Systems and methods for soliciting customers using computer readable media

• US 20040103065A1
• Filed: 11/21/2002
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Capital One Services LLC (Capital One Financial Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Capital One Financial Corporation
• Inventors: Dumas-Brown, Nick, Kishen, Ronald Francis
• Granted Patent: US 7,831,513 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for soliciting customers using solicitation media. The solicitation media distributed to customers may comprise computer readable media that stores information pertaining to offer(s) for one or more product(s) or service(s). The computer readable media may also be provided with logic or program instructions that cause the customer'"'"'s computer to perform certain functions. By way of example, the functionality provided through the computer readable media may facilitate the selection of a product or service that is best suited for the customer'"'"'s needs, as well as assist a customer to complete and/or submit an application or request for an offered product or service. In addition to serving as a solicitation tool, the computer readable media may also serve as a financial transaction card that is associated with a financial product offered to the customer, such as a credit card or debit card.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium for distribution to a customer, the computer readable medium storing program instructions for instructing a computer to perform a method of offering at least one credit card product to the customer, the method comprising:

presenting an offer for at least one credit card product to the customer;

receiving a request from the customer to apply for the offered credit card product; and

in response to receiving the request for the customer, electronically submitting an application for the credit card product to a financial entity;

wherein the computer readable medium comprises a non-recordable surface with pre-assigned account information printed thereon so that the computer readable medium may function as a transaction card when an account for the offered credit card is issued to the customer using the pre-assigned account information.

2. The computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the computer readable medium further comprises a magnetic strip formed on the non-recordable surface of the computer readable medium, the magnetic strip storing a pre-assigned account number for the offered credit card.

3. The computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the computer readable medium further comprises a signature strip formed on the non-recordable surface of the computer readable medium, the signature strip being signed by the customer when an account for the offered credit card is issued.

4. The computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the computer readable medium is one of an optical compact disk (CD) and a smart card.

5. The computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the computer readable medium further comprises program instructions for instructing the computer to present a plurality of credit card offerings to the customer.

6. The computer readable medium according to claim 5, wherein the computer readable medium further comprises program instructions to instruct the computer to analyze and identify at least one of the plurality of product offerings for the customer.

7. The computer readable medium according to claim 5, wherein the computer readable medium further comprises program instructions to instruct the computer to perform a method comprising:

presenting the plurality of product offerings to the customer;

gathering at least one of segmentation and lifestyle information from the customer; and

analyzing the information gathered from the customer to identify at least one of the plurality of product offerings for the customer.

8. The computer readable medium according to claim 7, wherein the method further comprises:

presenting the identified product offering to the customer.

9. The computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the computer readable medium further comprises program instructions to instruct the computer to perform an expiration routine which invalidates the computer readable medium after a predetermined time period.

10. The computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the computer readable medium further comprises program instructions to instruct the computer to perform an expiration routine which invalidates the computer readable medium after a predetermined number of uses.

11. A method for soliciting a product to a customer, the method comprising:

providing a computer readable medium, the computer readable medium storing information related to a plurality of product offerings and storing program instructions for selecting a product offering for a customer;

enabling a computer to read the information stored in the computer readable medium and present the plurality of product offerings to the customer;

further enabling the computer to gather at least one of segmentation and lifestyle information from the customer;

configuring the program instructions stored in the computer readable medium to cause the computer to analyze the information gathered from the customer and identify at least one of the plurality of product offerings; and

further enabling the computer to present the identified product offering to the customer.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein preparing the computer readable medium further comprises storing on the computer readable medium an application for requesting at least one of the product offerings.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving from the customer a request for the identified product offering, the, request from the customer including application information submitted based on the application stored on the computer readable medium.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

processing the application information to determine whether to approve the customer'"'"'s request for the identified product offering; and

notifying the customer whether the request for the product offering is approved.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the identified product offering is a credit card product.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein preparing the computer readable medium further comprises providing a magnetic strip on a non-recordable surface of the computer readable medium and storing a pre-assigned account number on the magnetic strip, whereby the computer readable medium may function as a transaction card when an account for the credit card is issued to the customer based on the pre-assigned account number.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein preparing the computer readable medium further comprises printing account indicia on the non-recordable surface of the computer readable medium.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the computer readable medium is an optical compact disk (CD).

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the computer readable medium is a smart card.

20. The method according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of product offerings comprise a plurality of financial product offerings, and wherein processing the application information comprises performing a credit analysis based on the application information.

21. A method for soliciting a financial product to a customer, the method comprising:

preparing a computer readable medium, the preparation of the computer readable medium including storing on the computer readable medium solicitation information for at least one financial product and an application for requesting the financial product, and providing account indicia on a surface of the computer readable medium that is associated with the at least one financial product;

distributing the computer readable medium to a customer;

receiving from the customer a request for the financial product, the request from the customer including application information submitted based on the application stored on the computer readable medium;

processing the application information to determine whether to approve the customer'"'"'s request for the financial product; and

notifying the customer whether the request for the financial product is approved.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein preparing the computer readable medium further comprises storing on the computer readable medium information related to a plurality of product offerings.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein preparing the computer readable medium further comprises storing program instructions on the computer readable medium, the program instructions including program instructions for instructing a computer of the customer to perform predetermined functions.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the program instructions include program instructions to instruct the computer of the customer to analyze and identify at least one of the plurality of product offerings for the customer.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein the method further comprises:

using the computer of the customer to read the information stored on the computer readable medium and present the plurality of product offerings to the customer;

further using the computer to gather at least one of segmentation and lifestyle information from the customer; and

applying the program instructions stored on the computer readable medium to cause the computer to analyze the information gathered from the customer and identify at least one of the plurality of product offerings for the customer.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the method further comprises:

further using the computer to present the identified product offering to the customer.

