Method of selling fuel

• US 20040122732A1
• Filed: 12/23/2002
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Comer F. David
• Original Assignee: Comer F. David
• Inventors: Comer, F. David
• Application Number:
  US10/328,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20040122732A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0213 Consumer transaction fees
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a method of selling fuel where the seller receives a membership fee from a fuel purchaser in exchange for the right to purchase discounted fuel in the future. Next, the seller receives a fuel fee from the fuel purchaser in exchange for the right to purchase a specified market value of fuel wherein the market value of the fuel is greater than the fuel fee. The seller then issues the fuel purchaser with a card that allows the fuel purchaser to purchase the amount of fuel having the market value greater than the fuel fee wherein the card is limited to usage only at locations that sell fuel but verifiable over a credit/debit card network not limited to fuel purchases.

Claims

1. A method of selling fuel comprising:

receiving a membership fee from a product purchaser in exchange for the right to purchase a predetermined discounted product in the future;

receiving an activity fee from the product purchaser in exchange for the right to purchase a specified market value of product wherein the market value of the product is greater than the activity fee;

issuing to the product purchaser a card that allows the product purchaser to purchase the product having the market value greater than the activity fee wherein the card is limited to usage only at locations that sell the product but verifiable over a credit/debit card network not limited to the predetermined product purchases.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the product is gasoline.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the activity fee is 80% of the value of the purchasable fuel.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the card is encoded with data that indicates to the credit/debit card network that the card is only for use at locations having an MCC code that indicates the location sells fuel.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the card is usable only for a specified period from issue.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the card is usable only for six months from issue.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the product purchaser may not remit more than a maximum number of activity fees.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the fuel is gasoline.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the discounted fee is 80% of the value of the purchasable fuel.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the card is encoded with data that indicates to the credit/debit card network that card is only for use at locations having an MCC code that indicates the location sells fuel.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the card is usable only for a specified period from issue.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the card is usable only for six months from issue.

8. A method of selling fuel comprising:

receiving a membership fee from a fuel purchaser in exchange for the right to purchase discounted fuel in the future;

receiving a fuel fee from the fuel purchaser in exchange for the right to purchase a specified market value of fuel wherein the market value of the fuel is greater than the fuel fee;

issuing the fuel purchaser with a card that allows the fuel purchaser to purchase the amount of fuel having the market value greater than the fuel fee wherein the card is limited to usage only at locations that sell fuel but verifiable over a credit/debit card network not limited to fuel purchases.