The present invention is a method and apparatus for automatically managing
a price of a product in a vending machine. The method and apparatus is
disclosed for implementing dynamic price adjustments at various times
including after stocking, after a sale of a product and at periodic
intervals. The method generally includes the steps of updating inventory
data, including a quantity of a product, accessing price management data
associated with the product, and determining the price of the product.
According to the method and apparatus of the present invention, the
determined price of the product is based on the price management data and
the inventory data. The determined price is then stored in a memory of
the apparatus and displayed for customers. The apparatus may be a vending
machine, a processing module within the vending machine, or an external
module remotely transmitting the dynamically adjusted price to a vending
machine.