Voucher purchasing compliance system

• US 20060047569A1
• Filed: 08/31/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Retail Net Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Retail Net Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Sulaiman, Ayman A.
• Application Number:
  US10/930,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20060047569A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.250
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history

Abstract

The voucher purchasing compliance system checks the items being purchased to determine if the purchases are compliant with the voucher program requirements. The system identifies the customer and the customer'"'"'s status within the voucher program, that the status of the voucher is within the 30-day usability time period, and determines which items and quantities of these items that are compliant with the voucher program rules. Each of the items being purchased is compared to the authorized items and authorized quantities of items to determine if the purchase is compliant with the voucher program. If an item is not compliant with the voucher program rules, the system provides an error signal indicating that the purchase is not authorized and the purchase is corrected.

Claims

1. A method for determining compliance with a voucher program comprising the steps:

providing a first computer having access to a voucher rules database which stores purchasing rules for a voucher program;

identifying an item being purchased by a customer;

determining if the item being purchased is authorized by the purchasing rules of the voucher program; and

displaying an error signal if the item being purchased is not authorized by the purchasing rules of the voucher program.

2. The method for determining compliance with a purchasing program of claim 1 further comprising the steps:

providing a customer database which is accessible to the first computer;

inputting an identification code for a customer; and

accessing the customer database to obtain the status of the status of the customer;

wherein the determining step includes comparing the item being purchased to the items authorized for purchase by the purchasing rules of the voucher program for the status of the customer.

3. The method for determining compliance with a purchasing program of claim 2 further comprising the step:

identifying the status of a voucher program member associated with the customer;

wherein the determining step includes comparing the item being purchased to the items authorized for purchase by the purchasing rules of the voucher program for the status of the voucher program member associated with the customer.

4. The method for determining compliance with a purchasing program of claim 2 further comprising:

a server computer connected to the voucher rules data base and the customer database;

wherein the server computer updates records stored in the customer database for the customer based upon the item being purchased.

5. The method for determining compliance with a purchasing program of claim 4 wherein the server computer updates the status of the customer based upon the passage of time.

6. The method for determining compliance with a purchasing program of claim 3 wherein the server computer updates the status of the voucher program member associated with the customer based upon the passage of time.

7. The method for determining compliance with a purchasing program of claim 1 further comprising the step:

inputting data from a voucher into the first computer;

wherein the determining step includes comparing the data printed on the voucher to the item being purchased.

8. A voucher purchasing system comprising:

a first input device for inputting the identification of a customer;

a second input device for inputting the identification of an item being purchased;

a computer connected to the first input device and the second input device, the computer having access to a voucher rules database and a customer information database;

a computer program which obtains status information for the customer from the customer database and compares an item being purchased with a listing of items authorized for purchase based upon the status of the customer; and

an output device which indicates if the item being purchased is not authorized for purchase because it is not on the listing of items authorized for purchase.

9. The voucher purchasing system of claim 8 further comprising:

an input device for inputting data from a voucher into the first computer;

wherein the determining step includes comparing the data printed on the voucher to the item being purchased.

10. The voucher purchasing system of claim 9 wherein the input device is an optical scanner which scans the surface of the voucher and forwards voucher data to the computer program and wherein the computer program compares the item being purchased with the voucher data to determine if the item complies with the voucher data and the output device indicates if the item being purchased does not comply with the voucher data.

11. The voucher purchasing system of claim 8 further comprising:

a third input device for inputting data from a voucher;

wherein the computer program running on the computer compares the data from the voucher to the item being purchased and determines if the item being purchased complies with the data from the voucher.

12. The voucher purchasing system of claim 8, wherein data representing the item being purchased in input into the customer database if the item being purchased is authorized for purchase by the computer program.

13. The voucher purchasing system of claim 8, further comprising:

a network which provides a plurality of computer with access to the voucher rules database and the customer information database.

14. A voucher purchasing system comprising:

a first input device for inputting data from a voucher;

a second input device for inputting the identity of an item being purchased;

a computer connected to the first input device and the second input device having access to a voucher rules database;

a computer program running on the computer that compares the data from the voucher to the item being purchased; and

an output device which indicates if the item being purchased does not comply with the requirements of the voucher.

15. The voucher purchasing system of claim 14 further comprising:

a customer database accessible by the computer;

wherein if the item being purchased complies with the requirements of the voucher, the computer program stores data representing the item being purchased in the customer database.

16. The voucher purchasing system of claim 14 further comprising:

a network which provides a plurality of computer with access to the voucher rules database and the customer information database.

17. The voucher purchasing system of claim 14 further comprising:

a third input device connected to the computer for inputting the identification of a customer;

wherein the computer program determines the status of the customer and compares the item being purchased to a listing of items authorized for purchase based upon the status of the customer.

18. The voucher purchasing system of claim 14, wherein data representing the item being purchased in input into the customer database if the item being purchased is authorized for purchase by the computer program.

19. The voucher purchasing system of claim 14, wherein the input device is an optical scanner which scans the surface of the voucher and forwards voucher data to the computer program.

20. The voucher purchasing system of claim 14, wherein data representing the item being purchased in input into the customer database if the item being purchased is authorized for purchase by the computer program.