JET FUEL

The invention relates to handling money, and in particular to dealing with money, more specifically with coins, in a simplified and more ecological way. It relates to methods and apparatuses according to the opening clauses of the claims. The invention may find application in particular in airports, and it accordingly relates to airports, too.

ATMs (Automated Teller Machines) are widely used. By means of ATMs, one can obtain cash which is debited from one's bank account, wherein the bank account is usually identified by the ATM by identifying a debit card. And it is often also possible to use an ATM for obtaining cash which is debited from one's credit card. Furthermore, apparatuses are known which are installed in or at a bank branch

(subsidiary) and can be fed with cash (coins and/or bills), and thereupon, the fed-in amount of cash is credited to a bank account one has at that bank branch. In such cases, the cun-ency of the money inserted into the apparatus usually has to be identical with the currency in which the money is credited to the bank account.

The inventor has recognized that it is very common that people flying back from a remote country ("foreign country"), e.g., from overseas, often still have notable amounts of cash in the currency of the foreign country, in particular in form of coins. The weight of such coins adds up to a considerable amount of weight which is then transported in an airplane. Accordingly, considerable amounts of jet fuel such as kersosine are wasted every day because money in form of large amounts of "foreign" coins is transported in airplanes.

In addition, it is usually time-consuming (if possible at all) for a traveller to have the "foreign" coins exchanged into his "home currency" when back in his "home country", i.e. into money of his home country.

In consideration of the above, the inventor has invented a way of avoiding, at least to some extent, said waste of jet fuel. And a further consideration is that efforts required for returning coins from the home country (the home country having a currency different from the currency of the coins) to the foreign country (i.e. to the country having the coin currency) may be dispensed with to some extent, and/or costs and efforts associated with minting new coins as replacements for coins not returned from a foreign country (because they are not returned from the home country to where the traveller has travelled) can be much reduced. There are various aspects of and views upon the invention.

In a first view, the invention is related to apparatuses (more particularly apparatuses for coin handling) which may also be referred to as Reverse Teller Machines. The apparatuses can be fed with coins and can read credit cards. Such apparatuses are automated systems to be operated by a user, but they may effect quite precisely the opposite of what some prior art ATMs do. Namely, instead of outputting money which then is debited from an inserted credit card (as an ATM may do), the proposed

5 apparatus effects that money is credited to an inserted credit card in response to

inputting money into the apparatus, in particular wherein the money is inputted in form of coins, at least in part. The apparatus may, however, accept bills in addition to coins.

Here, it shall be noted that, according to the knowledge of the inventor, credit cards can so far, i.e. in the prior art, be credited with an amount of money only if this transaction i o (crediting transaction) is related to a prior debiting transaction conducted with the credit card, if at all. This may be the case, e.g., when a product was paid using the credit card, and later, the product is returned and the paid amount of money is (in full or in part) credited to the credit card, so as to fully or partially compensate the initial debiting transaction, wherein it is possible that in such cases, there is in fact no crediting

15 transaction at all, but merely a (full or partial) cancelling of the initial debiting

transaction. In this case, crediting transactions for credit cards would not constitute prior art.

In conjunction with the invention, however, a crediting transaction of the described kind (and the whole process and every part thereof) is unrelated to a prior debiting

20 transaction conducted with the credit card. I.e. the crediting of an amount of money in response to inserting money (in particular: coins) in the apparatus is independent of (possibly existing) debiting transactions carried out with the credit card,.

Accordingly, in a specific aspect, the invention relates to the possibility of crediting money to a credit card - in particular unrelated to a prior debiting transaction conducted 25 with the credit card.

The described apparatuses can in particular be located in a passenger departure zone of an airport. In such locations, travellers (passengers) often have a bit of spare time. And in view of leaving the country and thus (in many cases) entering a zone (e.g., country) where the currently locally valid currency is not used, it will usually be recognized that leaving the coins in the current location is a good thing to do.

In a specific aspect, the invention relates to a conversion of cash and in particular of coins into cashless money.

In a particular aspect, the invention can enable a user to effectively select from at least two accounts where his money shall go, in particular wherein at least one of the accounts is unrelated to the user and in particular unrelated to a money card used by the user. A money card is either a credit card or a debit card. More specifically, a user can be enabled to choose that his money is credited to an account without having to enter, e.g., in a keypad, any details of the account and without having to know details of the account such as an IB AN identifying the account.

