Consumer incentive system and business method
First Claim
1. A method for delivering consumer incentives, comprising:
- (a) maintaining a database of consumer-customer club members and identification data;
(b) conducting a retailing transaction, comprising;
(I) receiving a consumer-customer for a retail sales transaction at a first retail establishment;
(II) receiving an identification input associated with said consumer-customer at said first retail establishment;
(III) comparing said identification input to said identification data to determine whether said identification input is associated with a consumer-customer club member having an associated bank account; and
(IV) in response to a determination that said identification input is associated with a consumer-customer club member, applying an incentive generating rule to said retail sales transaction;
(c) in response to a determination that said identification input is not associated with a consumer-customer club member, offering club membership to consumer-customer;
(d) in response to acceptance of said offer of club membership, implementing an associated bank account, associated with said accepting consumer-customer, at a banking institution;
(e) associating said bank account with an account number;
(f) using a computing device to store in a database, associated with said banking institution, information respecting said bank account, associated with said accepting consumer-customer, at said banking institution; and
(g) conducting a banking transaction, comprising;
(I) receiving said identification input associated with said consumer-customer at said banking institution;
(II) receiving from said consumer-customer of said banking institution a banking transaction request;
(III) comparing said identification input to said identification data to determine the consumer-customer club member with whom said identification input is associated; and
(IV) in response to said determination of the associated consumer-customer club member executing said banking transaction request.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Consumer incentives are delivered by maintaining a database of consumer-customer club members and identification data. The retailing transaction is conducted by receiving a consumer-customer for a retail sales transaction at a first retail establishment. An identification input associated with said consumer-customer is received at the first retail establishment. The identification input is compared to the identification data to determine whether the identification input is associated with a consumer-customer club member. In response to a determination that an identification input which is associated with a consumer-customer club member, an incentive generating rule is applied to the retail sales transaction. In response to a determination that the identification input is not associated with a consumer-customer club member, a club membership is offered to the consumer-customer. In response to acceptance of the offer, a bank account is implemented, and associated with the accepting consumer-customer, at a banking institution the bank account is associated with an account number. A computing device is used to store in a database, associated with the banking institution, information respecting the bank account, associated with the accepting consumer-customer, at any banking institution. A banking transaction is conducted by receiving the identification input associated with the consumer-customer at the banking institution. A banking transaction request is received from the consumer-customer of the bank. The identification input is compared to the identification data to determine the consumer-customer club member with whom the identification input is associated. In response to the determination of the associated consumer-customer club member the banking transaction request is executed.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A method for delivering consumer incentives, comprising:
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(a) maintaining a database of consumer-customer club members and identification data;
(b) conducting a retailing transaction, comprising;
(I) receiving a consumer-customer for a retail sales transaction at a first retail establishment;
(II) receiving an identification input associated with said consumer-customer at said first retail establishment;
(III) comparing said identification input to said identification data to determine whether said identification input is associated with a consumer-customer club member having an associated bank account; and
(IV) in response to a determination that said identification input is associated with a consumer-customer club member, applying an incentive generating rule to said retail sales transaction;
(c) in response to a determination that said identification input is not associated with a consumer-customer club member, offering club membership to consumer-customer;
(d) in response to acceptance of said offer of club membership, implementing an associated bank account, associated with said accepting consumer-customer, at a banking institution;
(e) associating said bank account with an account number;
(f) using a computing device to store in a database, associated with said banking institution, information respecting said bank account, associated with said accepting consumer-customer, at said banking institution; and
(g) conducting a banking transaction, comprising;
(I) receiving said identification input associated with said consumer-customer at said banking institution;
(II) receiving from said consumer-customer of said banking institution a banking transaction request;
(III) comparing said identification input to said identification data to determine the consumer-customer club member with whom said identification input is associated; and
(IV) in response to said determination of the associated consumer-customer club member executing said banking transaction request. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for delivering consumer incentives, comprising:
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(a) maintaining a database of consumer-customer club members and identification data;
(b) conducting a retailing transaction, comprising;
(I) receiving a consumer-customer for a retail sales transaction at a first retail establishment;
(II) receiving an identification input associated with said consumer-customer at said first retail establishment;
(III) comparing said identification input to said identification data to determine whether said identification input is associated with a consumer-customer club member having an associated bank account; and
(IV) in response to a determination that said identification input is associated with a consumer-customer club member, applying an incentive generating rule to said retail sales transaction;
(c) in response to a determination that said identification input is not associated with a consumer-customer club member, offering club membership to consumer-customer;
(d) in response to acceptance of said offer of club membership, implementing an associated bank account, associated with said accepting consumer-customer, at a banking institution;
(e) associating said bank account with an account number;
(f) using a computing device to store in a database, associated with said banking institution, information respecting said bank account, associated with said accepting consumer-customer, at said banking institution; and
(g) conducting a financial credit card or debit card transaction.
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9. Apparatus for delivering consumer incentives, comprising:
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(a) data storage device with a database of consumer-customer club members and identification data recorded thereon;
(b) an identification device for identifying a consumer-customer for a retail sales transaction at a first non-banking retail establishment;
(c) a computing device programmed to apply an incentive generating rule to said retail sales transaction;
(d) a detector for receiving an identification input associated with said consumer-customer from said identification device, said detector being located at a banking establishment to determine whether said identification input is associated with a consumer-customer club member having an associated bank account at a banking institution; and
(e) a computing system associated with said banking institution programmed to compare said identification input to identification data to perform a retail banking transaction for said consumer-customer.
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Specification