System and Method for Incentives

• US 20130080239A1
• Filed: 07/06/2011
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Groupon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Groupon Incorporated
• Inventors: Okerlund, Michael D.
• Granted Patent: US 10,521,813 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.33
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/34 using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/384 using social networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems

Abstract

The invention relates generally to systems and methods for the non-public creation, distribution and redemption of incentive offers. More particularly, the system and method generates incentives based on parameters selectable by merchants. The system and method constructs non-public incentive offers that are delivered to one or more program registrants satisfying a designated targeting profile and associated with one or more electronic payment instruments. Incentive offers may be redeemed confidentiality by the program registrant tendering an electronic payment instrument satisfying the parameters of the incentive offer. The invention further relates to systems and methods for participants to exert control over the volume and kind of incentives received through the system and by third party entities.

Claims

1. A method for generating incentives comprising:

generating data representing at least one targeted incentive based on;

incentive parameter data, and

incentive redemption parameter data;

identifying at least one program registrant to administer the at least one targeted incentive data to based upon registrant parameter data of at least one program registrant of the incentive program;

associating the at least one targeted incentive data with at least one electronic payment instrument of the at least one program registrant;

receiving transaction data for at least one discrete purchase between the program registrant using the electronic payment instrument and at least one other party after completion of the at least one discrete purchase;

determining if the at least one discrete purchase satisfies the merchant incentive redemption parameter data; and

confidentially granting an incentive corresponding to the at least one targeted incentive data to the program registrant after completion of the at least one discrete purchase if the at least one discrete purchase satisfies the merchant incentive redemption parameter data, wherein the at least one party involved in the at least one discrete purchase is isolated from the confidential granting of the incentive to the program registrant.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the at least one unredeemed targeted incentive data includes confidentially associating the at least one unredeemed targeted incentive data, and one or more of the merchant, a merchant acquirer, an electronic payment instrument network or an electronic payment instrument issuing entity are isolated from the association.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the at least one program registrant includes confidentially identifying the at least one program registrant, and one or more of the merchant, a merchant acquirer, an electronic payment instrument network or an electronic payment instrument issuing entity are isolated from the identification.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein confidentially granting the incentive to the program registrant includes confidentially granting the incentive, and one or more of the merchant, the merchant acquirer, an electronic payment instrument network or an electronic payment instrument issuing entity are isolated from the confidential granting.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the incentive parameter data includes a transaction query of program registrant parameter data including transaction data involving at least one of a merchant'"'"'s competitors.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein confidentially granting the incentive to the program registrant is done without notification to a competitor of a merchant benefiting from the incentive.

7. The method of claim 1 comprising providing notification data to the program registrant indicating the association of the targeted incentive data with the at least one electronic payment instrument.

33. The method of claim 2'"'"'s, wherein the value of the stayed charge gift instrument includes the value of the transaction.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the value of the transaction is less than the value of the stayed charge gift instrument, and assessing the value of the transaction against the funding mechanism only assesses the value of the transaction against the funding mechanism while the remainder of the value of the stayed charge gift instrument is not assessed.

8. A system for generating incentives comprising:

an targeted incentive generation module configured to generate data representing at least one targeted incentive based on;

incentive parameter data, and

incentive redemption parameter data;

an identification module configured to identify at least one program registrant to administer the at least one targeted incentive data to based upon registrant parameter data of at least one program registrant of the incentive program;

an association module configured to associate the at least one targeted incentive data with at least one electronic payment instrument of the at least one program registrant; and

a redemption module configured to;

receive transaction data for at least one discrete purchase between the program registrant using the electronic payment instrument and at least one other party after completion of the at least one discrete purchase,

determine if the at least one discrete purchase satisfies the merchant incentive redemption parameter data, and

confidentially grant an incentive corresponding to the at least one targeted incentive data to the program registrant after completion of the at least one discrete purchase if the at least one discrete purchase satisfies the merchant incentive redemption parameter data, wherein the at least one party involved in the at least one discrete purchase is isolated from the confidential granting of the incentive to the program registrant.