This possibility of crediting money to such an "unrelated" account may, e.g., be offered only in case a low amount of money (below a threshold value) is entered.

And it may, e.g., be provided that the "unrelated" account is a charity account, such that the money is donated to charity.

In another aspect, the invention relates to a method for reducing the average weight per passenger transported in an airplane starting from an airport. The method comprises

— providing at the airport an apparatus for cash handling;

— receiving in the apparatus an amount of coins from at least one passengers to be transported by the airplane, wherein a currency of the coins is a currency local to the airport, referred to as local currency;

— converting the amount of coins into cashless money by inserting the amount of coins into a coin storage associated with the apparatus and at least one of

Kl) crediting an amount of money to a credit card or to a bank account

associated with the passenger;

K2) crediting an amount of money to a bank account of a charity. In one embodiment, the crediting of the amount of money is accomplished in a currency different from the local currency.

The apparatus may, e.g., be an apparatus as described elsewhere in the present patent application. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises

— a cash input for receiving cash, the cash input comprising a coin input for

receiving an amount of coins;

— a coin processing unit for validating coins received by the coin input and for determining their nominal values; — a receptable for a coin storage;

— a user interface comprising

- a display for displaying information;

- an input unit for receiving input from a user operating the apparatus;

- a card reader for reading money cards; — a control unit operationally connected to the cash input, to the coin processing unit, and to the user interface.

And in this embodiment, the method comprises

A) determining in the apparatus a monetary value of cash received by the cash input referred to as cash value, the amount of cash comprising the amount of coins received in the apparatus which is received by the coin input and processed in the coin processing unit;

B) calculating in the apparatus a monetary value referred to as recovered value, said calculating comprising deducting from the respective cash value a monetary value referred to as transaction fee; C) displaying the recovered value in the display;

D) offering by means of the user interface a selection of at least two choices for a user of the respective apparatus to select from.

And in particular, one of said at least two choices effects carrying out step Kl) or step K2), and another of said at least two choices effects ejecting the cash received by the cash input, which may correspond to an abortion of the process. And whether conducting step Kl) or conducting step K2) is selectable (besides the choice of having the cash returned) may be implemented to depend on the amount of cash received by the cash input. E.g., if the cash value is below a threshold value, a user may select between donating a donation value (calculated by subtracting a fee from the cash value) to charity (step K2)) and ejecting the cash (corresponding to an abort); and otherwise, a user may select between crediting the recovered value to his credit card or to his account (step Kl)).

In one embodiment, at least one of the following applies — the airport has a passenger departure zone, and the apparatus is located in the passenger departure zone; the airport has a passenger lounge, and the apparatus is located in the passenger lounge.

The apparatus may in one embodiment be located in an airport bank branch. Another aspect of the invention is related to an apparatus for cash handling, more particularly wherein the apparatus comprises

— a cash input for receiving cash, the cash input comprising a coin input for

receiving an amount of coins;

— a coin processing unit for validating coins received by the coin input and for determining their nominal values; — a receptable for a coin storage;

— a user interface comprising

- a display for displaying information;

- an input unit for receiving input from a user operating the apparatus;

- a card reader for reading money cards; a control unit operationally connected to the cash input, to the coin processing unit, and to the user interface; wherein the apparatus is structured and configured for a) determining a monetary value of an amount of cash received by the cash input, referred to as cash value, the amount of cash comprising an amount of coins processed in the coin processing unit; b) calculating a monetary value referred to as recovered value, said calculating comprising deducting from the cash value a monetary value referred to as transaction fee; c) displaying the recovered value in the display; d) receiving a user input by the aid of the input unit; e) evaluating the user input; el) if the user input is evaluated to be indicative of a first case: elb) reading from a money card inserted in the card reader data identifying the money card; elc) transmitting to a computing unit remote from the apparatus a data set comprising the data identifying the money card and data indicative of the recovered value.

The cash input is user-operable. The coins are of course money, monetary coins. The display and the input unit may comprise or even be embodied in a single unit such as in a touchscreen device.

The input unit may comprises keypad, in particular for operation together with the card reader. The coin input is distinct from (i.e. not identical with) the coin storage.

The coin input typically comprises a coin capturing chamber for simultaneous reception of a multitude of coins.

