System and method for generating price-per-unit (PPU) discounts for fuel

• US 20050234776A1
• Filed: 06/21/2005
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Excentus Corporation (Professional Datasolutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Excentus Corporation (Professional Datasolutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hall, William Y., Mains, Karla J., Jacoves, Peter G., Naul, Charles H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,653,571 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.380
• 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 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/145 PLU-management

Abstract

A fuel rewards program wherein awards received from the purchase of discount-triggering items at a first transaction are redeemed for a price-per-unit (PPU) discount on fuel. A scanner scans product codes and inputs the information to a POS system through a comparator such that a product may be determined to be a discount-triggering item. Information regarding the discount-triggering item is first stored in a potential buffer. A rewards process processes the information in the potential buffer and stores that information in a filtered potential buffer. A potential file accumulates basic information about one or more transactions. A purchase buffer stores all of the information, which is ultimately printed on a cash register receipt. The receipt may be scanned at a fuel dispenser to begin the redemption of the PPU discount on the fuel.

Claims

1-46. -46. (canceled)

47. A computer-implemented method of generating a price-per-unit (PPU) discount for fuel in exchange for the purchase of one or more discount-triggering items during an initial purchase transaction by a customer, said method comprising:

discriminating the discount-triggering items from non-discount-triggering items in a purchase of multiple items during the initial purchase transaction, each of the discount-triggering items having a unique code associated therewith and an associated PPU discount value;

grouping the discount-triggering items in bundles, each bundle comprised of all of the discount-triggering items having the same unique code such that there is provided a bundle for each of the unique codes present in the initial purchase transaction, and wherein each bundle has an associated total bundle PPU discount value;

summing the total bundle PPU discount values for all of the bundles to provide a total PPU discount associated with the initial purchase transaction; and

issuing discount information at the completion of the initial purchase transaction that can be applied in a subsequent purchase transaction for fuel by the customer.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the step of grouping includes filtering the discount-triggering items such that if the quantity of discount triggering items purchased is less than a predefined minimum quantity for each of the unique codes, the bundle is not created.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein the step of grouping includes filtering the discount-triggering items such that the number of discount triggering items in any of the bundles is limited to a maximum number.

50. The method of claim 47, wherein the step of summing the total bundle PPU discount values includes limiting the total PPU discount to a maximum value.

51. A computerized system for generating a price-per-unit (PPU) discount for fuel in exchange for the purchase of one or more discount-triggering items during an initial purchase transaction by a customer, said system comprising:

means for discriminating the discount-triggering items from non-discount-triggering items in a purchase of multiple items during the initial purchase transaction, each of the discount-triggering items having a unique code associated therewith and an associated PPU discount value;

means for grouping the discount-triggering items in bundles, each bundle comprised of all of the discount-triggering items having the same unique code such that there is provided a bundle for each of the unique codes present in the initial purchase transaction, and wherein each bundle has an associated total bundle PPU discount value;

means for summing the total bundle PPU discount values for all of the bundles to provide a total PPU discount associated with the initial purchase transaction; and

means for issuing discount information at the completion of the initial purchase transaction that can be applied in a subsequent purchase transaction for fuel by the customer.

52. A computer-implemented method of generating a price-per-unit (PPU) discount for fuel in exchange for the purchase of one or more discount-triggering items during an initial purchase transaction by a customer, said method comprising:

identifying the discount-triggering items in the initial purchase transaction, each of the discount-triggering items having a unique code associated therewith and an associated PPU discount value;

grouping the discount-triggering items in bundles, each bundle comprising one or more discount-triggering items having the same unique code, each bundle having an associated total bundle PPU discount value; and

generating a total PPU discount for the fuel based on the total bundle PPU discount values, the total PPU discount representing a credit available for use in a subsequent purchase transaction for fuel by the customer.

53. A method of providing a discount on a price-per-unit (PPU) of fuel to a customer who purchases a threshold amount of goods or services, said method comprising:

awarding a discount on the PPU of the fuel to the customer in response to a purchase by the customer of at least the threshold amount of goods or services;

storing the PPU discount in a discounts issued database;

receiving by a fueling station controller, an indication that the customer has initiated a subsequent purchase of fuel, said indication including an identifier associated with the discount stored in the discounts issued database;

retrieving by the fueling station controller, the PPU discount from the discounts issued database;

reducing by the fueling station controller, the PPU of the fuel by the PPU discount; and

dispensing the fuel to the customer at the reduced PPU.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the step of awarding a discount on the PPU of the fuel to the customer in response to a purchase by the customer of at least the threshold amount of goods or services includes awarding the PPU discount in response to a purchase by the customer of at least the threshold amount of goods or services in a single shopping trip.

