Method and system to incentivize a user to perform an activity relating to a network-based marketplace in a timely manner

• US 20040204990A1
• Filed: 04/11/2003
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Kopelman, Joshua, Monahan, Jay, Lee, Stacy A.
• Application Number:
  US10/412,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20040204990A1
• 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 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date

Abstract

A method and system to incentivize a user to perform an incentivized activity relating to a network-based marketplace in a timely manner. A user is informed of an award for performing the incentivized activity, wherein a value of the award decreases in value as time elapses after a referenced time and before the performance of the incentivized activity. The performance of the incentivized activity is detected; and the value of the award is determined based on an amount of time elapsed after the referenced time and before the performance of the incentivized activity.

Claims

1. A method to incentivize a user to perform an incentivized activity relating to a network-based marketplace in a timely manner, the method including:

informing the user of an award for performing the incentivized activity, wherein a value of the award decreases in value as time elapses after a referenced time and before the performance of the incentivized activity;

detecting the performance of the incentivized activity; and

determining the value of the award based on an amount of time elapsed after the referenced time and before the performance of the incentivized activity.

2. The method of claim 1, including awarding the user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the informing is responsive to the detecting a first activity that is performed by the user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the informing of the user includes presenting a communication to the user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the determining the value of the award further includes utilizing a time and date stamp that is associated with the communication.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the detecting includes identifying a listing on the network-based marketplace based on a listing number.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the detecting includes identifying the user based on a unique identifier.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the detecting includes identifying a type of the at least one incentivized activity and the first activity based on a referencing universal resource locator (URL).

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the incentivized activity includes progressing an online transaction to a predetermined activity.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the predetermined activity includes utilizing a predetermined service.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the predetermined service includes a payment service.

12. The method of claim 11, including selecting a bank account as a source of payment.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the award module is to determine the value of the award with a time and date stamp that is associated with the communication.

13. A system to incentivize a user to perform an incentivized activity relating to a network-based marketplace, the system including:

at the network-based marketplace, a listing module to inform the user of an award to perform the incentivized activity, wherein a value of the award decreases in value time elapsed after a referenced time and before performance of the incentivized activity;

at the network-based marketplace, a detection module to detect performance of the incentivized activity; and

at the network-based marketplace, an award module to determine the value of the award based on the amount of time elapsed after the referenced time and before the performance of the incentivized activity.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the award module awards the user.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the listing module is responsive to the detection module that detects a first activity that is performed by the user.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the listing module is to present a communication to inform the user.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the detection module is to use an item number associated with the user-interface to identify a listing on the network-based marketplace.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the detection module is to use a unique identifier associated to identify the user that performed the at least one of the first activity and the incentivized activity.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the detection module is to identify at least one of the first activity and the second activity based on a universal resource locator (URL).

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the performance of the incentivized activity includes a progression an online transaction to a predetermined activity.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the predetermined activity includes a service.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the service includes a payment service.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the predetermined activity is to select a bank account as a source of payment.

25. A machine readable medium storing a set of instructions that, when executed by the machine, cause the machine to:

inform the user of an award for performing an incentivized activity, wherein a value of the award decreases in value as time elapses after a referenced time and before the performance of the incentivized activity;

detect the performance of the incentivized activity; and

determine the value of the award based on an amount of time elapsed after the referenced time and before the performance of the incentivized activity.

26. A system to incentivize a user to perform an incentivized activity relating to a network-based marketplace, the system including:

at the network-based marketplace, a first means to inform the user of an award to perform the incentivized activity, wherein a value of the award decreases in value time elapsed after a referenced time and before performance of the incentivized activity;

at the network-based marketplace, a second means to detect performance of the incentivized activity; and

at the network-based marketplace, a third means to determine the value of the award based on the amount of time elapsed after the referenced time and before the performance of the incentivized activity.