The user input is usually provided by the person (user) having fed the amount of coins into the apparatus, i.e. by the user currently operating the apparatus. The coin storage which in particular may be a coin trolley, is removable from the apparatus, e.g., it may be inserted (parked) therein.

The apparatus may furthermore be structured and configured for el a) forwarding the amount of coins into a coin storage inserted in the receptacle.

The apparatus may furthermore be structured and configured for eld) ejecting the money card; after item elc).

The apparatus may furthermore be structured and configured for e3) if the user input is evaluated to be indicative of a third case: ejecting the amount of the cash received by the cash input. The apparatus usually comprises a communication interface, and the transmitting to a computing unit remote from the aparatus is conducted by means of the communication interface.

A second case (related to crediting to an "unrelated account") will be described in more detail below, as a "second choice". The apparatus may further comprising at least one of

— a bill counter;

— a keypad;

— an RFID reader;

— a scanner having optical character recognition capability, in particular a passport reader;

— a bar code reader, in particular for two-dimensional bar codes;

— an occupancy indicator.

And in particular, the apparatus has at least one of

— a money changer capability;

— an electronic tax recovery capability;

— a capability for transferring cashless money to a smart phone. This way, the apparatus may fulfill various tasks.

In another view, the invention relates to an aiport itself. The corresponding airport is an airport comprising one or more apparatuses for cash handling, wherein the one or more apparatuses are apparatuses as described above or below.

In particular, it can be provided

— that the airport has a passenger departure zone, and the apparatus is located in the passenger departure zone; and/or

— that the airport has a passenger lounge, and the apparatus is located in the

passenger lounge.

Furthermore, in an aspect, the invention relates to a method for converting coins into cashless money, namely wherein the method comprises — - providing a multitude of apparatuses for cash handling, wherein the apparatuses can in particular be those apparatuses which are described above or below;

— providing a multitude of coin storages, in particular of coin trolleys, for insertion into the respective receptacle of at least one of the apparatuses;

5 and the method comprises for each of the apparatuses the following

A) determining in the respective apparatus a monetary value of cash received by the respective cash input referred to as cash value, the amount of cash comprising an amount of coins processed in the respective coin processing unit;

B) calculating in the respective apparatus a monetary value referred to as recovered l o value, said calculating comprising deducting from the respective cash value a monetary value referred to as transaction fee;

C) displaying the respective recovered value in the respective display;

D) offering by means of the respective user interface a selection of at least two choices for a user of the respecti ve apparatus to select from;

15 El) in case of a selection (which is made by the respective user) of a first of the at least two choices:

- if a money card inserted in the respective card reader is a credit card:

Elbl ) reading from the respective credit card data identifying the

respective credit card; and

20 Eldl) crediting the respective recovered value to the respective credit card;

- if a money card inserted in the respective card reader is a debit card:

El b2) reading from the respective debit card data identifying the

respective debit card; Eld2) crediting the respective recovered value to a respective bank

account associated with the respective debit card.

This reflects so-to-speak the "normaP'-type of transaction in which a user of an apparatus inserts coins into the apparatus and is offered to be credited a (slighlty) 5 reduced amount of money. And the money is either credited to the user's credit card or to the user's account associated with the user's debit card, whichever type of card is inserted in the card reader.

The various apparatuses may be located in different locations, e.g. some in a first airport, and some others in another airport and in particular in another country, and the i o apparatuses may be operable in one and the same manner or, possibly, in slightly

different manners.

The transaction fee may be different for different apparatuses, it may be, e.g., identical for all apparatuses located in one and the same country or in one and the same airport, but different for apparatuses located in different countries or in different airports. The 15 transaction fee may furthermore depend on the user's money card, more specifically, the transaction fee may be determined by means of and/or in dependence of data readable from the money card.

In order to conduct the crediting (cf. steps Eldl), Eld2)), the method may comprise for each of the apparatuses the following step:

20 El c) the respective apparatus transmitting to a respective first computing unit remote from the respective apparatus a data set comprising the data identifying the respective money card and data indicative of the respective recovered value and/or of the respective cash value.

