TRACKING ONLINE ADVERTISING USING PAYMENT SERVICES

• US 20090216579A1
• Filed: 02/22/2008
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Zen, Lee-Ming, Hilton, Zack, Norrington, Trevor
• Application Number:
  US12/036,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20090216579A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• 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 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search

Abstract

A user'"'"'s online activity is tracked and offers associated with online advertisements presented to the user are identified. Information regarding these offers are provided to a payment service, which associates the information with an account for the user. When the user performs an activity using a payment card or other payment mechanism, the payment service may identify the activity as corresponding with an offer. Information regarding the completion of the activity for the offer may then be associated with information regarding the user'"'"'s online activity. Additionally, a rebate and/or incentive may be provided to the user based on completion of the activity.

Claims

1. One or more computer-storage media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method comprising:

tracking online activity for a user;

identifying an offer associated with an advertisement presented during the online activity, the offer extending at least one of a rebate and an incentive to the user in exchange for the user performing a desired activity;

storing information regarding the offer;

sending information regarding the user and the offer to a payment service;

receiving information from the payment service regarding performance of the desired activity by the user; and

associating the information regarding performance of the desired activity by the user with the information regarding the offer.

2. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 1, wherein the online activity comprises at least one of web browsing, instant messaging, web searching, and emailing.

3. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the offer is stored and sent to the payment service based on a determination of at least one of the following:

the user has viewed the advertisement a predetermined number of times;

the user has selected the advertisement; and

the user has hovered over the advertisement.

4. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises storing information regarding the online activity in addition to the information regarding the offer.

5. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 4, wherein the information regarding the online activity stored comprises one or more of the following:

a web page viewed by the user, a search query submitted by the user, and a search result selected by the user.

6. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 4, wherein the method further comprises associating the information regarding performance of the desired activity by the user with the information regarding the online activity.

7. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 1, wherein sending information regarding the user and the offer to the payment service comprises sending a user identifier identifying the user and an offer identifier identifying the offer.

8. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 1, wherein the performance of the desired activity comprises performance of offline activity.

9. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises providing at least one of the rebate and the incentive to the user for completing the desired activity associated with the offer.

10. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises providing information regarding performance of the desired activity associated with the offer to an advertiser associated with the advertisement.

11. One or more computer-storage media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method comprising:

receiving information identifying the user and an offer associated with an advertisement presented to the user during online activity of the user, the information identifying the user and the offer being received at a payment service, wherein the offer extends at least one of a rebate and an incentive to the user in exchange for the user performing a desired activity; and

identifying performance of the desired activity associated with the offer, the performance of the desired activity including use of a payment mechanism associated with the payment service.

12. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises providing information regarding performance of the desired activity to a service allowing the information regarding performance of the desired activity to be associated with information regarding the online activity.

13. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 11, wherein the information identifying the user and the offer comprises a user identifier identifying the user and an offer identifier identifying the offer.

14. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 11, wherein the performance of the desired activity comprises performance of offline activity.

15. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises providing at least one of the rebate and the incentive to the user for completing the desired activity associated with the offer.

16. The one or more computer- storage media of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises providing information regarding performance of the desired activity associated with the offer to an advertiser associated with the advertisement.

17. A computerized system comprising:

one or more servers for tracking online activity for a user to identify an offer associated with an advertisement presented to the user, the offer extending a rebate or an incentive to the user in exchange for the user performing a desired activity, the one or more servers storing information regarding the online activity including the offer;

the one or more servers also communicating information regarding the user and the offer to a payment service that facilitates payments using payment cards, wherein the payment service identifies offline activity performed by the user using a payment card that corresponds with the desired activity and communicates information regarding the offline activity to the one or more servers, and wherein the one or more servers associate the information regarding the offline activity with the information regarding the online activity.

19. The computerized system of claim 17, wherein the offline activity comprises a purchase at a retail store using the payment card.

20. The computerized system of claim 17, wherein the one or more servers facilitate providing the rebate or the incentive to the user for completing the desired activity associated with the offer.

18. The computerized system of claim 18, wherein the online activity comprises at least one of web browsing, instant messaging, web searching, and emailing.