COUPON OFFERS FROM MULTIPLE ENTITIES

• US 20080154727A1
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Carlson, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,615,426 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions

Abstract

Offers from multiple entities provide an incentive for consumers to behave in a manner that is beneficial to the offer provider. Each offer is associated with rules that establish conditions that must be met for the offer to be valid. For example, a rule may be established to promote the use a specific form of payment, such as a particular credit card. Thus, the offer would only be valid if the consumer paid for the merchandise using the particular credit card. A merchant may generate its own offers or receive offers from a variety of sources (e.g., a payment processing organization, an issuer, or other external sources).

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a consumer identifier and an offer during a transaction receiving a validated offer from an entity which provides the offer, wherein the offer is validated when rules associated with the offer are satisfied, the offer being validated based on the consumer identifier, wherein the entity is a payment processing organization or an issuer; and

receiving a selection of the valid offer to complete the transaction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the consumer identifier and receiving the selection of the valid offer are performed by a point of sale terminal, and wherein the transaction is a payment transaction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the validated offer is performed by a point of sale terminal or a computer in communication with the point of sale terminal, and wherein the point of sale terminal or computer is configured to communicate with at least two of a merchant, the issuer, and the payment processing organization to determine if offers provided by the merchant, the issuer, and the payment processing organization are valid.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a product identifier, wherein the product identifier is associated with a product that a consumer has purchased using a portable consumer device, and wherein the offer relates to the product.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the offer is associated with a consumer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumer identifier is an identifier associated with a portable consumer device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the portable consumer device is a payment card.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumer identifier is an account number associated with a portable consumer device associated with a consumer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable consumer device is a wireless phone.

10. A computer readable medium comprising:

code for receiving a consumer identifier and an offer during a transaction;

code for receiving a validated offer from an entity which provides the offer, wherein the offer is validated when rules associated with the offer are satisfied, the offer being validated based on the consumer identifier, wherein the entity is a payment processing organization or an issuer; and

code for receiving a selection of the valid offer to complete the transaction.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, further comprising code for receiving a product identifier, wherein the product identifier is associated with a product that a consumer has purchased using the portable consumer device, wherein the offer relates to the product.

12. An access device comprising the computer readable medium of claim 10.

13. A server computer comprising the computer readable medium of claim 10.

14. A method comprising:

receiving an offer and a consumer identifier for a consumer during a transaction;

receiving a validated offer, wherein the offer is validated by an entity which provides the offer when rules associated with the offer are satisfied, the offer being validated based on the consumer identifier; and

receiving a selection of the validated offer to complete the transaction.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein receiving the offer, receiving the validated offer, and receiving the selection are performed by a point of sale terminal, wherein the point of sale terminal or a computer in communication with the point of sale terminal is configured to communicate with at least two of a merchant, an issuer, and a payment processing organization to determine if offers provided by the merchant, the issuer, and the payment processing organization are valid.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the offer relates to a product identifier of a product to be purchased by the consumer.

17. A computer readable medium comprising:

code for receiving an offer and a consumer identifier for a consumer during a transaction;

code for receiving a validated offer, wherein the offer is validated by an entity which provides the offer when rules associated with the offer are satisfied, the offer being validated based on the consumer identifier; and

code for receiving a selection of the validated offer to complete the transaction.

18. An access device comprising the computer readable medium of claim 17.

19. A system comprising:

an access device;

a server computer in communication with the access device,

wherein the access device or the server computer is configured to;

receive a consumer identifier and an offer during a transaction conducted with the access device and the server computer;

receive a validated offer from an entity which provides the offer, wherein the offer is validated when rules associated with the offer are satisfied, the offer being validated based on the consumer identifier, wherein the entity is a payment processing organization or an issuer; and

receive a selection of the valid offer to complete the transaction.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the transaction is a payment transaction.