Each of the first computing units may be associated with a group of the apparatuses, 25 e.g., apparatuses located in the same country (or in the same airport) may transmit to one and the same first computing unit, i.e. for them, the first computing unit may be identical. Usually, each of the coin storages is insertable into the receptacle of a plurality of the apparatuses, possibly even into the receptacle of any of the apparatuses. This facilitates coin logistics.

In case of credit cards, the method may be considered a method for converting cash (and 5 in particular coins) into a deduction from a debt level associated with a credit card.

In one embodiment, the crediting mentioned in steps Eldl) and Eld2) is accomplished in a currency referred to as card currency (which usually corresponds to the before- mentioned "home currency") wherein the card currency is different from a currency referred to as "cash currency" which is the currency of the cash received by the l o respective cash input (corresponding to the above-mentioned currency of the "foreign country"), in particular wherein the method comprises converting the recovered value (or possibly the cash value) from the cash currency into the card currency.

In one embodiment, a second one of the at least two choices is associ ated with a respective specific bank account, and the method comprises

15 E2) in case of a selection (by the respective user) of a second of the at least two

choices:

E2d) crediting a monetary value obtained in dependence of the respective cash value, referred to as donation value, to the respective specific bank account.

20 The specific bank account is (provided that a money card is inserted in the respective card reader) different from any bank account identified by data readable from the money card inserted in the respective card reader.

The mere selection of the second option makes possible the crediting mentioned in step E2d) such that the user does not have to enter a corresponding account number or 25 the like. It may be provided that the second choice is selectable (by a user) only in case the cash value (of the inserted money) is below a threshold monetary value.

In particular, as has been indicated above, it is possible to provide that one of the choices to select from is an abortion of the process (return of inserted money), whereas the further choices offered may depend on the cash value, in particular in such a way that

— if the cash value is below a threshold value, a "normal"-type transaction is

offered ("first choice"), such that the recovered value is credited to a user's credit card or the an account owned by the user and identified by the user's debit dard; whereas

— otherwise ("second choice"), a monetary value ("donation value") determined in dependence of the cash value is credited to a specific ("unrelated") account, such as a charity account.

Data identifying the specific bank account may, e.g., be stored in a respective first computing unit, while not being stored (and thus not being available) in the apparatus.

The specific bank account usually is identical for apparatuses of a group of several apparatuses. E.g., donations accomplished from apparatuses located in the same country may be credited to one and the same charity.

Another aspect of the invention relates to an installation for handling money, wherein the installation comprises

— an apparatus for cash handling comprising

- a cash input comprising a coin input for receiving coins; and

- a card reader for reading money cards;

— a first computing unit located remote from the apparatus but operationally

connected to the apparatus, for processing financial transactions initiated by the apparatus; — a second computing unit located remote from the apparatus, which is operationally connected to the first computing unit, for processing transactions concerning a money card inserted in the card reader; wherein the installation is structured and configured for — determining a monetary value of money received by the cash input, referred to as cash value; (this will usually be automatically accomplished by the apparatus)

— calculating a monetary value referred to as recovered value, the calculating comprising deducting from the cash value a monetary value referred to as transaction fee; (this will usually be automatically accomplished by the apparatus)

— offering a selection of at least two choices for a user of the apparatus to select from; (this will usually be automatically accomplished by the apparatus)

— in case of a selection of a first of the at least two choices: crediting the

recovered value

- if a money card inserted in the card reader is a credit card, to the credit card;

- if a money card inserted in the card reader is a debit card, to a bank

account associated with the debit card. The installation can also be considered an installation for converting cash (and in particular coins) into cashless money,

The apparatus may be an apparatus as described elsewherein the present patent application.

The mentioned operational connections are usually secure data connections, e.g., via the internet. The first and second computing units are usually distinct (not identical), and in particular, the second computing unit may be located remote from the first computing unit; however, it may alternatively be provided that the first and second computing units are identical. Usually, the second computing unit is not directly operationally connected to the apparatus, but at most merely via the first computing unit.

The cash input is provided for receiving cash. It may comprise a bill input for receiving bills (bank notes).

In case the money card is a credit card, the crediting creates a deduction from a debt level associated with the credit card.

In case the money card is a debit card, the crediting creates an increased balance of the associated bank account.

The crediting the recovered value will typically be accomplished by means of the second computing unit, usually together with the first computing unit. In one embodiment, the money card is a credit card, and in particular, the crediting the recovered value to the credit card is unrelated to a prior debiting transaction conducted with the credit card.

