System for allocating rebates in conjunction with a product

• US 20090132375A1
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Waiting To Exhale, LLC
• Original Assignee: 6DGR Incorporated
• Inventors: Weathersby, Chad Dustin
• Application Number:
  US12/286,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20090132375A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.260
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

A system is provided for allocating rebates in conjunction with a product. The system comprises (a) a network which includes sets of members M_n, M_n+1 and M_n+2, wherein each member of M_n+1 has subscribed to the product through a member of M_n, and wherein each member of M_n+2 has subscribed to the product through a member of M_n+1; and (b) a rebate allocation system which allocates rebates to members of the network such that a first rebate is allocated to a member m_xεM_n for each member m_xyεS_x that has subscribed to the product through member m_x, wherein S_x⊂M_n+1, and such that a second rebate is allocated to member m_x for each member m_xyzεS_xy that has subscribed to the product through member m_xy, wherein S_xy⊂M_n+2.

Claims

1. A system for allocating rebates in conjunction with a product, comprising:

a network which includes sets of members M_n, M_n+1 and M_n+2, wherein each member of M_n+1 has subscribed to the product through a member of M_n, and wherein each member of M_n+2 has subscribed to the product through a member of M_n+1; and

a rebate allocation system which allocates rebates to members of the network such that a first rebate is allocated to a member m_xε

M_n for each member m_x ε

S_x that has subscribed to the product through member m_x, wherein S_x⊂

M_n+1, and such that a second rebate is allocated to member m_x for each member m_xyε

S_xy that has subscribed to the product through member m_xy, wherein S_xy⊂

M_n+2.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the product is a financial instrument, wherein each member m_x also subscribes to the product, and wherein the rebate is applied as a credit to the financial instrument of member m_x.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first rebate is allocated to each member m_xy for each member m_xyε

S_xy.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the product is selected from the group consisting of credit cards, debit cards, loans, bank accounts and insurance policies.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the product is selected from the group consisting of credit cards and debit cards.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the product is selected from the group consisting of mortgages and personal loans.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the product is selected from the group consisting of life insurance policies, homeowner'"'"'s insurance policies, and health insurance policies.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the rebate is a one-time rebate associated with subscription to the product.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the product is selected from the group consisting of debit cards and credit cards, and wherein the rebate is a periodic rebate which is a function of purchases made with the product.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the product is selected from the group consisting of debit cards, credit cards, and loans, and wherein the rebate is a periodic rebate which is a function of interest charged on the financial instrument.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein each of M_n, M_n+1 and M_n+2 has at least one member.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the network is a social network.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein subscription to the product requires the provision of demographic information by the subscriber.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the network management sells advertising on the network to advertisers, and further comprising an advertisement rendering program adapted to (a) identify members of the network which fall into a demographic group that an advertiser has targeted for an advertisement;

and (b) render the advertisement to each of the identified members who is online.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the advertisement rendering software is further adapted to monitor the online status of the members.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the advertisement rendering software monitors the online status of the members by through the use of a login protocol.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the advertisement is rendered each time an identified member attempts to access a given web page on the network.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the advertisement is rendered periodically while an identified member is browsing a given web page on the network.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the rebate allocation system is a software program.

20. A system for allocating rebates in conjunction with a financial instrument, comprising:

a network which includes first, second and third sets of members, wherein each member of the second set subscribes to the financial instrument through a member of the first set, and wherein each member of the third set subscribes to the financial instrument through a member of the second set; and

a rebate allocation system which allocates rebates to members of the network such that a first rebate is allocated to a member of the first set for each member of the second set that subscribes to the financial instrument through that member of the first set, and such that a second rebate is allocated to a member of the second set for each member of the third set that subscribes to the financial instrument through that member of the second set.