Apparatus and Menthod for Incentive Marketing

• US 20090276304A1
• Filed: 08/20/2008
• Published: 11/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Harry J. Dorr
• Original Assignee: Harry J. Dorr
• Inventors: Dorr, Harry J.
• Application Number:
  US12/194,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20090276304A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.140
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

An incentive marketing apparatus and method provides a purchaser of an item at a store or other retail location a chance to win an award. A unique identifier is assigned to the purchase. The purchaser provides the unique identifier to a kiosk or other customer interface device. The kiosk checks the unique identifier and provides the purchaser an opportunity to win an award based on chance if the unique identifier is validated. In one embodiment, the purchaser wins an award if a randomly generated number matches a portion (such as the cents portion) of the purchase amount. The kiosk may also be configured to dispense a short duration coupon to the purchaser that is redeemable within a predetermined period of time.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing a purchaser a chance to win an award, the apparatus comprising:

a checkout device for processing a purchase by a customer;

an electronic processing system in electrical communication with said checkout device for producing a unique identifier for the purchase; and

a customer interface device, said customer interface device being configured to receive the unique identifier from the purchaser and to provide the purchaser an opportunity to win an award based on chance.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said unique identifier is included on a purchase receipt.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said unique identifier is a number.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said unique identifier is represented by a bar code that can be read by the customer interface device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said unique identifier is represented by an electronically readable storage medium that can be read by the customer interface device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said customer interface device is a kiosk.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said customer interface device is configured to provide the purchaser an opportunity to win an award based on chance by:

generating a random number; and

comparing the randomly generated number to a portion of the purchase amount to determine if the purchaser wins an award.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said randomly generated number is a two-digit number that is compared to the cents portion of the purchase amount.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said customer interface device is operable to dispense a short duration coupon that is redeemable within a predetermined period of time.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said customer interface device is further operable to validate the unique identifier and to provide the purchaser an opportunity to win an award only if the unique identifier is validated.

11. An apparatus for providing a purchaser of an item a chance to win an award, the apparatus comprising:

a checkout device for processing a purchase of an item by a customer;

an electronic processing system in electrical communication with said checkout device for producing a unique identifier for the purchase; and

a customer interface device, said customer interface device being configured to receive the unique identifier from the purchaser and to provide the purchaser an opportunity to win an award based on chance by generating a random number and comparing the randomly generated number to a portion of the fuel purchase amount to determine if the purchaser wins an award.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said randomly generated number is a two-digit number that is compared to the cents portion of the purchase amount.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said customer interface device is further operable to dispense a short duration coupon that is redeemable within a predetermined period of time.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said customer interface device is further operable to validate the unique identifier and to provide the purchaser an opportunity to win an award only if the unique identifier is validated.

15. A method of providing a purchaser of an item a chance to win an award, the method comprising:

providing a checkout device for processing a purchase of an item by a purchaser;

producing a unique identifier for the purchase with an electronic processing system that is in electrical communication with the checkout device;

providing the unique identifier to a customer interface device; and

determining by chance whether the purchaser wins an award.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of determining by chance whether the purchaser wins an award further includes:

generating a random number; and

comparing the randomly generated number to a portion of the purchase amount to determine if the purchaser wins an award.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said randomly generated number is a two-digit number that is compared to the cents portion of the purchase amount.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

printing the unique identifier on a purchase receipt; and

manually inputting the unique identifier to the customer interface device.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

representing the unique identifier with a bar code; and

reading the bar code with the customer interface device.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

storing the unique identifier on an electronically readable medium; and

reading the electronically readable medium with the customer interface device.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

checking the unique identifier to determine whether the unique identifier is valid.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing the purchaser with a short duration coupon that is redeemable within a predetermined period of time.