Abstract: A system for exchanging cash change, owed by a vendor to a customer as a result of the customer purchasing a good or a service from the vendor, for an alternative offer of a good or a service, said system for performing the steps of generating change data representing a monetary value of the cash change owed to the customer by the vendor; generating offer data representing said alternative offer of said good or service; receiving acceptance data representing confirmation of acceptance of exchange of said cash change for said alternative offer of said good or service; and generating confirmation data representing confirmation of acceptance of exchange of said cash change for said alternative offer of said good or service, wherein said offer data has an offer value corresponding to said change data.

Abstract: A coupling member (20) includes cylindrical body (22) and hook (24). Sleeve (70) slides over the outer surface of body (22) between and open position (as shown) and a closed position and carries pin (50) which is guided by slots (60, 62) formed in body (22). Closure shaft (30) is mounted within body (22) and biased by spring (42) towards a closed position wherein end (32) of shaft (30) is received within recess (44) formed in portion (26) of hook (24). Pin (50) is slidably mounted in transverse bore (56) of shaft (30). Spring (58) biases pin head (52) towards shaft (30) so that when shaft (30) is in the closed position, pin head (52) is seated in recess (66) and shaft (30) is thereby locked in the closed position. Coupling member (20) can be used for securing lines in mountaineering or cave diving.