Patent ID: 8204828

Claim:
A system for enabling an issuing authority to distribute benefits to a plurality of patrons, the system comprising: at least one smart card associated with each patron of the plurality of patrons, the at least one smart card having a serial number and means for storing information, the smart card configurable to operate in a plurality of benefit types; a central computer with access controlled by the issuing authority and having applications for processing benefits information, wherein: the benefits information includes a benefits monetary value associated with each said patron; the central computer includes a benefits storage device for storing the benefits information; the issuing authority grants a benefits provider permission to access the benefits storage device to input or update the benefits monetary value, the benefits provider comprising a different entity than the issuing authority; an entry means allowing the benefits provider to input or update the benefits monetary value to the benefits storage device; and an express vending machine having a bidirectional electronic connection to the central computer for accepting a transfer of at least a portion of the benefits monetary value stored at the benefits storage device to the at least one smart card, the express vending machine comprising: a user interface for each said patron to: receive an amount of value from the patron and transfer at least a portion of the amount of value to the benefits storage device; select a first amount of benefits monetary value to be transferred from the benefits storage device to the at least one smart card; select a first benefit type from the plurality of benefit types available for operation on the at least one smart card; assign the first amount of benefits monetary value to the first benefit type on the at least one smart card; select a second amount of benefits monetary value to be transferred from the benefits storage device to the at least one smart card; select a second benefit type from the plurality of benefit types available for operation on the at least one smart card, wherein the second benefit type comprises a term that defines a period of time during which the second benefit type is allowed to be used; and assign the second amount of benefits monetary value to the second benefit type on the at least one smart card, wherein upon expiration of the term, a default condition is applied to convert the second amount of benefits monetary value to a value stored in an unrestricted cash purse on the at least one smart card; and a read/write mechanism for: reading the at least one smart card; writing the selected benefits monetary value to the at least one smart card; writing the selected first benefit type to the at least one smart card; and writing the selected second benefit type to the at least one smart card, wherein the first benefit type and the second benefit type are different benefit types and the first benefit type and the second benefit type are present on the at least one smart card at the same time.