In one embodiment, the second computing unit is located in a country different from the country in which the apparatus is located. In one embodiment, a currency of the money received by the cash input (cash currency) is different from a currency of the money card (card currency), in particular wherein the installation is structured and configured for conducting a conversion of the recovered value or the cash value from the cash currency into the card currency.

In one embodiment, the installation is furthermore structured and configured such that a second one of the at least two choices is associated with a specific bank account (which is unrelated to the user in the sense described above), and in case of a selection of a second of the at least two choices: the installation accomplishes to credit a monetary value obtained in dependence of the respective cash value (donation value) to the specific bank account.

E.g., the crediting of the donation value to the specific bank account may comprise (and in particular may be accomplished by): in response to a selection of the second of the at least two choices:

— transmitting from the apparatus to the first computing unit no more than a single first data set comprising data representative of the donation value, and data indicative of the selection of the second choice; — in response to receiving the first data set in said first computing unit, selecting data identifying the specific bank account, referred to as IBAN data;

— transmitting from the first computing unit a second data set comprising the IBAN data and data representative of the donation value; wherein the IBAN data are free of data obtained by means of the user interface, in particular wherein the IBAN data are data not stored in the apparatus.

Thus, the IBAN data are in particular free of data readable from a money card potentially inserted a card reader of the user interface.

It may be provided that the first data set is free of any data obtainable from the money card. It may be provided that the second data set is free of any data entered in the user interface.

The IBAN data may be or comprise an IBAN number, but may alternatively comprise, e.g., an account number and data identifying the specific bank such a bank identifier code. Said donation value can in particular be: the cash value (itself); the recovered value; or another monetary value, e.g., a value obtained by deducting from the cash value a monetary value referred to as reduced transaction fee.

In one embodiment, the installation comprises — a third computing unit located remote from the apparatus, which is operationally connected to the first computing unit, for processing transactions concerning cash received by the cash input of the apparatus; wherein the apparatus comprises a receptable into which a coin storage can be inserted and filled by the apparatus with coins received by the coin input, and wherein the installation is furthermore structured and configured for

— transmitting from the first computing unit to the third computing unit a data set comprising data indicative of a monetary value of coins present inside a specific coin storage which has been filled with coins while located in the receptacle of the apparatus and has been removed from the receptacle and data identifying (in particular uniquely identifying) the specific coin storage;

In particular, the coin storage may comprise a coin trolley.

This way, errors and defects of the installation, but also fraud may be detected.

E.g., the coin storage may be transported from the apparatus (in which it has been filled) to another location, e.g., a bank branch, where the coins are removed from the coin storage and the monetary value of the coins is determined. The so-determined value can then be compared to the data transmitted from the first computing unit to the third computing unit.

The third computing unit typically located, too, remote from the first and/or from the second computing unit. Typically, the third computing unit is not directly operationally connected to the apparatus and neither to the second computing unit. In a specific view, the invention relates to a functional building which comprises one or more apparatuses for cash handling as described in the present patent application.

In particular, the functional building is a hotel, a shopping mall, a department store or a bank branch. It is noted that the various aspects and views concerning the invention and the various embodiments described may, of course, be combined (unless they would contradict each other). Not all possible features potentially related to the invention are therefore explicitely mentioned for each of the aspects and views. E.g., features mentioned for the apparatus may be provided in the methods, too. Several possible objects of the invention have been mentioned above, and further objects emerge from the description and embodiments below.

Further embodiments and advantages emerge from the dependent claims and the figures.

Despite the fact that many embodiments have already been described above, the invention is described below in more detail by means of examples and the included drawings. The figures show in a schematized way:

Fig. 1 an illustration of aspects of a method;

Fig. 2 an illustration of a method and an installation; Fig. 3 a flow diagram of a steps of a method;

Fig. 4 a flow diagram of a steps of a method;

Fig. 5 a flow diagram of a steps of a method;

Fig. 6 a perspective view of an apparatus and a coin storage;

Fig. 7 a front view of an apparatus and a coin storage. The described embodiments are meant as examples or for clarifying the invention and shall not limit the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic llustration of aspects of a method. A user U has coins 3 and 5 uses an apparatus 1 for converting the coins 3 into cashless money such as to money credited to his money card 5. in particular, wherein the money card 5 is a credit card.

