CREATING REVENUE SOURCES USING ALLOCATION SOURCE

• US 20110264503A1
• Filed: 06/08/2011
• Published: 10/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lenahan, Christen Ann, Lenahan, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,068,265 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3274 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being displayed on the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/305 for record players

Abstract

Example methods, apparatuses, or articles of manufacture are disclosed herein that may be utilized, in whole or in part, to facilitate or support one or more operations or techniques for creating new and/or reoccurring revenue sources using an allocation source.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving funds electronically at a particular account for one or more customers;

said funds having been electronically received in exchange for pre-payment of goods or services to be obtained at a discount due, at least in part, to said pre-payment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the following receives said funds:

a pre-spending benefit entity;

a provider of said goods or services;

or any combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said funds having been electronically received in exchange for said pre-payment of goods or services have been received from an allocation source.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said funds have been received due to at least one of the following:

one or more digital signals representing instructions from said one or more customers;

one or more digital signals representing instructions from said pre-spending benefit entity;

or any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said discount is based, at least in part, on a level of customer loyalty.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said level of customer loyalty is determined based, at least in part, on a loyalty calculator.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said loyalty calculator is based, at least in part, on an average ticket size-type metric.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said average ticket size-type metric is applied to at least one of the following:

an individual customer;

a group customer;

or any combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said discount is contingent on satisfying one or more conditions.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said one or more conditions are applied in connection with an at least partially incentive-based approach.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said at least partially incentive-based approach comprises an at least partially game theory-based approach.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said at least partially incentive-based approach is applied electronically.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said pre-payment comprises an in-store-allocated loyalty pre-payment.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said in-store-allocated loyalty pre-payment is based, at least in part, on at least one of the following:

a purchase history of said one or more customers;

a purchase frequency of said one or more customers;

or any combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 1, and further comprising generating, in connection with said receiving said funds, one or more digital signals representative of customer-related information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said customer-related information is generated by at least one of the following:

said pre-spending benefit entity;

said provider of said goods or services;

said allocation source;

or any combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said funds have been electronically deducted from after-tax payments to said one or more customers.

18. The method of claim 1, and further comprising:

providing at least one of the following to said one or more customers in exchange for said pre-payment;

a displayable electronic card;

a displayable electronic coupon;

a coupon received via mail;

a printable coupon received electronically;

a gift/stored value card received via mail;

a printable gift/stored value card received electronically;

an omni-stored value card;

an electronic token;

or any combination thereof.

19. The method of claim 1, and further comprising:

providing at least one of the following to one or more gift recipients designated by said one or more customers in exchange for said pre-payment;

a displayable electronic card;

a displayable electronic coupon;

a coupon received via mail;

a printable coupon received electronically;

a gift/stored value card received via mail;

a printable gift/stored value card received electronically;

an omni-stored value card;

an electronic token;

or any combination thereof.

20. A method comprising:

electronically communicating regarding receiving funds electronically at a particular account with at least one of the following;

a pre-spending benefit entity;

a provider of goods or services;

or any combination thereof;

said funds to be electronically received in exchange for pre-payment of goods or services to be obtained at a discount by one or more customers due, at least in part, to said pre-payment.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said electronically communicating occurs in accordance with instructions from at least one of the following:

said pre-spending benefit entity;

said one or more customers;

or any combination thereof.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein said instructions originate at a special purpose computing platform comprising a specific client device operated by said one or more customers.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said specific client device comprises a mobile device operated by said one or more customers.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein said specific client device is coupled to a network accessible by said provider of goods or services and by said pre-spending benefit entity.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein said specific client device is coupled to a network associated with said provider of goods or services via a network associated with said pre-spending benefit entity.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein said electronically communicating regarding receiving funds electronically takes place over an electronic network accessible by an allocation source.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein said electronically communicating regarding receiving funds electronically comprises communicating substantially in accordance with an electronic process supported by at least two of the following:

said pre-spending benefit entity;

said provider of goods or services;

said one or more customers;

said allocation source;

or any combination thereof.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein said funds have been electronically deducted from after-tax payments to said one or more customers.

29. A method of increasing, on average, spending by one or more consumers at one or more retailers comprising:

accepting one or more electronic pre-payments from one or more consumers in advance of specific purchase decisions for one or more purchases to be made at said one or more retailers by said one or more consumers;

said one or more purchases to be made using said one or more electronic pre-payments being discounted based, at least in part, on one or more attributes of said one or more electronic pre-payments.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said one or more attributes comprises one or more incentive-based loyalty values.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said one or more incentive-based loyalty values are determined, at least in part, in connection with in application of at least one of the following:

a prepaid retail loyalty rewards-based approach;

an in-store-allocated loyalty pre-payment rewards-based approach;

or any combination thereof.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein said one or more electronic pre-payments are accepted, at least in part, by a pre-spending benefit entity on behalf of said one or more retailers.

33. An article comprising:

a storage medium having instructions stored thereon executable by a special purpose computing platform to;

receive funds electronically at a particular account for one or more customers;

said funds having been electronically received in exchange for pre-payment of goods or services to be obtained at a discount due, at least in part, to said pre-payment.

34. The article of claim 33, wherein at least one of the following receives said funds:

a pre-spending benefit entity;

a provider of said goods or services;

or any combination thereof.

35. The article of claim 33, wherein said funds having been electronically received in exchange for said pre-payment of goods or services have been received from an allocation source.

36. The article of claim 33, and further comprising generating, in connection with said receiving said funds, one or more digital signals representative of customer-related information.

37. An apparatus comprising:

a computing platform having a capability to;

accept one or more electronic pre-payments from one or more consumers in advance of specific purchase decisions for one or more purchases to be made at said one or more retailers by said one or more consumers;

said one or more purchases to be made using said one or more electronic pre-payments being discounted based, at least in part, on one or more attributes of said one or more electronic pre-payments.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein said one or more attributes comprises one or more incentive-based loyalty values.

39. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein said one or more electronic pre-payments are accepted, at least in part, by a pre-spending benefit entity on behalf of said one or more retailers.