         78 . The electronic cash management methodology according to  claim 73  and wherein at least one of said effecting payment step, said establishing a non-loan interest step and said paying step employs a vault cash manager server.