Method and apparatus for distributing and redeeming offers and incentives
First Claim
1. A method of communicating data for distributing product offers and other incentives to consumers over a communication network to enable redemption of at least some of the offers or incentives and for generating invoicing data for invoicing a supplier of the redeemed offer or incentive, comprising the steps of:
- a) storing data representing the conditions of manufacturers'"'"' offers and/or of retailer incentives in a first database associated with a co-operative communication network site, b) providing data from the first database to a consumer in response to a consumer request made directly or indirectly to the first database from a consumer communication node connected to the communication network, irrespective of whether the consumer communication node is logged into the co-operative communication site or to a retailer or manufacturer network site or another independently administered site, c) providing a transactional second database for recording data transactions on the first database, d) receiving data representing selections made by the consumer from the offers and/or incentives and transmitting the selections data over the communications network to a retailer'"'"'s network site in order to complete purchases corresponding to the selections and updating said transaction database with the selections, e) further updating the transaction database in respect of any selections for which purchases were not fulfilled by the retailer, and f) generating invoicing data from the transaction database for invoicing manufacturers and/or suppliers for manufacturers'"'"' offers redeemed by retailers.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for distributing promotional offers and other incentives to consumers over a communication network and for the consumers subsequently to redeem at least some of the offers is disclosed. The invention includes storing manufacturers offers and/or retail incentives in a database C associated with a co-operative communication network site 2 and providing information from the database to a consumer in a response to a request from a consumer to the database. The consumer may be connected directly to the database or may be given access to the database while logged into a retailer'"'"'s or manufacturer'"'"'s network site in such a way that the consumer is not aware that information is coming from the co-operative communication site. In addition, a transactional second database D is provided for recording transactions on the first database C so that when a consumer selects offers, step 27, from the database, an order is generated, step 28, on the transactional database. This order is passed to the retailer'"'"'s on-line check out, step 30, and the transactional database is further updated, step 31, with any unfulfilled orders. Invoicing data is then produced from the transactional database for invoicing manufacturers and other suppliers for manufacturer'"'"'s offers redeemed by retailers, and in addition, in an embodiment of the invention, marketing analysis reports are generated from the transactional database.
79 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method of communicating data for distributing product offers and other incentives to consumers over a communication network to enable redemption of at least some of the offers or incentives and for generating invoicing data for invoicing a supplier of the redeemed offer or incentive, comprising the steps of:
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a) storing data representing the conditions of manufacturers'"'"' offers and/or of retailer incentives in a first database associated with a co-operative communication network site, b) providing data from the first database to a consumer in response to a consumer request made directly or indirectly to the first database from a consumer communication node connected to the communication network, irrespective of whether the consumer communication node is logged into the co-operative communication site or to a retailer or manufacturer network site or another independently administered site, c) providing a transactional second database for recording data transactions on the first database, d) receiving data representing selections made by the consumer from the offers and/or incentives and transmitting the selections data over the communications network to a retailer'"'"'s network site in order to complete purchases corresponding to the selections and updating said transaction database with the selections, e) further updating the transaction database in respect of any selections for which purchases were not fulfilled by the retailer, and f) generating invoicing data from the transaction database for invoicing manufacturers and/or suppliers for manufacturers'"'"' offers redeemed by retailers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 13)
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6. A system for distributing product offers and other incentives to consumers over a communication network and for the consumers subsequently to redeem at least some of the offers, comprising:
- storage means for storing the conditions of manufacturers'"'"' offers and/or of retailer incentives in a first database associated with a co-operative communication network site, output means for providing data from the first database to a consumer in response to a consumer request made directly or indirectly to the first database from a consumer communication node connected to the communication network, irrespective of whether the consumer communication node is logged into the co-operative communication site or to a retailer or manufacturer network site or another independently administered site, a transactional second database for recording transactions on the first database, selection means for making selections by the consumer from the offers and/or incentives, transmission means for transmitting the selections over the communications network to a retailer'"'"'s network site in order to complete purchases corresponding to the selections and updating said transaction database with the selections, updating means for further updating the transaction database in respect of any selections for which purchases were not fulfilled by the retailer, and invoicing means for generating invoicing data from the transaction database for invoicing manufacturers and/or suppliers for manufacturers'"'"' offers redeemed by retailers.
- View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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14. A method for distributing product offers and other incentives substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
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15. A system for distributing product offers and other incentives substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Specification