METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING ELECTRONIC COMMERCE THROUGH PROVIDING CROSS-BENEFITS DURING A TRANSACTION
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method comprising:
- receiving, by a merchant server, an indication that a customer accepts an offer for a subsidy from a second merchant to be applied to a purchase of at least one item from a first merchant, the offer requiring the customer to agree to participate in an additional transaction with the second merchant;
in response to receiving the indication of the acceptance of the offer, reducing by the merchant server a price of the at least one item for the customer from a first price to a second price, the second price being less than the first price;
after receiving the indication of the acceptance of the offer, selling the at least one item to the customer for the first price;
after selling the at least one item to the customer, determining by the merchant server that the customer did not participate in an additional transaction with the second merchant as the customer agreed to; and
in response to determining that the customer did not participate in an additional transaction with the second merchant as the customer agreed to, assessing by the merchant server a penalty against the customer.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Accordingly some embodiments, a merchant server receives an indication of acceptance by a customer of an offer for a subsidy from a second merchant of a purchase of at least one item from a first merchant. The customer agrees to participate in an additional transaction with the second merchant in exchange for having the subsidy applied against the purchase from the first merchant. In one embodiment, after selling the at least one item to the customer, the merchant server determines that the customer did not participate in an additional transaction with the second merchant as the customer agreed to, and assesses a penalty against the customer.
100 Citations
18 Claims
-
1. A method comprising:
-
receiving, by a merchant server, an indication that a customer accepts an offer for a subsidy from a second merchant to be applied to a purchase of at least one item from a first merchant, the offer requiring the customer to agree to participate in an additional transaction with the second merchant; in response to receiving the indication of the acceptance of the offer, reducing by the merchant server a price of the at least one item for the customer from a first price to a second price, the second price being less than the first price; after receiving the indication of the acceptance of the offer, selling the at least one item to the customer for the first price; after selling the at least one item to the customer, determining by the merchant server that the customer did not participate in an additional transaction with the second merchant as the customer agreed to; and in response to determining that the customer did not participate in an additional transaction with the second merchant as the customer agreed to, assessing by the merchant server a penalty against the customer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. A data storage device storing instructions configured to direct a server device to perform a method, the method comprising:
-
receiving, by a merchant server, an indication that a customer accepts an offer for a subsidy from a second merchant to be applied to a purchase of at least one item from a first merchant, the offer requiring the customer to agree to participate in an additional transaction with the second merchant; in response to receiving the indication of the acceptance of the offer, reducing by the merchant server a price of the at least one item for the customer from a first price to a second price, the second price being less than the first price; after receiving the indication of the acceptance of the offer, selling the at least one item to the customer for the first price; after selling the at least one item to the customer, determining by the merchant server that the customer did not participate in an additional transaction with the second merchant as the customer agreed to; and in response to determining that the customer did not participate in an additional transaction with the second merchant as the customer agreed to, assessing by the merchant server a penalty against the customer. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. An apparatus comprising:
-
a processor; and a data storage device in communication with the processor, the data storage device storing instructions configured to direct the processor to perform a method, the method comprising; receiving an indication that a customer accepts an offer for a subsidy from a second merchant to be applied to a purchase of at least one item from a first merchant, the offer requiring the customer to agree to participate in an additional transaction with the second merchant; in response to receiving the indication of the acceptance of the offer, reducing a price of the at least one item for the customer from a first price to a second price, the second price being less than the first price; after receiving the indication of the acceptance of the offer, selling the at least one item to the customer for the first price; after selling the at least one item to the customer, determining that the customer did not participate in an additional transaction with the second merchant as the customer agreed to; and in response to determining that the customer did not participate in an additional transaction with the second merchant as the customer agreed to, assessing a penalty against the customer. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
Specification