Facilitating E-commerce and customer retention

• US 20070043613A1
• Filed: 08/19/2005
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ricochet Communications LLC
• Original Assignee: Ricochet Communications LLC
• Inventors: Longest, Brian
• Application Number:
  US11/206,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20070043613A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.230
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions

Abstract

E-commerce is growing at a rapid pace due to the fantastic growth rate of the Internet. Consumers are becoming more Internet savvy and more likely to spend money over the Internet. The present invention allows the Customer to receive a cash credit to their account, as well as other reward alternatives. Receiving cash in the Customers account with the Merchant leaves no ambiguity as to what the Customer can purchase, as they can purchase anything at the Merchants site. The present invention relates to electronic commerce (e-commerce) and the purchasing of goods and services. More particularly to Customer retention and loyalty programs, and still more particularly to creating the ideal Customer retention and loyalty program by facilitating the exchange between online Advertisers, Merchants, and Consumers.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating e-commerce, comprising the steps of:

presenting an advertiser offer to an individual at a merchant site operated by a merchant;

tracking the individuals acceptance of the offer, and

providing a reward to the individual.

2. A method of facilitating e-commerce as in claim 1, wherein presenting an advertiser offer to an individual at a merchant site further comprises the step of:

presenting a graphic or link that acts as acceptance of an offer when clicked by the individual.

3. A method of facilitating e-commerce as in claim 1, wherein presenting an advertiser offer to an individual at a merchant site further comprises the step of:

presenting a graphic or link that when clicked by the individual provides a new webpage having one or more offers.

4. A method of facilitating e-commerce as in claim 1, wherein providing a reward to the individual further comprises the step of:

making a transaction of money to the individual.

5. A method of facilitating e-commerce as in claim 1, wherein providing a reward to the individual further comprises the steps of:

making a transaction of money to the merchant, and

crediting the account of the individual at the merchant site.

6. A method of facilitating e-commerce as in claim 1, wherein providing a reward to the individual further comprises the steps of:

making a transaction of money to the merchant, and

debiting the current balance owed to the merchant by the individual at the merchant site.

7. A method of facilitating e-commerce as in claim 1, wherein providing a reward to the individual further comprises the steps of:

making a transaction of money to the merchant, and

providing free merchandise from the merchant to the individual.

8. A method of facilitating e-commerce as in claim 1, wherein tracking the individuals acceptance of the offer comprises the step of:

providing a unique identifier for the individual.

9. A method of facilitating e-commerce as in claim 1, wherein tracking the individuals acceptance of the offer further comprises the steps of:

providing a unique identifier for the individual, and

providing a unique identifier for the merchant.

10. A method of facilitating e-commerce as in claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

returning the unique identifier for the individual to the merchant to associate the reward to the individual.

11. A method of facilitating e-commerce as in claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

storing the unique identifier for the individual, and

storing the unique identifier for the merchant.

12. A method of facilitating e-commerce as in claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

associating the reward from the advertiser for accepting the offer with the unique identifier for the individual and the unique identifier for the merchant, and

13. A method of facilitating e-commerce as in claim 1, wherein providing a reward to the individual further comprises the steps of:

making a transaction of money to the merchant, and

crediting the individuals account the merchant site.

14. A method of facilitating e-commerce, as in claim 1 wherein presenting an advertiser offer to an individual at a merchant site is presented along with various other advertisements.

15. A method of facilitating e-commerce, as in claim 1 wherein presenting an advertiser offer to an individual at a merchant site is determined based on rules set by the Merchant.

16. A method of facilitating e-commerce, as in claim 1 wherein presenting an advertiser offer to an individual at a merchant site is determined based on rules set by the present invention.

17. A method of facilitating e-commerce, as in claim 1 wherein presenting an advertiser offer to an individual at a merchant site is determined based on rules determined by the Customers past behavior which is stored by the present invention.