MERCHANT SUPPLIED OFFER TO A CONSUMER WITHIN A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE

• US 20090076896A1
• Filed: 09/13/2007
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Moser, Dennis Norman, DeWitt, Jay Allen
• Application Number:
  US11/855,042
• Publication Number:
  US 20090076896A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.170
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested

Abstract

An merchant supplies a requested offer for inventory to a consumer when the consumer is within a predetermined distance from the merchant. The merchant transmits a merchant identifier, a description of the inventory of the merchant that the merchant is willing to make an offer on, the offer, and instructions to transmit the offer to the consumer making the request for the inventory when the consumer is within the predetermined distance. The merchant receives notice that the offer has been made to the consumer. The consumer accepts the merchant'"'"'s offer by entering into a transaction with the merchant for the requested inventory that applies the offer to the transaction. The value of the offer may be based on a parameter such as the transaction history of an account associated with the consumer within a payment processing system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

forming a first transmission, addressed to an automated communication system, and including;

an identifier of an offeror;

a description of an inventory of the offeror;

an offer for the inventory to be made to an offeree requesting the inventory; and

instructions to the automated communication system to transmit the offer to the offeree when the offeree is within a predetermined distance from the offeror;

and

receiving a second transmission, addressed from the automated communication system, and providing a notice when the offer was made to the offeree.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising receiving a third transmission from the offeree including at least a portion of the offer and an identifier of an account associated with the offeree within a payment processing system for processing the purchase of the inventory between the offeror and the offeree.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising forming, at the offeror, a third transmission addressed to a payment processing system and including:

information on a transaction between the offeror and the offeree for the inventory which is payable on an account associated with the offeree within the payment processing system, wherein the offeror submits the transaction to an acquirer for processing by a transaction handler to obtain payment for the transaction by the offeree through an issuer that issued the account to the offeree; and

a notice that the offer was honored by the offeror for the transaction.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein after the forming the first transmission, before the forming of the second transmission, after the inventory of the offeror is becomes unavailable, the method further comprises forming a third transmission, addressed to the automated communication system, and including instructions to the automated communication system not to transmit the offer to the offeree when the offeree is within the predetermined distance from the offeror.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein after the forming of the second transmission and after the inventory of the offeror becomes unavailable, the method further comprises forming a third transmission, addressed to the automated communication system, and including instructions to the automated communication system to transmit a revocation of the offer for the inventory to the offeree to whom the offer was made who has not as of yet accepted the offer.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the first transmission further includes a second offer for the inventory to be made to the offeree requesting the inventory; and

the instructions further include instructions, to transmit the second offer to the offeree when the offeree is within a second predetermined distance from the offeror if the offer is not redeemed after the transmission of the offer.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the predetermined distance is selected from the group consisting of:

a predetermined straight line distance;

a predetermined motorized route distance;

a predetermined non-motorized route distance;

a predetermined distance which can be covered within a predetermined time period using a motorized vehicle;

a predetermined distance which can be covered within a predetermined time period using a non-motorized vehicle;

a predetermined distance which can be covered within a predetermined time period by walking; and

a combination thereof.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the offer includes at least one of:

a location of the offeror;

the description of the inventory of the offeror;

a discounted purchase value redeemable upon a transaction for the purchase of the inventory of the offeror from the offeror;

a confirmation code for the offer;

and

an identifier for the offer.

9. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the instructions to the automated communication system further includes at least one of:

instructions to transmit the offer to the offeree when the description of the inventory of the offeror is the same as a description of the requested inventory;

instructions to transmit the offer to the offeree when the inventory of the offeror is typically used in conjunction with the requested inventory;

instructions to transmit the offer to the offeree when the inventory of the offeror complements the requested inventory;

instructions to transmitted the offer to the offeree when the offeree is within the predetermined distance from the offeror for a predetermined duration of time;

instructions to transmit to the offeree a description of a level of satisfaction of a plurality of offerees that have purchased, from a plurality of offerors, the inventory of the offeror matching the requested inventory;

instructions to transmit to the offeree a description of safety features of the inventory of the offeror;

and

combinations of the foregoing.

10. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein offer is derived at least in part from a parameter selected from the group consisting of:

the predetermined distance;

a second predetermined distance between the offeree and a competitor of the offeror;

a second offer for the inventory from the competitor of the offeror;

a sales volume of the competitor of the offeror for the inventory as determined by transactions for the inventory between the competitor of the offeror and a plurality of offerees having a plurality of corresponding accounts within a payment processing system, wherein the transactions were each payable on the corresponding accounts;

a current quantity of the inventory that the offeror has in-stock;

a time that the offeree is within the predetermined distance;

a duration of time that the offeree is within the predetermined distance;

the quantity of the inventory that the offeree has requested;

a duration of time that the inventory has been in the possession of the offeror;

the location of the inventory;

transactions of the offeree that were each payable on the account that is within a payment processing system in which a transaction handler processes each said transaction characterized by a plurality of offerors engaging in the transaction with the offeree who used the account, which has been issued by an issuer to the offeree, and the offeror submits the transaction to an acquirer for processing by the transaction handler to obtain payment for the transaction by the offeree through the issuer;

a characteristic of the account;

and

a combination of the foregoing.

11. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to honor the offer from the offeree;

sending a third transmission requesting validation of the offer for which the request to honor was received from the offeree; and

receiving a fourth transmission as to the requested validation.

12. A computer readable medium comprising instruction which, when executed by a computer, perform a method comprising:

forming a first transmission, addressed to an automated communication system, and including;

an identifier of a merchant;

a description of inventory of the merchant;

an offer for the inventory to be made to one or more consumers who have made a request for the inventory; and

instructions to the automated communication system to transmit the offer to any said consumer who is also within a predetermined distance from the merchant;

if, after the forming of the first transmission, the inventory of the merchant becomes unavailable, forming a third transmission, addressed to the automated communication system, and including instructions not to transmit the offer to any said consumer who is also within the predetermined distance from the merchant;

receiving a fourth transmission, addressed from the automated communication system, and providing a notice when the offer was transmitted to the consumer; and

if, after the forming of the fourth transmission, the inventory of the merchant becomes unavailable, forming a fifth transmission, addressed to the automated communication system, and including instructions to the automated communication system to transmit a revocation of the offer for the inventory to any said consumer to whom the offer was transmitted who has not as of yet accepted the offer.

13. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 12, wherein the predetermined distance is selected from the group consisting of:

a predetermined straight line distance;

a predetermined motorized route distance;

a predetermined non-motorized route distance;

a predetermined distance which can be covered within a predetermined time period using a motorized vehicle;

a predetermined distance which can be covered within a predetermined time period using a non-motorized vehicle;

a predetermined distance which can be covered within a predetermined time period by walking; and

a combination thereof.

14. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 12, wherein offer is derived at least in part from a parameter selected from the group consisting of:

the predetermined distance;

a second predetermined distance between the consumer and a competitor of the merchant;

a second offer for the inventory from the competitor of the merchant;

a sales volume of the competitor of the merchant for the inventory as determined by transactions for the inventory between the competitor of the merchant and a plurality of consumers having a plurality of corresponding accounts within a payment processing system, wherein the transactions were each payable on the corresponding accounts;

a current quantity of the inventory that the merchant has in-stock;

a time that the consumer is within the predetermined distance;

a duration of time that the consumer is within the predetermined distance;

the quantity of the inventory that the consumer has requested;

a duration of time that the inventory has been in the possession of the merchant;

the location of the inventory;

transactions of the consumer that were each payable on the account that is within a payment processing system in which a transaction handler processes each said transaction characterized by a plurality of merchants engaging in the transaction with the consumer who used the account, which has been issued by an issuer to the consumer, and the merchant submits the transaction to an acquirer for processing by the transaction handler to obtain payment for the transaction by the consumer through the issuer;

a characteristic of the account;

and

a combination of the foregoing.

15. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 12, wherein the instructions to the automated communication system further includes at least one of:

instructions to transmit the offer to the consumer when the description of the inventory of the merchant is the same as a description of the requested inventory;

instructions to transmit the offer to the consumer when the inventory of the merchant is typically used in conjunction with the requested inventory;

instructions to transmit the offer to the consumer when the inventory of the merchant complements the requested inventory;

instructions to transmitted the offer to the consumer when the consumer is within the predetermined distance from the merchant for a predetermined duration of time;

instructions to transmit to the consumer a description of a level of satisfaction of a plurality of consumers that have purchased, from a plurality of merchants, the inventory of the merchant matching the requested inventory;

instructions to transmit to the consumer a description of safety features of the inventory of the merchant;

and

combinations of the foregoing.

16. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 12, further comprising forming, at the merchant, a sixth transmission and including:

information on a transaction between the merchant and the consumer for the inventory which is payable on an account associated with the consumer within the payment processing system, wherein the merchant submits the transaction to an acquirer for processing by a transaction handler to obtain payment for the transaction by the consumer through an issuer that issued the account to the consumer; and

a notice that the offer was honored by the merchant for the transaction.

17. A method comprising:

forming a first transmission, addressed to an automated communication system, and including;

an identifier of a merchant;

a description of inventory of the merchant; and

instructions that a second transmission be formed when a consumer having made a request for a requested inventory matching the inventory of the merchant is within a predetermined distance from the merchant, wherein the second transmission includes a notice that the consumer is within the predetermined distance from the merchant;

receiving the second transmission when the consumer is within the predetermined distance from the merchant from the merchant;

deriving an offer for the requested inventory;

and

forming a third transmission, addressed to the automated communication system, including the offer for the requested inventory and instructions that the offer for the requested inventory to be included in a fourth transmission addressed to the consumer and to be sent when the consumer is located within the predetermined distance from the merchant.

18. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein the offer is a function of at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of:

the predetermined distance;

a second predetermined distance between the consumer and a competitor of the merchant;

a second offer for the inventory from the competitor of the merchant;

a sales volume of the competitor of the merchant for the inventory as determined by transactions for the inventory between the competitor of the merchant and a plurality of consumers having a plurality of corresponding accounts within a payment processing system, wherein the transactions were each payable on the corresponding accounts;

a current quantity of the inventory that the merchant has in-stock;

a time that the consumer is within the predetermined distance;

a duration of time that the consumer is within the predetermined distance;

the quantity of the inventory that the consumer has requested;

a duration of time that the inventory has been in the possession of the merchant;

the location of the inventory;

transactions of the consumer that were each payable on the account that is within a payment processing system in which a transaction handler processes each said transaction characterized by a plurality of merchants engaging in the transaction with the consumer who used the account, which has been issued by an issuer to the consumer, and the merchant submits the transaction to an acquirer for processing by the transaction handler to obtain payment for the transaction by the consumer through the issuer;

a characteristic of the account;

and

a combination of the foregoing.

19. The method as defined in claim 17, further comprising after the forming of the third transmission, receiving a fourth transmission from the automated communication system including a request from the consumer for a second offer that is different from the offer.

20. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein the request from the consumer for the second offer includes information about another offer of a second merchant.

21. The method as defined in claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a request to honor the offer from the consumer; and

forming a fourth transmission addressed to a payment processing system including;

information on a transaction between the merchant and the consumer for the inventory which is payable on an account associated with the consumer within the payment processing system, wherein the merchant submits the transaction to an acquirer for processing by a transaction handler to obtain payment for the transaction by the consumer through an issuer that issued the account to the consumer; and

a notice that the offer was honored by the transaction.

22. A method comprising:

forming a first transmission, addressed to an automated communication system, and including;

an identifier of a merchant;

and

instructions that a second transmission be formed when a consumer having made a request for a requested inventory is within a predetermined distance from the merchant, wherein the second transmission includes a notice that the consumer is within the predetermined distance and a description of the requested inventory;

receiving the second transmission;

matching the requested inventory with an inventory of the merchant;

deriving an offer for the requested inventory;

and

forming a third transmission, addressed to the automated communication system, including the offer for the requested inventory and instructions that the offer for the requested inventory to be included in a fourth transmission addressed to the consumer and to be sent when the consumer is located within the predetermined distance from the merchant.

23. The method as defined in claim 22, further comprising:

receiving a request to honor the offer from the consumer; and

forming a fourth transmission addressed to a payment processing system including;

information on a transaction between the merchant and the consumer for the inventory which is payable on an account associated with the consumer within the payment processing system, wherein the merchant submits the transaction to an acquirer for processing by a transaction handler to obtain payment for the transaction by the consumer through an issuer that issued the account to the consumer; and

a notice that the offer was honored by the transaction.

24. The method as defined in claim 22, if after the forming of the third transmission, the inventory of the merchant becomes unavailable, forming a fourth transmission, addressed to the automated communication system, and including instructions to the automated communication system to transmit a revocation of the offer for the requested inventory to any said consumer to whom the offer was transmitted who has not as of yet accepted the offer.

25. The method as defined in claim 22,wherein matching the requested inventory with the inventory of the merchant includes:

classifying the received requested inventory, according to a predetermined inventory classification system, into at least one inventory category; and

identifying the inventory of the merchant that is in at least one inventory category.