Patent ID: 7587333

Claim:
A method, comprising: offering for sale, by a vending machine, a plurality of products, wherein each product of the plurality of products is associated with a retail price, and wherein the retail prices are displayed to consumers; selecting, by a processing device of the vending machine, one of the plurality of products to be offered as a mystery product, wherein the selection is based at least in part on data associated with the selected product; calculating, by the processing device, a mystery product price for the selected mystery product, wherein the mystery product price is greater than a pre-determined minimum acceptable price for the mystery product and less than the retail price associated with the mystery product; displaying an offer for the mystery product to consumers, the offer comprising an indication of the mystery product price, and wherein the offer does not comprise an indication of the identity of the mystery product; determining, by the processing device, an acceptance of the offer by a consumer; receiving, by the vending machine, an indication of funds provided by the consumer; determining, by the processing device, that the funds are greater than or equal to the mystery product price; and dispensing the mystery product to the consumer.