System and method for network-based purchasing

• US 20090043671A1
• Filed: 09/14/2007
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Boundless Network, Inc. (Zazzle, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Boundless Network, Inc. (Zazzle, Inc.)
• Inventors: Black, Jason, Johansson, Henrik
• Application Number:
  US11/901,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20090043671A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0605 Supply or demand aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

Systems and methods for organizational purchasing are disclosed herein. More specifically, in certain embodiments a campaign corresponding to a product may be created and potential buyers informed of the campaign. These potential buyers may then themselves purchase the product in association with the campaign. In this manner not only are potential buyers informed that a product is being offered to one or more other buyers but the purchases of the individual buyers in association with the campaign may be aggregated to, for example, achieve a lower purchasing cost for each buyer relative to what the buyer would have paid if he had purchased only the quantity of product he desired.

Claims

1. A method for network based purchasing, comprising:

creating a campaign, where the campaign comprises a product, an expiration date and a tiered pricing matrix including one or more ranges of product quantities and associated price;

determining an initial set of potential buyers within an organization;

distributing a communication regarding the campaign to the initial set of potential buyers;

providing a location associated with the campaign, where any potential buyers may purchase the product in association with the campaign at the location; and

determining an aggregate purchase quantity by aggregating a quantity of the product associated with each purchase made by the potential buyers before the occurrence of the expiration date, where a finalized price charged in association with each purchase is based on the aggregate purchase quantity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the finalized price corresponds to an associated price in the tiered pricing matrix which is associated with the range of product quantities into which the aggregate purchase quantity corresponds.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the location is a website.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining a current aggregate purchase quantity during the campaign; and

updating the website based upon the current aggregate purchase quantity.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the communication is an email.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the email comprises a link to the website.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the website provides the ability to forward the campaign to one or more additional potential buyers.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein forwarding the campaign comprises sending the email to the one or more additional potential buyers.

9. A system for network based purchasing, comprising:

an campaign administration application operable to provide a set of interfaces to allow a campaign to be created, wherein the creation of the campaign comprises a selection of a product, the specification of an expiration date and a tiered pricing matrix including one or more ranges of product quantities and associated price and the distribution of a communication regarding the campaign to an initial set of potential buyers;

a recipient filter application operable to allow a user to select an initial set of potential buyers within an organization;

a buyer application operable to provide a location associated with the campaign, where any potential buyers may purchase the product in association with the campaign at the location; and

an order management application operable to determine an aggregate purchase quantity by aggregating a quantity of the product associated with each purchase made by the potential buyers before the occurrence of the expiration date, where a finalized price charged in association with each purchase is based on the aggregate purchase quantity.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the finalized price corresponds to an associated price in the tiered pricing matrix which is associated with the range of product quantities into which the aggregate purchase quantity corresponds.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the location is a website.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the order management application is further operable to:

determine a current aggregate purchase quantity during the campaign; and

update the website based upon the current aggregate purchase quantity.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the communication is an email.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the email comprises a link to the website.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the website provides the ability to forward the campaign to one or more additional potential buyers.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein forwarding the campaign comprises sending the email to the one or more additional potential buyers.