Method and system for providing coupon savings using existing credit card processing infrastructure, and barcoded coupon having 2-D component

• US 20040117250A1
• Filed: 12/17/2002
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Barcode Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Barcode Corporation
• Inventors: Lubow, Allen, Bunin, Cary
• Application Number:
  US10/320,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20040117250A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• 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 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered

Abstract

Coupons (105) are encoded with an account identifier such as a credit or debit card number of the coupon issuer. The coupon may be a bar-coded coupon, or a coupon card, such as a magnetic stripe card or smart card. The bar-coded coupon may use a compact two-dimensional symbology such as Reduced Space Symbology (RSS) to carry the account identifier and other information such as enhanced consumer demographic data. Coupon information including the account identifier, a product or service identifier, and a discount identifier, are obtained from the coupon (105) at a point of sale location (100). The consumer is credited for the discount. The coupon information, including a merchant identifier are communicated to a processing center (135) using an existing credit card terminal (115) and communication protocol, such as ANSI X9, and processed like a conventional credit or debit card transaction.

Claims

1. A bar-coded coupon suitable for redemption at a point of sale location, comprising:

a bar code symbol carrying an account identifier of an issuer of the coupon, a product or service identifier, and an identifier of a discount amount to be credited to a consumer upon purchase of the product or service, and to be charged to the issuer in accordance with the account identifier.

2. The bar-coded coupon of claim 1, wherein:

the account identifier comprises at least one of a credit card number and debit card number.

3. The bar-coded coupon of claim 1, further comprising:

a substrate on which the bar code symbol is printed.

4. The bar-coded coupon of claim 1, wherein:

at least a portion of the bar code symbol comprises a two-dimensional symbol in which the account identifier is carried.

5. The bar-coded coupon of claim 4, wherein:

the two-dimensional symbol comprises a Reduced Space Symbology (RSS) symbol.

6. The bar-coded coupon of claim 1, wherein:

the bar code symbol includes a one-dimensional portion carrying first coupon information, and a two-dimensional portion carrying the account identifier.

7. The bar-coded coupon of claim 1, wherein:

the product or service identifier comprises a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) for use in authorizing redemption of the coupon at the point of sale location.

8. A bar-coded coupon suitable for redemption at a point of sale location, comprising:

a bar code symbol carrying an identifier of an account of an issuer of the coupon, an identifier of a consumer'"'"'s account, and an identifier of an award amount to be awarded to the consumer'"'"'s account and to be charged to the issuer'"'"'s account.

9. The bar-coded coupon of claim 8, wherein:

the coupon is printed by the consumer as a web-based coupon; and

the bar code symbol carries information associated with the consumer obtained during interaction of the consumer with the web site.

10. The bar-coded coupon of claim 8, wherein:

the award amount is designated by the web site.

11. The bar-coded coupon of claim 8, wherein:

the issuer'"'"'s account identifier comprises at least one of a credit card number and a debit card number.

12. The bar-coded coupon of claim 8, wherein:

at least a portion of the bar code symbol comprises a two-dimensional symbol in which the issuer'"'"'s account identifier is carried.

13. A coupon card suitable for redemption at a point of sale location, comprising:

at least one of a magnetic strip card and a smart cart carrying an identifier of an account of an issuer of the coupon, an identifier of a consumer'"'"'s account, and an identifier of an award amount to be awarded to the consumer'"'"'s account and to be charged to the issuer'"'"'s account.

14. A method for processing a bar-coded coupon at a point of sale location, comprising:

scanning a bar code symbol on the coupon to obtain an account identifier of an issuer of the coupon, a product or service identifier, and an identifier of a discount amount to be credited to a consumer upon purchase of the product or service, and to be charged to the issuer in accordance with the account identifier.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

communicating the account identifier, product or service identifier, and discount amount identifier to a processing center for processing thereat.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

said communicating is performed using a credit card terminal at the point of sale location.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the account identifier comprises a credit card number, and the account identifier, product or service identifier, and discount amount identifier are communicated to the processing center using a credit card communication protocol.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the account identifier comprises a debit card number, and the account identifier, product or service identifier, and discount amount identifier are communicated to the processing center using a debit card communication protocol.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein:

at least a portion of the bar code symbol comprises a two-dimensional symbol in which the account identifier is carried.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the two-dimensional symbol comprises a Reduced Space Symbology (RSS) symbol.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the bar code symbol includes a one-dimensional portion carrying first coupon information, and a two-dimensional portion carrying the account identifier.

22. A method for processing a,coupon card at a point of sale location, comprising:

reading at least one of a magnetic strip card and a smart cart carrying an account identifier of an issuer of the coupon, a product or service identifier, and an identifier of a discount amount to be credited to a consumer upon purchase of the product or service, and to be charged to the issuer in accordance with the account identifier.

