System and method for offering a marketing portal only to clients of a financial institution

• US 20070250395A1
• Filed: 05/10/2006
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Faramarz Ghafari
• Original Assignee: Faramarz Ghafari
• Inventors: Ghafari, Faramarz
• Granted Patent: US 7,818,230 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

A marketing portal server comprises a marketing portal website; a client identification engine for confirming that a user is a client of a financial institution; a posting engine for enabling a client to post a directory listing on the marketing portal website; and a directory engine for enabling a client to view at least some of the directory listings on the marketing portal website. The client identification engine may identify a client by client name and ATM pin number. A client enrollment engine may determine subscription information based on client status, and the directory engine may manage directory listings based on the subscription information. An exchange engine may manage an electronic commerce site for clients. A payment engine may perform debits and credits for transactions occurring on the website. A client rating engine may rate clients. Geographic limitations may be imposed on a client or on a directory listing.

Claims

1. A marketing portal server, comprising:

a marketing portal website;

a client identification engine for confirming that a user is a client of a financial institution;

a posting engine for enabling the user who is confirmed to be a client of the financial institution to post a directory listing on the marketing portal website; and

a directory engine for enabling the user who is confirmed to be a client of the financial institution to view at least some of the directory listings on the marketing portal website.

2. The marketing portal server of claim 1, wherein the client identification engine identifies a client by the client name and the ATM pin number.

3. The marketing portal server of claim 1, wherein the posting engine enables posting of a web page.

4. The marketing portal server of claim 1,

further comprising a client enrollment engine for determining subscription information based on the status of the client, and

wherein the directory engine manages directory listings based on the subscription information.

5. The marketing portal server of claim 1, further comprising an exchange engine for managing an electronic commerce site for clients of the financial institution.

6. The marketing portal server of claim 1, further comprising a payment engine for managing automatic debit and credit for transactions occurring via the marketing portal website.

7. The marketing portal server of claim 1, further comprising a client rating engine for rating the client of the financial institution.

8. The marketing portal server of claim 7, wherein client rating engine rates the client based on client status.

9. The marketing portal server of claim 1, wherein the directory engine enables the user to view directory listings based on geographic limitations imposed by subscription information associated with the client.

10. The marketing portal server of claim 1, wherein the directory engine enables the user to view directory listings based on geographic limitations imposed on the directory listing.

11. A method, comprising:

confirming that a user is a client of a financial institution;

enabling the user who is confirmed to be a client of the financial institution to post a directory listing on a marketing portal website; and

enabling the user who is confirmed to be a client of the financial institution to view at least some of the directory listings on the marketing portal website.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the confirming includes identifying a client by the client name and the ATM pin number.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the information includes a web page.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining subscription information based on the status of the client, and enabling posting and viewing services based on the subscription information.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising managing an electronic commerce site for clients of the financial institution.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising managing automatic debit and credit for transactions occurring via the marketing portal website.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising rating the client of the financial institution.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the rating includes rating the client based on client status.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the enabling the user to view at least some of the directory listings includes enabling the user to view directory listings based on geographic limitations imposed by subscription information associated with the client.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the enabling the user to view at least some of the directory listings includes enabling the user to view directory listings based on geographic limitations imposed on the directory listings.

21. A system, comprising:

means for confirming that a user is a client of a financial institution;

means for enabling the user who is confirmed to be a client of the financial institution to post a directory listing on a marketing portal website; and

means for enabling the user who is confirmed to be a client of the financial institution to view at least some of the directory listings on the marketing portal website.