Abstract: Dispensing system with at least one dispenser 1 for articles that are available to be dispensed, preferably in form of a mini bar, an administering system for billing articles and/or administering the stock of the articles to be dispensed, or at least an interface 6 to such an administering system, whereby said dispenser 1 comprises at least one store area 3. Said one store area 3 allows the simultaneous storing of several preferably different articles, whereby the articles can be removed and placed back after inspection by the customer. As long as the customer only inspects the articles he will not be charged for the selling price of the articles. The articles can be freely positioned on the store area 3, whereby said store area is monitored by a detection device which is able to detect at least after a certain time whether an article has been removed. This detection works independently from the positions in said store area occupied by remaining articles and occupied formally by said removed article.

Abstract: An open shelf bar arrangement for an hotel or like establishment comprises a plurality of open shelf bars (3), each having shelf units (23) for receiving articles (45) and control arrangements for determining the presence or absence of articles and transmitting data thereabout. A central processor (5) is provided for receiving data from the bar control arrangement of each bar (3) and for controlling the bars, the central processor (5) providing data to reporting means (11) for providing reports on the operation of the bars (3) and to a central billing arrangement (9) for adding the cost of items taken from the bars to appropriate customers billing. The invention also includes the bar control arrangement and the bar shelf units (23).