Creating revenue sources using allocation source

• US 10,068,265 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2011
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lenahan, Michael, Lenahan, Christen Ann
• Primary Examiner(s): LUDWIG, PETER L
• Application Number:
  US13/156,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20110264503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,645 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3274 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being displayed on the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/305 for record players

Abstract

Example methods, apparatuses, or articles of manufacture are disclosed herein that may be utilized, in whole or in part, to facilitate or support one or more operations or techniques for creating new and/or reoccurring revenue sources using an allocation source.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining, by a computing device of a user, transaction data related to a plurality of transactions made by the user in which each transaction is with respect to one of a plurality of providers of goods or services;

transmitting, by the computing device, the transaction data to a pre-payment benefit entity;

initiating, by the computing device, a log-in process with respect to the pre-payment benefit entity;

receiving, by the computing device from the pre-payment benefit entity in response to initiation of the log-in process, a purchase history with respect to the plurality of providers that is based on the transaction data;

receiving, by the computing device from the pre-payment benefit entity in response to initiation of the log-in process, promotional information regarding a plurality of promotions that each correspond to one of the plurality of providers, each of the plurality of promotions indicating a corresponding promotional value to be added to a prepayment value in exchange for the user committing to allocate funds on a scheduled basis through a payroll deduction to prepay future purchases with a corresponding provider via a prepayment account associated with the user;

populating dynamic information fields of a user interface of the computing device with the purchase history and the promotional information such that the user interface presents the purchase history and the plurality of promotions according to corresponding providers in a manner that allows the user to identify purchase patterns with respect to the plurality of providers and in a manner that allows the user to select one or more of the plurality of promotions;

receiving, via the user interface, a selection, by the user from the plurality of promotions, of a promotion associated with a particular promotional value for a particular provider;

electronically communicating, using a hardware processor, the selection of the promotion by the user to the pre-payment benefit entity;

causing an amount corresponding to the prepayment value to be electronically transferred to the prepayment account associated with the user to pre-pay for future purchases with the particular provider, the prepayment value and the particular promotional value being combined in the prepayment account for future payments with the particular provider to increase a total value in the prepayment account;

electronically receiving a scannable code associated with the prepayment account, the scannable code being generated and transmitted by the pre-payment benefit entity, the scannable code comprising account-related information associated with the prepayment account and routing information to a server associated with the prepayment account;

causing a payment gateway of the particular provider to electronically route, using the routing information, the account-related information to the server associated with the prepayment account to redeem the promotion by presenting the scannable code to the payment gateway;

providing, in response to redemption of the promotion by the user, subsequent transaction data related to purchases determined to be made by the user with respect to the particular provider subsequent to redemption of the promotion; and

presenting, on the user interface, a subsequent promotion that is associated with the particular provider and that is based on a level of customer loyalty determined with respect to the particular provider based on the subsequent transaction data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection originated at a special purpose computing platform device comprising a specific client device operated by the user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the specific client device comprises a mobile device operated by the user.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the specific client device is coupled to a network accessible by the provider of goods or services and by the pre-payment benefit entity that manages offering of the promotion.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the specific client device is coupled to a network associated with the provider of goods or services via a network associated with the pre-payment benefit entity.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an indication of an allocation source that manages an account corresponding to the user from which the amount corresponding to the prepayment value is electronically transferred.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the promotion further comprises a time period before the promotion expires.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the promotion further comprises a renewal offer that increases the particular promotional value in response to the user renewing the selection of the promotion within a predetermined period of time.

13. The method or claim 1, wherein the particular promotional value is based on the level of customer loyalty.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the level of customer loyalty is determined based on a loyalty calculator.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the loyalty calculator is based on an average ticket size-type metric.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular promotional value is contingent on satisfying one or more conditions.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the prepayment value comprises an in-store-allocated loyalty pre-payment value.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the in-store-allocated loyalty pre-payment value is based on a purchase history of the user.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the in-store-allocated loyalty pre-payment value is based on a purchase frequency of the user.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the prepayment value is electronically deducted from after-tax payments to the user by a payroll process.