55. The method of claim 53, wherein the step of awarding a discount on the PPU of the fuel to the customer in response to a purchase by the customer of at least the threshold amount of goods or services includes the steps of:

calculating a cumulative total of purchases by the customer over a period of time; and

awarding the PPU discount when the cumulative total of purchases is at least the threshold amount of goods or services.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the step of calculating a cumulative total of purchases includes calculating a cumulative total of purchases by the customer at a plurality of merchants different from the fueling station, each of said merchants and said fueling station having a cross-marketing agreement for the discounted sale of fuel in exchange for the customer purchasing goods or services from the merchant.

57. The method of claim 53, wherein the step of awarding a discount on the PPU of the fuel to the customer in response to a purchase by the customer of at least the threshold amount of goods or services includes awarding the PPU discount in response to a purchase by the customer of at least the threshold amount of goods or services of a specified type.

58. The method of claim 53, wherein the steps of awarding and storing the PPU discount are performed by a processor associated with a point-of-sale (POS) system at the fueling station.

59. The method of claim 53, wherein the steps of awarding and storing the PPU discount are performed by a processor associated with a point-of-sale (POS) system at a merchant different from the fueling station, said merchant and said fueling station having a cross-marketing agreement for the discounted sale of fuel in exchange for the customer purchasing at least the threshold amount of goods or services from the merchant.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein the step of awarding a discount on the PPU of the fuel to the customer in response to a purchase by the customer of at least the threshold amount of goods or services includes awarding the PPU discount in response to a purchase by the customer of at least the threshold amount of goods or services from a specified department of the merchant.

61. A method of providing a discount on a price-per-unit (PPU) of fuel to a customer who purchases a threshold amount of goods or services, said method comprising:

awarding a first discount on the PPU of the fuel to the customer in response to a purchase by the customer of at least a first threshold amount of goods or services;

storing the first PPU discount in a discounts issued database;

awarding a second discount on the PPU of the fuel to the customer in response to a purchase by the customer of at least a second threshold amount of goods or services;

adding the second PPU discount to the first PPU discount stored in the discounts issued database to determine a total discount on the PPU of the fuel;

receiving by a fueling station controller, an indication that the customer has initiated a subsequent purchase of fuel, said indication including an identifier associated with the total PPU discount stored in the discounts issued database;

retrieving by the fueling station controller, the total PPU discount from the discounts issued database;

reducing by the fueling station controller, the PPU of the fuel by the total PPU discount; and

dispensing the fuel to the customer at the reduced PPU.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein the steps of awarding the first and second discounts on the PPU of the fuel include the steps of:

calculating a cumulative total of purchases by the customer over a period of time;

awarding the first PPU discount when the cumulative total of purchases is at least the first threshold amount; and

awarding the second PPU discount when the cumulative total of purchases is at least the second threshold amount.

63. The method of claim 61, wherein the goods and services are goods or services of a specified type.

64. The method of claim 61, wherein the steps of awarding, storing, and adding the PPU discounts are performed by a processor associated with a point-of-sale (POS) system at the fueling station.

65. The method of claim 61, wherein the steps of awarding, storing, and adding the PPU discounts are performed by a processor associated with a point-of-sale (POS) system at a merchant different from the fueling station, said merchant and said fueling station having a cross-marketing agreement for the discounted sale of fuel in exchange for the customer purchasing at least the first or second threshold amount of goods or services from the merchant.

66. The method of claim 65, wherein the goods and services are goods or services from a specified department of the merchant.

67. The method of claim 61, further comprising, after adding the second PPU discount to the first PPU discount to determine a total discount on the PPU of the fuel, the steps of:

determining whether the total PPU discount exceeds a maximum allowable PPU discount; and

if the total PPU discount exceeds a maximum allowable PPU discount, limiting the total PPU discount to the maximum allowable PPU discount.

68. The method of claim 61, further comprising:

calculating a discount redeemed by multiplying the total PPU discount by the number of units of fuel purchased by the customer; and

storing the calculated discount redeemed in a discounts redeemed database.