METHODS AND APPARATUSES RELATED TO THE OFFER OF PURCHASE INCENTIVES

• US 20080300984A1
• Filed: 05/29/2008
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Phone Through, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Phone Through, Inc.
• Inventors: Li, Lehmann
• Application Number:
  US12/129,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20080300984A1
• 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 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a customer identifier associated with a customer and receiving purchase data associated with the customer based on the customer identifier. The method can calculate a parameter value of a purchase incentive based on a financial condition and based on the customer identifier. The method can send the parameter value of the purchase incentive to a point of sale device in response to a transaction associated with the customer identifier.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving product purchase data associated with a customer;

receiving at least one purchase incentive parameter value associated with a product;

associating the customer with a customer category based on the product purchase data; and

defining a purchase incentive for the product based on the customer category and based on the at least one purchase incentive parameter value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the product purchase data originates at a retailer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the product purchase data originates at a wireless communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one purchase incentive parameter value includes at least one of a discount parameter value, a volume parameter value, or an expiration parameter value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer category is at least one of a new to product customer category, a loyal to competitor product category, or a loyal to vendor product category.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer category is a first customer category mutually exclusive with a second customer category.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the defining includes defining dynamically in response to a request from a retailer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the defining includes defining independent of data obtained via a search engine.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending an indicator related to the purchase incentive to an entity associated with a point of sale device.

10. A method, comprising:

receiving a customer identifier associated with a customer;

receiving purchase data associated with the customer based on the customer identifier; and

calculating a parameter value of a purchase incentive based on a financial condition and based on the customer identifier, the parameter value of the purchase incentive being sent to a point of sale device in response to a transaction associated with the customer identifier.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the financial condition is defined based on at least one of a revenue, a gross margin, or a profit.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the customer identifier is associated with a vendor.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving includes receiving in response to a user-triggered interaction with a wireless communication device.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the calculating includes calculating in response to a user-triggered interaction with a wireless communication device.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the parameter value of the purchase incentive is stored at a server until the transaction is performed.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the parameter value is a financial value.