Patent ID: 8306860

Claim:
A method for payment of a bill, the method comprising steps of: a) calculating, using a processing unit, a total bill for a plurality of patrons at a table; b) displaying, on a display of a table unit device physically located at the table configured to enable patrons seated at the table to manually enter an electronic payment of the total bill to the plurality of patrons at the table; c) receiving, after providing physical access at the table to the table unit device by a first of the plurality of patrons, manual input information at the table unit device directly from the first one of the plurality of patrons on the table unit device at the table to pay a first portion of the total bill using a first credit card account; d) automatically calculating, using the processing unit, in response to receiving the input information directly from the first one of the plurality of patrons, a first balance owed equal to the total bill minus the first portion; e) automatically displaying, on the display of the table unit device, in response to automatically calculating the balance owed, the balance owed to the plurality of patrons; f) receiving, on the table unit device at the table responsive to providing physical access at the table to the table unit device by a second of the plurality of patrons, manual input information at the table unit device directly from the second of the plurality of patrons on the table unit device at the table to pay a second portion of the total bill using a second credit card account; g) automatically calculating, in response to receiving the input information directly from the second of the plurality of patrons, a balance owed equal to the balance owed on the total bill minus the second portion, and retaining this balance owed as a second balance owed on the total bill, the second balance equaling a total amount owed by the plurality of patrons; h) automatically causing the display, on the display of the table unit device, in response to automatically calculating the balance owed, to display the second balance owed to the plurality of patrons; and i) repeating the steps f) through h) until the total amount owed equals zero.