SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR FACILITATING THE STAFFING OF PROMOTIONAL EVENTS

• US 20090083156A1
• Filed: 10/28/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mass Connections Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mass Connections Incorporated
• Inventors: Nakken, Caroline, Cotten, Sandra
• Application Number:
  US12/260,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20090083156A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.190
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered

Abstract

This invention relates to the methods of coordinating product and service demonstrations. An event coordinator directs event operators to conduct a product or service demonstration event. The event coordinator provides event operators with cards, such as debit cards, credit cards, or smart cards, to purchase items needed for the demonstration. The event operator contacts a card administration system to activate the card. The card administration system verifies that the provided card ID and event ID are valid, and associates an authorized budget of the demonstration event with the card. The event operator then purchases items with the card, and conducts demonstrations.

Claims

1. A system for coordinating product or service demonstrations, comprising:

a computer readable medium comprising a plurality of purchase card records, the purchase card records comprising (a) identification of a purchase card holder, (b) identification of a purchase card status, and (c) identification of one or more promotional events;

a first module in communication with the computer readable medium, the first module configured to update the purchase card records to associate a particular purchase card with one or more scheduled promotional events; and

a second module in communication with the computer readable medium, the second module configured (1) to receive point-of-sale purchase data over a network, (2) to identify a purchase card within the purchase card records that was used to generate the point-of-sale purchase data, and (3) to update the purchase card records to associate the received purchase data with the purchase cards used to generate the purchase data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the purchase card records further comprise a purchase card personal identification number.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the purchase card records further comprise a purchase card balance amount.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the purchase card records further comprise identification of an agency associated with the card holder.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the point-of-sale purchase data comprises information on the day and time on which a purchase was made.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the point-of-sale purchase data comprises information on the retail location at which a purchase was made.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the point-of-sale purchase data comprises information on the goods or services purchased.

8. A computer-implemented method for coordinating promotional events, comprising:

creating purchase card records for a plurality of purchase cards in a computer readable medium, the purchase card records comprising (a) a card holder identifier, (b) a purchase card status identifier, and (c) identifiers for one or more scheduled promotional events;

receiving identities of a first plurality of purchase cards enrolled to be used in connection with a first promotional event;

receiving identities of a second plurality of purchase cards to be used in connection with a second promotional event;

updating the purchase card records to associate each of the purchase cards of the first plurality with the first promotional event, and to further associate each of the purchase cards of the second plurality with the second promotional event;

receiving information over a network generated through use of the first plurality of purchase cards and second plurality of purchase cards in card-readers; and

updating the purchase card records by storing the portions of the received information generated by use of particular purchase cards in association with those particular purchase cards.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the information received over a network comprises point-of-sale purchase data.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the point-of-sale purchase data comprises information on the date and time for which a purchase is made.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the point-of-sale purchase data comprises information on the location at which a purchase is made.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the point-of-sale purchase data comprises information on goods and services purchased.

13. A computer system programmed to perform the method of claim 8.

14. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon executable computer code that embodies the method of claim 8.