Method and system for providing rebates

• US 20040251305A1
• Filed: 06/07/2004
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
• Inventors: OʼConnor, Marty, Klapka, Tim
• Application Number:
  US10/497,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20040251305A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards

Abstract

A method and system for distributing rebate forms at a point-of-sale (S204) of product. Information regarding rebate offers is kept in a database (S206), and retrieved at the time of a sale (S226) for use in printing a rebate form (S232) for the product. Rebate forms for more than one product may be printed on the same form.

Claims

1. A method for distributing rebate forms, the method comprising steps of:

detecting an identification code of a product at a point-of-sale;

accessing, based upon said identification code, rebate information for one or more rebate programs;

determining from the rebate information for one or more rebate programs whether said product has an associated rebate program; and

printing out the rebate form at the point-of-sale for the associated rebate program of said product;

wherein the rebate form serves as a proof-of-purchase for said product.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting step comprises:

scanning a universal product code of the product at the point-of-sale;

wherein the point-of-sale is a checkout stand.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said accessing step comprises accessing a rebate information database.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said accessing step comprises accessing encoded data from a label of said product.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the rebate form comprises a rebate amount for said product.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said product is a first product, and the rebate form comprises a total rebate amount for a plurality of products including said first product.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said plurality of products is a predefined combination of products which is associated with a combination rebate offer.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said plurality of products comprise a predefined number of the same product being purchased at the same time.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said plurality of products comprise a predefined number of the same product being purchased within a given period of time.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said rebate form is a customer specific rebate form which comprises information about a customer purchasing the product, the information comprising an address of the customer.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said information about the customer is retrieved from a customer information database.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said rebate form is a generic rebate form which comprises blank spaces to accommodate a mailing address of a customer.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said rebate form comprises a mailing address of a clearing agent.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the clearing agent is a manufacturer of said product.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising a step of:

machine reading data from said rebate form by the clearing agent.

16. An apparatus for distributing rebate forms at a checkout stand, the apparatus comprising steps of:

a scanner at the checkout stand for detecting an identification code of a product;

a rebate information database in communication with the checkout stand, said rebate information database containing information of an associated rebate program for the product; and

a printer at the checkout stand for printing out the rebate form for the associated rebate program of said product;

wherein the rebate form serves as a proof-of-purchase for said product.

17. A method of providing rebate forms at a point-of-sale of a product, the method comprising steps of:

establishing a communication link between an information system of a retail store and a rebate clearinghouse;

storing information about a rebate program for said product in a database of said retail store;

configuring an information system of said retail store to print the rebate forms for said rebate program;

printing the rebate form at a point-of-sale within said retail store in response to a purchase transaction of the product, the printing of said rebate form being based upon information provided by the information system;

wherein information of the purchase of said product is communicated via the communications link from the retail store to the clearinghouse.

18. A method for providing a rebate to a customer, the method comprising steps of:

determining, at a point-of-sale, rebate information for a product having an associated rebate program;

printing out a rebate form at the point-of-sale for the associated rebate program of said product;

receiving, at a clearinghouse, the rebate form from said customer;

machine reading data from said rebate form by the clearinghouse; and

providing the rebate to the customer based upon results of the machine reading data step.

19. The method for providing a rebate to a customer of claim 18, wherein the rebate form serves as a proof-of-purchase for said product.

20. The method for providing a rebate to a customer of claim 18, further comprising a step of:

receiving, from a store associated with the point-of-sale, a verification code confirming a sale of said product.

21. A method for distributing rebate forms, the method comprising steps of:

detecting an identification code of a product at a point-of-sale;

accessing, based upon said identification code, rebate information for one or more rebate programs;

determining from the rebate information for one or more rebate programs whether said product has an associated rebate program; and

making the rebate form electronically available to a consumer computer;

wherein the rebate form serves as a proof-of-purchase for said product.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the rebate form is emailed to said consumer computer.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the rebate form is emailed to an email address associated with the identification code after a period of time after said step of determining.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said period of time is between one day and one month.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein said rebate form is made available to the consumer on a personal web page.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the rebate form is made available on said personal web page between one day and one month after said step of determining.