Electronic commerce transactions within a marketing system that may contain a membership buying opportunity

• US 20060235764A1
• Filed: 06/15/2006
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amway Corporation (Alticor Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Alticor Investments Inc. (Alticor Incorporated)
• Inventors: Paasche, Thomas D., Parker, John P., Zevalkink, Claire E., McDonald, Kenneth J., Bamborough, David L., Savage, Kelly K., Hunking, James P., Horder-Koop, Robin A., Blodgett, James G., Dangl, William R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,778,884 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0214 Referral reward systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0231 Awarding of a frequent usage incentive independent of the monetary value of a good or service purchased, or distance travelled
• 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 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0258 Registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system and method for providing complete electronic commerce (“E-Commerce”) transactions and solutions for a marketing company'"'"'s products via the World Wide Web, including facilities for signing up new customers and recruiting, training and supporting new Independent Business Owners through an interactive online process. In another aspect, the present invention relates to the combination of a marketing business with a membership buying opportunity using both electronic commerce and face-to-face transactions. The present invention is also directed to a system and method for combining a marketing business with a membership buying opportunity, so that Independent Business Owners participating in the marketing plan can introduce customers to a membership buying opportunity and earn bonuses or commissions based on the purchases by those members, while Members in the buying opportunity can consume products or, at their option, qualify to become Independent Business Owners.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating electronic commerce transactions in a marketing system through a network, the network comprising at least one server computer capable of communicating with a browser system located at a remote client computer, the method comprising:

establishing an interactive online registration process between the client browser system and the server computer so that an individual may register with the marketing system as a First Participation Category, a Second Participation Category or a Third Participation Category, wherein an individual registered as a First Participation Category is not eligible to earn compensation and is eligible to buy products or services at a First Participation Category price, wherein an individual registered as a Second Participation Category is not eligible to earn compensation and is eligible to buy products or services at a Second Participation Category price, and wherein an individual registered as a Third Participation Category is eligible to buy products or services at a Third Participation Category price and is eligible to earn compensation;

providing a plurality of web files operatively coupled to a web site associated with the marketing system; and

allowing access to a plurality of marketing system products or services to the registered individual via at least one of the plurality of web files.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the First Participation Category price, the Second Participation Category price and the third Participation Category price are different.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing on-line access to the plurality of marketing system products or services to an individual registered as a First Participation Category or a Second Participation Category via an on-line redemption form associated with one of the plurality of web files; and

allowing the individual registered as a First Participation Category or a Second Participation Category to submit a rewards exchange request for marketing system products or services via the on-line redemption form.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

allowing a registered individual to purchase marketing system products or services via the shopping page web file directly from a marketing company associated with the marketing system; and

accumulating a selected list of the marketing system products or services selected for redemption by the individual registered as a First Participation Category or a Second Participation Category via the on-line redemption form, wherein the selected list is maintained at the server computer.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

assigning the individual registered as a First Participation Category or Second Participation Category to an individual registered as a Third Participation Category.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of web files is an office page web file, wherein the office page web file is accessible only by an individual registered as a Second Participation Category or Third Participation Category.

7. A method according to claim 6, further comprising:

establishing a personal group associated with a first individual registered as a Third Participation Category, wherein the personal group comprises at least one individual selected from the group consisting of individuals registered as a First Participation Category, Second Participation Category, or a Third Participation Category.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining a catalog comprising marketing system products or services on the server computer;

maintaining a rewards database on the server computer for storing reward points corresponding to a registered individual;

assigning a rewards value to the marketing system products or services and storing the rewards value in the catalog;

assigning a redemption value to the marketing system products or services and storing the redemption value in the catalog;

providing on-line access to the catalog to a registered individual via an on-line order form;

allowing the registered individual to submit an order for marketing system products or services via the on-line order form;

providing on-line access to the catalog to a registered individual via an on-line redemption form;

allowing the registered individual to submit a rewards exchange request for marketing system products or services via the on-line redemption form; and

subtracting from the rewards database a redemption value corresponding to the redemption value assigned to the marketing system products or services chosen by the registered individual.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the catalog comprises:

a marketing products or services index;

an accrual record; and

a redemption record.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the accrual record comprises:

a product number;

a type identifier, wherein the type identifier is a value associated with one of the registered individual; and

an accrual value for the product number.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the type identifier is a string selected from the group consisting of First Participation Category, Second Participation Category, and Third Participation Category.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the accrual record comprises an accrual value for each type identifier.

13. A method according to claim 9, wherein the redemption record comprises:

a product number;

a type identifier, wherein the type identifier is a value associated with one of the registered individual; and

a redemption value for the product number.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the type identifier is a string selected from the group consisting of First Participation Category, Second Participation Category, and Third Participation Category.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the accrual record comprises an accrual value for each type identifier.

16. A method according to claim 9, wherein the index comprises a product identifier for each of the marketing system products or services.

17. A method for facilitating electronic commerce transactions in a marketing system through a network, the network comprising at least one server computer capable of communicating with a browser system located at a remote client computer, the method comprising:

establishing an interactive online registration process between the client browser system and the server computer so that an individual may register with the marketing system as a First Participation Category, a Second Participation Category or a Third Participation Category, wherein an individual registered as a First Participation Category is not eligible to earn compensation and is eligible to buy products or services at a First Participation Category price, wherein an individual registered as a Second Participation Category is not eligible to earn compensation and is eligible to buy products or services at a Second Participation Category price, and wherein an individual registered as a Third Participation Category is eligible to buy products or services at a Third Participation Category price and is eligible to earn compensation;

providing a plurality of web files operatively coupled to a web site associated with the marketing system; and

allowing access to a plurality of marketing system products or services to the registered individual via at least one of the plurality of web files, wherein at least one of the plurality of web files is a Second Participation Category service page web file.

18. A method according to claim 17, further comprising:

supplying an on-line form associated with the Second Participation Category service page web file to a registered individual;

allowing the registered individual to enter personal information onto the on-line form;

storing the personal information on the server computer; and

customizing a layout of the plurality of web files based on the personal information.

19. A method according to claim 18, further comprising:

establishing a plurality of marketing system products or services based on the personal information supplied by the registered individual; and

presenting the plurality of marketing system products or services to the registered individual.

20. A system for facilitating electronic commerce transactions in a marketing system comprising:

a memory device having embodied therein information relating to a plurality of marketing system products or services; and

a processor in communication with the memory device, the processor configured for

establishing an interactive online registration process so that an individual may register with the marketing system as a First Participation Category, a Second Participation Category or a Third Participation Category, wherein an individual registered as a First Participation Category is not eligible to earn compensation and is eligible to buy products or services at a First Participation Category price, wherein an individual registered as a Second Participation Category is not eligible to earn compensation and is eligible to buy products or services at a Second Participation Category price, and wherein an individual registered as a Third Participation Category is eligible to buy products or services at a Third Participation Category price and is eligible to earn compensation,

providing a plurality of web files operatively coupled to a web site associated with the marketing system, and

allowing access to a plurality of marketing system products or services to the individual registered as a First Participation Category, Second Participation Category, or Third Participation Category via at least one of the plurality of web files.