7. A method comprising:

causing, by a hardware processor, a user interface to be presented on a computing device of a consumer, the user interface offering a plurality of promotions each corresponding to one of a plurality of providers of goods or services;

receiving a selection, from the computing device of the consumer, of a promotion from the plurality of promotions presented on the user interface, the promotion offering a promotional value to be added to a prepayment value in exchange for the consumer committing to allocate funds on a scheduled basis to prepay future purchases with a particular provider that corresponds to the selected promotion in which prepayment of future purchases with the particular provider is via a prepayment account associated with the consumer;

causing a transfer of an amount corresponding to the prepayment value to the prepayment account associated with the consumer in response to the receiving of the selection of the promotion, the prepayment value and the promotional value being combined in the prepayment account for future payments with the particular provider to increase a total value in the prepayment account;

generating a scannable code associated with the prepayment account, the scannable code comprising account-related information associated with the prepayment account and routing information to a server associated with the prepayment;

transmitting the scannable code to the computing device of the consumer for presentation on a display of the computing device, presentation of the scannable code by the computing device of the consumer to a payment gateway of the particular provider causing the payment gateway to electronically route, using the routing information, the account-related information to the server associated with the prepayment account to redeem the promotion;

receiving, from the computing device of the consumer in response to redemption of the promotion by the consumer, subsequent transaction data related to purchases determined to be made by the consumer with respect to the particular provider subsequent to redemption of the promotion; and

determining a subsequent promotion that is associated with the particular provider and that is based on a level of customer loyalty determined with respect to the particular provider based on the subsequent transaction data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein an amount of the promotional value is based on an attribute of the prepayment value, the attribute comprising an incentive-based loyalty value.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the incentive-based

loyalty value is determined in connection with a selection from the group consisting of a prepaid retail loyalty rewards-based approach and an in-store-allocated loyalty pre-payment rewards-based approach.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein causing the transfer of the amount corresponding to the prepayment value comprises accepting, by a pre-spending benefit entity on behalf of the provider of goods or services, an electronic pre-payment.

21. The method of claim 7, wherein the promotion further comprises a time period before the promotion expires.

22. The method of claim 7, wherein the promotion comprises a renewal offer that increases the promotion value in response to the consumer renewing the selection of the promotion within a predetermined period of time.

23. The method or claim 7, wherein the promotional value is based on the level of customer loyalty.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the level of customer loyalty is determined based on a loyalty calculator.

26. The method of claim 7, wherein causing the user interface to be presented on the computing device of the consumer includes causing population of dynamic information fields of the user interface with a purchase history and promotional information associated with the plurality of promotions such that the user interface presents the purchase history and the plurality of promotions according to corresponding providers in a manner that allows the consumer to identify purchase patterns with respect to the plurality of providers and in a manner that allows the consumer to select one or more of the plurality of promotions.

25. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions which, in response to being executed by one or more processors of a system, cause the system to perform operations comprising:

obtaining, from a computing device of a user, transaction data related to a plurality of transactions made by a user in which each transaction is with respect to one of a plurality of providers of goods or services;

obtaining, in response to initiation of a log-in process by the computing device, a purchase history with respect to the plurality of providers that is based on the transaction data;

communicating, to the computing device in response to initiation of the log-in process, promotional information regarding a plurality of promotions that each correspond to one of the plurality of providers, each of the plurality of promotions indicating a corresponding promotional value to be added to a prepayment value in exchange for the user committing to allocate funds on a scheduled basis through a payroll deduction to prepay future purchases with a corresponding provider via a prepayment account associated with the user;

causing dynamic information fields of a user interface of the computing device to be populated with the purchase history and the promotional information such that the user interface presents the purchase history and the plurality of promotions according to corresponding providers in a manner that allows the user to identify purchase patterns with respect to the plurality of providers and in a manner that allows the user to select one or more of the plurality of promotions;

electronically receiving, from the computing device, a selection of a promotion from the plurality of promotions by the user at a pre-payment benefit entity, the selected promotion being associated with a particular promotional value for a particular provider;

causing an amount corresponding to the prepayment value to be electronically transferred to the prepayment account associated with the user to pre-pay for future purchases with the particular provider, the prepayment value and the particular promotional value being combined in the prepayment account for future payments with the particular provider to increase a total value in the prepayment account;

generating a scannable code associated with the prepayment account, the scannable code comprising account-related information associated with the prepayment account and routing information to a server associated with the prepayment; and

transmitting the scannable code to the computing device of the user for presentation on a display of the computing device, presentation of the scannable code by the computing device of the user to a payment gateway of the particular provider causing the payment gateway to electronically route, using the routing information, the account-related information to the server associated with the prepayment account to redeem the promotion.

27. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the computing device of the user in response to redemption of the promotion by the user, subsequent transaction data related to purchases determined to be made by the user with respect to the particular provider subsequent to redemption of the promotion; and

determining a subsequent promotion that is associated with the particular provider and that is based on a level of customer loyalty determined with respect to the particular provider based on the subsequent transaction data.