It may furthermore be provided that the user U can donate his coins to charity by the aid of the apparatus 1 , cf. the dotted arrow; in particular without having to know or enter any account details of the charity account. i o Fig. 2 schematically illustrates a method and an installation in more detail.

In a first location Al such as an airport (locations symbolized by dashed circles), an apparatus 1 is located, e.g., in a departure zone of the airport. Typically, before flying from one country (location Al) to another, each country with its own currency, user U will have some cash left in the local currency (currency local to location Al), in

15 particular an amount of coins 5. Instead of transporting the coins in the airplane, user U can use the illustrated installation for converting the coins (and possibly also bills in the local currency user U might have) into cashless money, in particular in a different currency, typically in the currency of a money card 5 user U may have.

Such a "normal"-type transaction is illustrated in Fig. 3, too. 0 User U inserts coins 5 in apparatus 1 (step 60), typically in a capturing chamber which can simultaneously receive a multitude of coins. In apparatus 1 , the coins are verified and sorted (step 61), and the monetary value is determined (step 62), wherein a "cash value" is determined which comprises the monetary value of possibly inserted bills, too.

Then, the apparatus calculates a "recovered value" by subtracting from the cash value a 5 transaction fee (step 65). The recovered value is displayed by the apparatus 1 , and user U is offered to select from at least two choices (step 66).

In step 68, user U selects one of the choices. In Fig. 3, three choices are offered to select from, and user U is assumed to select choice 1 which corresponds to a selection of the "normal"-type transaction. However, it may be provided that, depending on the cash value, user U may select either from the first and the third choice (e.g., in case the cash value amounts to at least a threshold value) or from the second and the third choice (in case the cash value is below the threshold value).

In step 71, user U is requested to insert his money card 5 into a card reader (cf. item 15 in Figs. 6 and 7) of apparatus 1. It shall be assumed for the present example that user U inserts a credit card 5.

User U inserts his credit card 5 (step 72), and data identifying the credit card 5 are read from it (step 74). (Possibly, user U is in addition requested to enter a PIN in a keypad of the apparatus 1, cf. also item 18 in Figs. 6, 7.) These card ID data are transmitted via secure internet connection to a typically remotely located computing unit CI (cf. Fig. 2), together with the recovered value.

In order to credit the recovered value to the user's credit card 5 (step 76), computing unit CI typically transmits data to another computing unit C2 which in the present example would typically be operated by the credit card company and be located remote from computing unit CI and from apparatus 1.

The recovered value is credited to credit card 5 in the currency of the credit card - which typically is different from the local currency. The currency conversion is, in a first possibility, accomplished by the first computing unit CI , and in a second possibility, by the second computing unit C2. In step 78, credit card 5 is ejected from apparatus 1, wherein step 78 may take place before step 76 is finished. It is possible to provide that user U can request a print-out of a receipt for the transaction, cf. also printer 9 in Fig. 7.

In case money card 5 is a debit card, the recovered value is credited to a bank account associated with the debit card.

5 In Figs. 3-5, actions taken by the user U are illustrated on the left-hand side, steps

carried out by the installation are illustrated on the right-hand side, wherein steps conducted by apparatus 1 are surrounded by a solid line, and other steps are surrounded by a dashed line.

Fig. 4 illustrates that the recovered value is credited to a charity account (step 85) if i o user U selects a second choice.

In this case, user U does not need to know or even enter any account details, and a money card needs not be inserted in apparatus neither, at least not for determining any details of the charity account, since these cannot be inferred from the user's money card anyway.

25 Data identifying the charity account need not be stored in apparatus 1. They may be stored in computing unit CI, e.g., in form of the IBAN of the charity account.

Computing unit CI communicates with a computing unit C2' (cf. Fig. 2) in order to credit an amount of money, e.g., the recovered value, to the charity account (step 85).

It is possible to provide that for the calculation of the amount of money to be credited to 20 the charity account, a different (in particular a lower) fee is deducted from the cash value.

In the case already mentioned above in which either choice 1 or choice 2 is offered for selection (in addition to choice 3), between steps 62 and 65, a step may be inserted in which the cash value is compared to a threshold value, and depending on the outcome, a 25 higher or a lower fee is deducted from the cash value in step 65. Further above, this possibilty of having different recovered values in such cases has been taken care of by using the terms "recovered value" (for the "normaP-type transaction) and "donation value" (for the crediting to a charity account).

