Importance

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Abstract

Method and apparatus for providing customers of hospitality facilities with the ability to access a variety of amenities and to interact with a video system in order to enable point-of-sale purchase of and payment for goods and services with a credit or debit card. In a preferred embodiment, the video services system comprises a plurality of card readers arranged in a distributed configuration, each of which are associated with a room terminal of a video services system. In a preferred embodiment, each the card readers may be powered using power provided by an associated TV and room terminal. Each room terminal functions as an interface between the systems control computer and the card reader associated with the room terminal. When the room terminal is in communication with the systems control computer, by having been polled or by initiating a transmission, billing data previously entered by a customer using the card reader is transmitted to the systems control computer, which processes the billing data, and, based on the content and format thereof, accesses one or more data bases or card validation bureaus to which it is connected. Based on preprogrammed parameters and on information resulting from queries made to data bases, the systems control computer interacts with the customer by generating and transmitting graphics (or display) prompts or audio or visual prompts using the or by providing entertainment and information services. In addition, because the systems control computer is connected to various credit, debit and ATM card data bases, the transaction can be recorded either on a hard disk of the systems control computer or can be processed and recorded in the appropriate one of the aforementioned data bases.

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First Claim