27. The method according to claim 21, wherein preparing the computer readable medium further comprises providing a magnetic strip on a surface of the computer readable medium and storing a pre-assigned account number on the magnetic strip, whereby the computer readable medium may function as a transaction card when an account for the requested financial product is issued to the customer based on the pre-assigned account number.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the offered financial product is one of a credit card and a debit card.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the computer readable medium is an optical compact disk (CD).

30. The method according to claim 28, wherein the computer readable medium is a smart card.

31. A system for soliciting a financial product to a customer, the system comprising:

a solicitation media generator for preparing a computer readable medium, the solicitation media generator being adapted to store on the computer readable medium solicitation information for at least one financial product and an application for requesting the financial product, and to form account indicia on a surface of the computer readable medium, the account indicia being associated with the at least one financial product;

a distribution system for distributing the computer readable medium to a customer;

means for receiving from the customer a request for the financial product, the request from the customer including application information submitted based on the application stored on the computer readable medium;

means for processing the application information to determine whether to approve the customer'"'"'s request for the financial product; and

means for notifying the customer whether the request for the financial product is approved.

32. The system according to claim 31, wherein preparing the solicitation medium generator is further adapted to store on the computer readable medium information related to a plurality of product offerings.

33. The system according to claim 31, wherein preparing the solicitation medium generator is further adapted to store program instructions on the computer readable medium, the program instructions including program instructions for instructing a computer of the customer to perform predetermined functions.

34. The system according to claim 33, wherein the program instructions include program instructions to instruct the computer of the customer to analyze and identify at least one of the plurality of product offerings for the customer.

35. The system according to claim 33, wherein the program instructions instruct the computer of the customer to perform a method comprising:

reading the information stored on the computer readable medium and presenting the plurality of product offerings to the customer;

gathering at least one of segmentation and lifestyle information from the customer; and

analyzing the information gathered from the customer to identify at least one of the plurality of product offerings for the customer.

36. The system according to claim 35, wherein the method further comprises:

presenting the identified product offering to the customer.

37. A method for soliciting a customer, the method comprising:

providing a computer readable medium, the computer readable medium storing information related to at least one financial product and program instructions for offering the financial product to a customer;

configuring the program instructions stored in the computer readable medium to cause a computer to;

present to the customer the offer for the at least one financial product;

gather application information from the customer to enable the customer to apply for offered financial product,

generate an original code that is representative of the application information gathered from the customer, and

compress the original code into a compressed code using an encryption algorithm;

receiving, at a financial entity, the compressed code as part of a request from the customer for the offered financial product;

after receiving the compressed code at the financial entity, decompressing the compressed code to reveal the original code and analyzing the original code to determine the application information from the customer; and

analyzing the application information to determine whether to issue the offered financial product to the customer.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein generating the original code comprises forming a data string based on the customer application information.

39. The method according to claim 37, wherein compressing the original code comprises encrypting the original code using a 32-bit encryption routine.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein decompressing the compressed code comprises applying a decryption routine associated with the 32 bit encryption routine.

41. The method according to claim 37, wherein submitting the compressed code to the financial entity comprises submitting the compressed code by at least one of mail, telephone, e-mail and through a Web site.

42. A CD transaction card product, comprising an optical CD for storing program instructions for instructing a computer to perform a method of offering financial products to a customer, the method comprising:

presenting an offer for at least one financial product to the customer;

receiving a request from the customer to apply for the offered financial product; and

in response to receiving the request for the customer, electronically submitting an application for the financial product to a financial entity;

wherein the optical CD comprises a non-recordable surface with pre-assigned account information printed thereon so that the optical CD may function as a transaction card when an account for the offered financial product is issued to the customer using the pre-assigned account information.

43. The CD transaction card product according to claim 42, wherein the optical CD further comprises a magnetic strip formed on the non-recordable surface of the computer readable medium, the magnetic strip storing a pre-assigned account number for the offered financial product.

44. The CD transaction card product according to claim 42, wherein the optical CD further comprises a signature strip formed on the non-recordable surface of the optical CD, the signature strip being signed by the customer when an account for the offered financial product is issued.

45. A method for soliciting a customer, the method comprising:

providing a computer readable medium, the computer readable medium storing information related to at least one product or service and program instructions for offering the product or service to a customer;

configuring the program instructions stored in the computer readable medium to cause a computer to;

present to the customer the offer for the at least one product or service;

gather application information from the customer to enable the customer to request for offered product or service,

generate an original code that is representative of the application information gathered from the customer, and

compress the original code into a compressed code using an encryption algorithm;

receiving, at an entity, the compressed code as part of a request from the customer for the offered product or service; and

after receiving the compressed code at the entity, decompressing the compressed code to reveal the original code and analyzing the original code to process the application information and request for the offered product or service from the customer.

46. The method according to claim 45, wherein generating the original code comprises forming a data string based on the customer application information.

47. The method according to claim 45, wherein submitting the compressed code to the entity comprises submitting the compressed code by at least one of mail, telephone, e-mail and through a Web site.