MANAGEMENT OF AN OFFER FOR A FINANCIAL INCENTIVE
First Claim
1. A computer implemented method for managing an offer for a financial incentive, the method comprising:
- transmitting to a device associated with a user interested in receiving offers for financial incentives, by the computer, data representative of the offer for the financial incentive, wherein the data comprises at least a redemption indicia operative to be presented to a merchant to obtain the financial incentive, and causing the device to conceal the redemption indicia until the user causes the device to reveal the redemption indicia;
determining, by the computer, that the user has caused the device to reveal the redemption indicia; and
accounting, by the computer, for the redemption of the offer by the user based thereon.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Management of an offer for a financial incentive offered by an offeror and, in particular, management of redemption of the offer by a particular user which eliminates the need for a redemption entity to capture a user-unique redemption code or otherwise report redemption in order to track and control the user'"'"'s redemption of the offer is disclosed. Instead, the user'"'"'s revelation of the redemption code, via a device associated with the user, may be considered a redemption of the financial incentive by the user regardless of whether the user actually receives the incentive. In particular, offers for financial incentives may be provided in an electronic form to a user, via a device associated with the user, such as the user'"'"'s personal computer or mobile device, from an offer server, such as via a wired and/or wireless network. The offer includes a redemption code which must be exchanged/presented to the redemption entity, e.g. a merchant or retailer, to obtain the financial incentive. Upon delivery of the offer to the user'"'"'s device, the redemption code is concealed from the user by the device such that user must take some subsequent action to reveal it, ideally in the presence of the redemption entity or otherwise substantially contemporaneously with the purchase. The revelation, or the attempt thereto, of the redemption indicia may cause the offer to be considered redeemed by the offer server and prevent a subsequent redemption. Upon presentment of the redemption code, the redemption entity provides the requisite financial incentive.
8 Citations
50 Claims
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1. A computer implemented method for managing an offer for a financial incentive, the method comprising:
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transmitting to a device associated with a user interested in receiving offers for financial incentives, by the computer, data representative of the offer for the financial incentive, wherein the data comprises at least a redemption indicia operative to be presented to a merchant to obtain the financial incentive, and causing the device to conceal the redemption indicia until the user causes the device to reveal the redemption indicia; determining, by the computer, that the user has caused the device to reveal the redemption indicia; and accounting, by the computer, for the redemption of the offer by the user based thereon. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A system for managing an offer for a financial incentive, the system comprising:
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an offer server operative to transmit to a device associated with a user interested in receiving offers for financial incentives, data representative of the offer for the financial incentive, wherein the data comprises at least a redemption indicia operative to be presented to a merchant to obtain the financial incentive, and cause the device to conceal the redemption indicia until the user causes the device to reveal the redemption indicia; and wherein the offer server is further operative to determine that the user has caused the device to reveal the redemption indicia and, based thereon, account for the redemption of the offer by the user. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A system for managing an offer for a financial incentive, the system comprising a processor and a memory coupled therewith, the system further comprising:
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first logic stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the processor to transmit to a device associated with a user interested in receiving offers for financial incentives, data representative of the offer for the financial incentive, wherein the data comprises at least a redemption indicia operative to be presented to a merchant to obtain the financial incentive, and cause the device to conceal the redemption indicia until the user causes the device to reveal the redemption indicia; and wherein the first logic is further executable by the processor to cause the processor to determine that the user has caused the device to reveal the redemption indicia and, based thereon, account for the redemption of the offer by the user.
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50. A system for managing an offer for a financial incentive, the system comprising:
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means for transmitting to a device associated with a user interested in receiving offers for financial incentives data representative of the offer for the financial incentive, wherein the data comprises at least a redemption indicia operative to be presented to a merchant to obtain the financial incentive, and means for causing the device to conceal the redemption indicia until the user causes the device to reveal the redemption indicia; means for determining that the user has caused the device to reveal the redemption indicia; and means for accounting for the redemption of the offer by the user based thereon.
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Specification