Fuel dispensing system and method providing discounted prices to individually identified customers

• US 20050261916A1
• Filed: 10/06/2003
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Autogas Acquisitions Corp.
• Original Assignee: Auto-Gas Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Zahajko, Mike, McCall, Don C., Nicholson, G. Randy, Mixon, Stephen R., Embertson, Dave
• Application Number:
  US10/679,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20050261916A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/17
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/14 responsive to input of recorded programmed information, e.g. on punched cards
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/308 involving digital counting
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0004 Hybrid readers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10782 Slot readers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/06 Private payment circuits, e.g. involving electronic currency used among participants of a common payment scheme
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0234 Rebates after completed purchase
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 : with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader

Abstract

A system and method for providing a price-per-unit (PPU) discount on fuel to a customer who purchases at least one cross-marketed product or service. A first PPU discount is awarded to the customer based on a purchase by the customer of a first cross-marketed product or service. A customer identification is assigned to the customer, the first discount amount is stored in a discounts issued database that associates the first discount amount with the customer identification. Additional PPU discounts may be added to the first discount if the customer purchases additional cross-marketed products or services. When the customer inputs the customer identification in a subsequent transaction, the PPU discount is retrieved from the database, and is used to reduce the PPU of the fuel.

Claims

1-25. -25. (canceled)

26. A method by which a fuel retailer can maintain a posted street price for fuel while offering to identified customers, prices that are different from the posted street price, said method comprising the steps of:

posting the street price on a fuel dispenser;

inputting customer identification information through an input device;

associating with the customer identification information, a price-per-unit (PPU) difference from the posted street price of the fuel; and

applying the associated PPU difference to the posted street price to arrive at a discounted PPU for the customer.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the step of inputting customer identification information includes inputting customer identification information through an input device selected from the group consisting of:

a magnetic card reader;

a bar code reader;

a personal identification number (PIN) entry pad; and

a radio frequency identification (RFID) device.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the step of associating a PPU difference with the customer identification information includes associating a PPU difference earned through a customer loyalty program.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein the step of associating a PPU difference with the customer identification information includes associating a PPU difference earned through a membership in a particular organization.

30. The method of claim 26 wherein the step of associating the PPU difference with the customer identification information includes associating a unique PPU difference for each individual customer.

33. The method of claim 26 wherein the step of associating with the customer identification information, a price-per-unit (PPU) difference from the posted street price of the fuel includes associating a different PPU difference for each grade of fuel.

31-32. -32. (canceled)

34. A system for maintaining a posted street price for fuel by a fuel retailer while offering to an identified customer, prices that are different from the posted street price, said system comprising:

a fuel dispenser having a display for posting the street price;

an input device for inputting customer identification information;

a database that stores a plurality of predetermined prices-per-unit (PPUs) for the fuel; and

a processor that associates with the customer identification information, one of the predetermined PPUs from the database, and applies the associated predetermined PPU to a fuel sales transaction with the customer.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein the processor also controls the display on the fuel dispenser to display a street price equal to the associated predetermined PPU during the fuel sales transaction with the customer.

36-39. -39. (canceled)

40. A method of providing a discount on a desired product or service to a customer who purchases at least one cross-marketed product or service, said method comprising the steps of:

awarding a first discount amount on the desired product to the customer based on a purchase by the customer of a first cross-marketed product or service;

assigning a customer identification to the customer;

storing the first discount amount in a discounts issued database that associates the first discount amount with the customer identification;

inputting by the customer in a subsequent transaction, the customer identification;

retrieving the first discount amount from the discounts issued database; and

reducing the price of the desired product or service by the first discount amount.

42. The method of providing a discount on a desired product or service of claim 40 wherein the desired product or service is gasoline, and the first discount amount is a discount on the price-per-unit-volume of gasoline.

41. (canceled)