Systems and methods for facilitating group rewards

• US 20060069619A1
• Filed: 10/24/2005
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Groupon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Groupon Incorporated
• Inventors: Van Luchene, Andrew S., Tedesco, Daniel E., Fincham, Magdalena M., Tulley, Stephen C., Walker, Jay S.
• Application Number:
  US11/257,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20060069619A1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user

Abstract

In some embodiments, systems, methods, and/or articles of manufacture may determine a rewards group comprising at least a first member and a second member, determine a reward that the group may earn in exchange for completing purchases at a retailer or for performing a task. Embodiments may further comprise determining, based at least partially on a count of group members and a value of the reward, purchasing or task completion conditions the group must satisfy in order to earn the reward. Some embodiments may comprise providing the conditions to the group, determining an acceptance of the conditions by the group, and registering the group for the reward. According to some embodiments, the reward may be provided to the group (or portions thereof) upon a determination that the conditions are satisfied (or at least partially satisfied).

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a rewards group comprising at least a first member and a second member;

determining a reward that the group may earn in exchange for completing purchases at a retailer;

determining, based at least partially on a count of group members and a value of the reward, purchasing conditions the group must satisfy in order to earn the reward, wherein the purchasing conditions define at least one of;

a number of purchases,

a frequency of purchases, and

a value of purchases to be made by the group at the retailer;

providing the purchasing conditions to the group;

determining an acceptance of the purchasing conditions by the group; and

registering the group for the reward.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the group has satisfied the purchasing conditions; and

providing the reward to the group.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the first member of the group has satisfied a first portion of the purchasing conditions; and

providing a first portion of the reward to the first member.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the group further comprises at least a third member, further comprising:

pairing the first and second members into a team;

determining that the team has satisfied a first portion of the purchasing conditions; and

providing a first portion of the reward to the team.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the reward comprises:

at least one of a product and service not offered for retail sale by the retailer.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving an indication from the retailer that the group has satisfied the purchasing conditions.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

notifying an entity offering the at least one of the product and the service that the group has satisfied the purchasing conditions.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

paying an entity offering the at least one of the product and the service to provide the at least one of the product and the service to the group.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchasing conditions define an external event that changes the value of the at least one of:

the number of purchases,

the frequency of purchases, and

the value of purchases to be made by the group at the retailer.

10. A method, comprising:

determining at least one of demographic information and transaction information associated with an individual;

determining, based at least in part on the at least one of demographic information and transaction information associated with the individual, a reward group that may be desirable to the individual;

providing information associated with the reward group to the individual;

receiving an indication that the individual desires to join the reward group; and

registering the individual with the reward group.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the providing of the information associated with the reward group to the individual, comprises:

providing information indicative of a reward sought by the reward group; and

providing information indicative of one or more conditions the group must satisfy to obtain the reward.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving of the indication that the individual desires to join the reward group, comprises:

receiving a definition of a reward desired by the individual; and

receiving a definition of one or more conditions at least on of the individual and the group must satisfy to obtain the reward.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining an eligibility of the individual to join the reward group.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the reward group comprises a plurality of reward groups and the receiving of the indication that the individual desires to join the reward group, comprises:

receiving a selection of one or more of the plurality of reward groups that the individual desires to join.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one of demographic information and transaction information associated with the individual, comprises:

information indicative of one or more purchases made by the individual at a retailer.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein a reward sought by the reward group is complementary to the one or more purchases made by the individual at a retailer.

17. A method, comprising:

determining a rewards group comprising at least a first member and a second member;

determining a reward that the group may earn in exchange for performing a task;

determining, based at least partially on a count of group members and a value associated with the performance of the task, task completion conditions the group must satisfy in order to earn the reward, wherein the task completion conditions define (i) the task, (ii) a time frame associated with the completion of the task, and (iii) a method via which performance of the task will be verified;

providing the task completion conditions to the group;

determining an acceptance of the task completion conditions by the group; and

registering the group for the reward.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining that the group has satisfied the task completion conditions; and

providing the reward to the group.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining that the first member of the group has satisfied a first portion of the task completion conditions; and

providing a first portion of the reward to the first member.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the group further comprises at least a third member, further comprising:

pairing the first and second members into a team;

determining that the team has satisfied a first portion of the task completion conditions; and

providing a first portion of the reward to the team.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the task comprises requiring each of the group members to:

(i) refrain from smoking;

(ii) lose weight;

(iii) exercise;

(iv) comply with dietary guidelines;

(v) comply with a prescription;

(vi) visit or travel to a specific location;

or

(vii) any combination thereof.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

determining, in accordance with the method defined by the task completion conditions, that the group has satisfied the task completion conditions.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the method defined by the task completion conditions comprises at least one of a subjecting each group member to a medical testing procedure and receiving compliance data from a monitoring device associated with each group member.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving a determination, made in accordance with the method defined by the task completion conditions, that the group has satisfied the task completion conditions.