METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE SALE OF SUBSCRIPTIONS TO PERIODICALS

• US 20120150609A1
• Filed: 02/16/2012
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Inventor Holdings LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Walker, Jay S., Van Luchene, Andrew S., O'Shea, Deirdre, Alderucci, Dean
• Application Number:
  US13/397,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20120150609A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0208 Trade or exchange of goods or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0234 Rebates after completed purchase
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/145 PLU-management

Abstract

A POS terminal receives a signal that indicates an item, for example, via a bar code scanner. The POS terminal ascertains whether the item is associated with an offer for a rebate. If so, a code is generated and output to the customer, such as on a printed receipt. The code is associated with an offer for a rebate in exchange for establishing a subscription to a periodical. If the customer subscribes to a required periodical, he will be credited the amount he paid for the item. Subsequently, the customer requests a subscription to a periodical from a subscription fulfillment house, and provides his code in conjunction with the request. If the code is valid, the customer is provided with a rebate. The rebate may be provided directly by the subscription fulfillment house (e.g. a credit to a credit card account) or may be provided by a merchant (e.g. a discount on a future purchase).

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions adapted to direct a computer to:

receive, from a customer, a signal indicative of a request for a subscription to a periodical;

receive a signal indicative of a rebate code related to the subscription to the periodical;

sell, to the customer, the subscription to the periodical; and

update a database record descriptive of the rebate code, wherein the updating comprises storing an indication that the subscription to the periodical has been sold to the customer.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further adapted to direct the computer to receive the signal indicative of the request for the subscription via at least one of a telephone number, an e-mail address, and a website.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further adapted to direct the computer to receive the signal indicative of the rebate code via at least one of a telephone number, an e-mail address, and a website.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the signal indicative of the rebate code comprises a DTMF signal.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the signal indicative of the rebate code is indicative of a barcode.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer comprises an IVRU.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer comprises a subscription fulfillment house server.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the subscription fulfillment house server comprises a web server.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further adapted to direct the computer to:

prompt the customer to input the signal indicative of the rebate code.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further adapted to direct the computer to:

ascertain that the rebate code is valid.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions are further adapted to direct the computer to ascertain that the rebate code is valid by decrypting the rebate code.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions are further adapted to direct the computer to:

ascertain a rebate amount from the rebate code; and

credit the rebate amount to an account of the customer.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further adapted to direct the computer to:

determine that the rebate code corresponds to the periodical.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the updating is operable to cause a retailer to provide a discount to the customer during a subsequent purchase of the customer from the retailer.