Fig. 5 illustrates the case of selection of choice 3. In this case, the inserted coins, or more generally the inserted cash, is ejected from the apparatus 1. This usually aborts the 5 process.

Fig. 2 also illustrates that the installation usually comprises a multitude of apparatuses such as apparatuses 1 , Γ, 1 " and many more which may, at least in part, be located in different locations Al, A2, A3 which may be in different countries with different currencies. Of course, any apparatus may be operated by various users, e.g., users U, i o U', U".

After many transactions have been accomplished (be it "normal"-type transactions or donations to charity), considerable amounts of coins may have accumulated inside the respective apparatus. Typically, in an apparatus, a coin storage 2 is present, located in a receptacle 25 of the apparatus, cf. Figs. 6 and 7, and the coins are stored in such a coin 15 storage 2.

From time to time, such a coin storage 2 has to be emptied, which typically takes place in a bank branch where a computing unit C3 is located, preferably close to the location of the apparatus in which coin storage 2 was lastly filled. (Coin storages and

apparatuses may be structured and designed such that any one of many different 20 identically designed coin storages can be used together is many different identically designed apparatuses.)

At the location where the coin storage is emptied, the coins 3 will be counted using a coin counting and sorting machine.

Computing unit C3 receives from computing unit CI data indicative of the monetary 5 amount of all the coins assumed to be inside the specific coin storage, which is

determined from the transactions which have taken place using the specific apparatus during which coins were inserted into the specific coin storage 2. This transmitted monetary amount is then compared to the monetary amount determined by counting the coins taken out of the coin storage by means of the coin counting and sorting machine. This way, faults and defects of the installation and in particular of the apparatus can be found, and also fraud may be detected.

5 Assuming that both monetary amounts are identical, an entity associated with

computing unit C3, e.g., the bank branch where a computing unit C3 is located, is then debited for that amount of money.

For far-away locations of apparatuses, a different location for counting the coins and a different computing system will typically be used. i o But, e.g., for all apparatuses located in one and the same airport, all coin storages filled in any of these apparatuses will typically be handled by, e.g., one and the same bank branch.

By means of the installation and the corresponding method, a more local circulation of money is supported by reducing the amount of coins going abroad.

15 Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an apparatus 1 and a coin storage 2, and Fig. 7 is a front view of the same. Apparatus 1 comprises a receptacle 25 inside its main body, into which a coin storage 2 such as coin trolley can be inserted. Coins inserted into a coin inlet 11 of apparatus 1 can be inserted into the coin storage 2 when it is located in the receptacle 25.

20 The apparatus 1 furthermore comprises a display 10 which may, e.g., be a touchscreen device, a coin inlet 11, a coin outlet 12, a coin processing unit 13 (not drawn in the Figures) for validating and counting coins, a control unit 14 (not drawn in the Figures), and a card reader for reading money cards.

Apparatus 1 furthermore comprises a communication interface 16 (not drawn in the 25 Figures) and a communication line 17, a keypad 18, and a printer 19 for printing

receipts. Furthermore, an RFID reader 34 may be provided for communication with money cards and/or for wirelessly communicating with portable computing devices such as smart phones and/or with RFID-capable money cards. E.g., user information may this way be transmitted from the money card and the computing device, respectively, to the

5 apparatus 1.

Apparatus 1 may furthermore comprise a barcode reader for reading two-dimensional bar codes, a scanner with OCR (optical character recognition) functionality for recognizing passports and a bills unit 33 for accepting bills (notes) and possibly also for outputting bills, wherein in the latter case, the apparatus may also have a money changer i o functionality (in terms of cash-to-cash).

Apparatus 1 may also comprise an occupancy indicator 35, in particular on its top. This can be particularly useful if two or more apparatuses are located close to each other. Occupancy indicator 35 may, e.g., be configured for producing light in three different colors, e.g., green, yellow and red. For example, green light may indicate that

15 apparatus 1 is free and operable, yellow may indicate that apparatus is currently in use but probably free soon, and red may indicate that apparatus can currently not be used by a user, e.g., because it is defect, or because of ongoing maintenance, or because it is currently occupied (and it is expected that apparatus will stay occupied for a while).