23. A method for processing coupon transaction information received from a merchant at a point of sale location, comprising:

recovering, from the coupon transaction information, an account identifier, of an issuer of the coupon, a discount amount identifier that has been credited to a consumer upon purchase of a product or service from the merchant, and an account identifier of the merchant;

providing a charge against the account of the issuer according to the discount amount identifier and the account identifier of the issuer; and

providing a payment on behalf of the merchant according to the discount amount identifier and the account identifier of the merchant.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

recovering, from the coupon transaction information, an identifier of the product or service.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

recovering, from the coupon transaction information, demographic data associated with the consumer.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein:

the issuer'"'"'s account identifier comprises at least one of a credit card number and a debit card number.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein:

the coupon transaction information is received from a credit card terminal at the point of sale location.

28. A method for processing coupon transaction information received from a merchant at a point of sale location, comprising:

recovering, from the coupon transaction information, an account identifier of an issuer of the coupon, an identifier of an award amount to be awarded to a consumer, and an account identifier of the consumer;

providing a charge against the account of the issuer based in accordance with the award amount identifier and the issuer'"'"'s account identifier; and

providing an award on behalf of the consumer in accordance with the award amount identifier and the consumer'"'"'s account identifier.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein:

the issuer'"'"'s account identifier comprises at least one of a credit card number and a debit card number.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein:

the consumer'"'"'s account identifier comprises at least one of a credit card number, debit card number, and bank account number.

31. A method for authorizing redemption of a bar-coded coupon at a point of sale location, comprising:

(a) scanning the coupon to obtain at least one product identifier therefrom;

(b) scanning at least one product purchased by a consumer at the point of sale location to obtain at least one product identifier therefrom;

(c) comparing the at least one product identifier obtained in step (a) to the at least one product identifier obtained in step (b) to determine whether there is a mismatch; and

(d) if there is no mismatch, authorizing redemption of the coupon; and

(e) if there is a mismatch, not authorizing redemption of the coupon.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein:

the at least one product identifier obtained in step (a) comprises at least one of a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) and a UPC bar code symbol.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein:

the at least one product identifier obtained in step (b) comprises at least one of a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) and a UPC bar code symbol.

34. A computer program product for use in printing a bar-coded coupon suitable for redemption at a point of sale location, comprising:

software adapted to be executed by a computer for use in printing a bar code symbol carrying an account identifier of an issuer of the coupon, a product or service identifier, and an identifier of a discount amount to be credited to a consumer upon purchase of the product or service, and to be charged to the issuer in accordance with the account identifier.

35. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein:

the account identifier comprises at least one of a credit card number and debit card number.

36. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein:

at least a portion of the bar code symbol comprises a two-dimensional symbol in which the account identifier is carried.

37. The computer program product of claim 36, wherein:

the two-dimensional symbol comprises a Reduced Space Symbology (RSS) symbol.

38. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein:

the bar code symbol includes a one-dimensional portion carrying first coupon information, and a two-dimensional portion carrying the account identifier.

39. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein:

the product or service identifier comprises a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) for use in authorizing redemption of the coupon at the point of sale location.

40. A computer program product for use in printing a bar-coded coupon suitable for redemption at a point of sale location, comprising:

software adapted to be executed by a computer for use in printing a bar code symbol carrying an identifier of an account of an issuer of the coupon, an identifier of a consumer'"'"'s account, and an identifier of an award amount to be awarded to the consumer'"'"'s account and to be charged to the issuer'"'"'s account.

41. The computer program product of claim 40, wherein:

the coupon is printed by the consumer as a web-based coupon; and

the bar code symbol carries information associated with the consumer obtained during interaction of the consumer with the web site.

42. The computer program product of claim 40, wherein:

the award amount is designated by the web site.

43. The computer program product of claim 40, wherein:

the issuer'"'"'s account identifier comprises at least one of a credit card number and a debit card number.

44. The computer program product of claim 40, wherein:

the consumer'"'"'s account identifier comprises at least one of a credit card number, debit card number, and bank account number.

45. The computer program product of claim 40, wherein:

at least a portion of the bar code symbol comprises a two-dimensional symbol in which the issuer'"'"'s account identifier is carried.

46. A bar-coded coupon suitable for redemption at a point of sale location, comprising:

a bar code symbol carrying an account identifier of an issuer of the coupon, a product or service identifier, and an identifier of a discount amount to be credited to a consumer upon purchase of the product or service, and to be charged to the issuer in accordance with the account identifier;

wherein;

the account identifier comprises at least one of a credit card number and debit card number.

47. A method for processing a bar-coded coupon at a point of sale location, comprising:

scanning a bar code symbol on the coupon to obtain an account identifier of an issuer of the coupon, a product or service identifier, and an identifier of a discount amount to be credited to a consumer upon purchase of the product or service, and to be charged to the issuer in accordance with the account identifier;

wherein;

the account identifier comprises at least one of a credit card number and debit card number.

48. A method for processing coupon transaction information received from a merchant at a point of sale location, comprising:

recovering, from the coupon transaction information, an account identifier of an issuer of the coupon, a discount amount identifier that has been credited to a consumer upon purchase of a product or service from the merchant, and an account identifier of the merchant;

providing a charge against the account of the issuer according to the discount amount identifier and the account identifier of the issuer; and

providing a payment on behalf of the merchant according to the discount amount identifier and the account identifier of the merchant;

wherein;

the issuer'"'"'s account identifier comprises at least one of a credit card number and a debit card number.