Internet-based method of and system for equity ownership optimization within a financial and retail marketplace

• US 20080201230A1
• Filed: 02/19/2008
• Published: 08/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Joshep H. Hardison
• Original Assignee: Joshep H. Hardison
• Inventors: Hardison, Joshep H.
• Application Number:
  US12/070,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20080201230A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0234 Rebates after completed purchase
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives

Abstract

A system and method(s) for “loading” coupons, discounts, rebates, offers and other incentives onto purchase/payment vehicles by a consumer, who may or may no be an equity stake holder in a company with which various “loaded” offers are associated. Furthermore, the system and method(s) of the present invention allow a consumer to design his/her purchase/payment vehicle by pre-defining various desired purchase/payment vehicle attributes for inclusion in the consumer'"'"'s purchase/payment vehicle. The consumer-designed purchase/payment vehicles will allow a consumer to discern and “load” various offers from companies in which the consumer holds an equity stakeholder interest, thereby allowing the consumer to purchase goods and services from those companies helping those companies'"'"' fortunes and, thus potentially increasing the value of the consumer'"'"'s equity stake holdings.

Claims

1. An Internet-based method of and system, wherein the rights of equity holders (direct and indirect), as owners of participating companies, to receive all available rebates, rewards, discounts, coupons and other offers/incentives offered by those companies are recognized and communicated, thereby encouraging shareholder loyalty and thus enabling the maximization of both the equity owners'"'"' interests as both company owners and consumers, and the companies'"'"' interests of maximizing sales and rewarding their owners.

2. The Internet-based method and system of claim 1, wherein additional free and purchasable rebates, rewards, discounts, coupons and other offers/incentives that an equity holder receives from the various companies in which he/she has an equity interest are communicated to the equity holder/system user directly by the participating companies.

3. The Internet-based method and system of claim 1, wherein additional free rebates, rewards, discounts, coupons and other offers/incentives are made available by participating companies, either for free or for purchase, to system users, who are equity holders and/or non-equity holders.

7. The Internet-based method and system of claim 1, wherein an equity holder (direct or indirect) is able to link a stock brokerage statement or other lists of owned equities for the purpose of receiving any and all available rebates, rewards, discounts, coupons and other offers/incentives related to the listed companies owned.

4. An Internet-based method and system, wherein participating companies'"'"' rebates, rewards, discounts, coupons and other offers/incentives, are input to the system of the present invention via Internet, electronic or other means, for display and selection by users, with participating companies having the ability to initiate, change or cancel offers through the system.

5. The Internet-based method and system of claim 4, wherein consumer can access the participating companies offers via Internet, electronic or other means, and select various offers for inclusion and “

loading”

onto a purchase/payment vehicle, with such selections both stored/saved within the system of the present invention and communicated to the consumer'"'"'s financial institution of choice.

6. The Internet-based method and system of claim 4, wherein the consumer'"'"'s saved selections that have been communicated to the consumer'"'"'s purchase/payment vehicle issuing institution are stored within the issuing institution'"'"'s database(s) for future recognition and employment in the consumer'"'"'s transactions with said purchase/payment vehicle.

8. The Internet-based method and system of claim 4, wherein participating companies can upload, for display on the system of the invention, all available rebates, rewards, discounts, coupons and other offers/incentives for both equity holders (direct and indirect) and non-equity holders with various prices and terms, where applicable;

companies can edit and save such information.

9. The Internet-based method and system of claim 4, wherein consumers can enter either the name of a company or a company'"'"'s stock symbol and ascertain both available rebates, rewards, discounts, coupons and other offers/incentives offered by the company or view all products and/or services made/offered by the company.

10. The Internet-based method and system of claim 4, wherein consumers can enter the name(s) of frequently used products and ascertain the name(s) of the company that produces them along with all available rebates, rewards, discounts, coupons and other offers/incentives offered by the company.

13. The Internet-based method and system of claim 4, wherein participating companies are identified by separate, unique codes that are loaded onto a credit card, debit card or other purchasing vehicle, or stored in a database, by a bank or financial institution, with such codes giving an equity holder entitled to rebates, rewards, discounts, coupons and other offers/incentives, or non-equity holder that has “

loaded”

free, or purchased, available rebates, rewards, discounts, coupons and other offers/incentives, all of the available rebates, rewards, discounts, coupons and other offers/incentives offered by participating companies for recognition at the point of sale.

11. An Internet-based method and system, wherein consumers and other users are able to select various choices from menus, based upon information supplied by banks and financial institutions, in order to create a credit card, debit card or other purchasing vehicle with various attributes that optimize the consumer'"'"'s/user'"'"'s preferences based on both the banks'"'"' default product offerings and on the consumer'"'"'s/user'"'"'s equity holdings-related, purchasable, and free, rebates, rewards, discounts, coupons and other offers/incentives.

12. The Internet-based method and system of claim 11, wherein users are able to see both the front and back of a proposed card or purchasing vehicle product based on their menu selections, with such card or product containing standard credit or debit card information (name, account number, magnetic strip, etc.) along with logos of all equity and non-equity owned companies from which the user receives rebates, rewards, discounts, coupons and other offers/incentives.