9. An incentive program management database system comprising:

a plurality of one or more of program registrant identified or program registrant controlled database modules associated with at least one electronic payment instrument for at least one program registrant;

wherein the plurality of one or more of program registrant identified or program registrant controlled database modules are incorporated into the incentive program management database according to identification and choice of modules by the program registrant;

wherein the plurality of one or more of program registrant identified or program registrant controlled database modules are linked between two or more separate and isolated entities according to the choice of the program registrant; and

an incentive program management hub linking the plurality of one or more of program registrant identified and program registrant controlled database modules, the incentive program management hub providing access to the plurality of one or more of program registrant identified and program registrant controlled database modules for the generation of confidential targeted incentives isolated from one or more of merchants, merchant acquirers, electronic payment instrument networks or electronic payment instrument issuing entities.

10. The incentive program management database system of claim 9, wherein the incentive program management database system comprises a transaction data access and storage module configured to access and store transaction data from one or more tiers of a data pathway extending between the at least one program registrant, one or more merchants, one or more merchant acquirers, one or more electronic payment instrument networks, one or more card issuers and one or more banks.

11. The incentive program management database system of claim 9, wherein one or more tiers of the data pathway preclude sharing of transaction data, the transaction data access and storage module is configured to access and store transaction data from one or more tiers of the data pathway preceding the one or more precluded tiers.

12. A method for generating distinct incentives between a plurality of program registrants comprising:

identifying a plurality of program registrants to administer a related family of targeted incentives to based upon registrant parameter data;

generating data representing at least one distinct targeted incentive in the related family of targeted incentives for one or more of the program registrants relative to other program registrants of the plurality of program registrants according to one or more incentive thresholds including;

identifying the one or more incentive thresholds from incentive parameter data,

comparing registrant parameter data of the one or more program registrants with the incentive parameter data, and

generating first distinct targeted incentive data based on the comparison of the registrant parameter data with the incentive parameter data and a determination the registrant parameter data of the one or more program registrants achieves the one or more incentive thresholds; and

associating the first distinct targeted incentive data with at least one electronic payment instrument of the one or more program registrants of the plurality of program registrants.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein identifying the one or more incentive thresholds includes identifying at least one distance threshold relative to at least one merchant.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein generating the first distinct targeted incentive data includes generating a superior incentive for the one or more program registrants with registrant parameter data indicating a location equal to or greater than the distance threshold.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein comparing the registrant parameter data with the incentive parameter data includes comparing registrant parameter data including transaction data involving a merchant'"'"'s competitors with an incentive threshold including at least one transaction or transaction amount with the merchant'"'"'s competitors.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein generating the first distinct targeted incentive data includes generating a superior incentive for the one or more program registrants with registrant parameter data indicating at least one transaction or transaction amount with at least one of the merchant'"'"'s competitors.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein generating data representing at least one distinct targeted incentive includes generating second targeted incentive data distinct from the first distinct targeted incentive data based on the comparison of registrant parameter data of other program registrants with the incentive parameter data and a determination the registrant parameter data of the other program registrants does not achieve the one or more incentive thresholds, the second targeted incentive data and the at least one distinct targeted incentive data are each in the related family of targeted incentives.

18. The method of claim 12 comprising isolating the at least one distinct targeted incentive data associated with the at least one electronic payment instrument of the one or more program registrants from the remainder of the plurality of program registrants.

19. An incentive filtering system comprising:

an authorizing module configured to request authorization for access to incentive data including one or more of incentive data configured for delivery to a filter system registrant'"'"'s account and incentive data in the filter system registrant'"'"'s account;

an access module configured to access the incentive data; and

a filter module configured to review and filter the incentive data, the filter module including one or more of;

a screening module configured to block delivery of incentive data that satisfies one or more screening filter thresholds, and

a removal module configured to remove delivered incentive data in the filter system registrant'"'"'s account that satisfies one or more removal filter thresholds.

20. The incentive filter system of claim 19, wherein the filter system registrant'"'"'s account includes one or more of a dedicated incentive account, an email account and a messaging account.

21. The incentive filtering system of claim 19, wherein one or more of the screening and removal filter thresholds include one or more of merchant based parameters, incentive type parameters;

incentive quantity of benefit parameters and incentive redemption delivery parameters.

22. The incentive filter system of claim 19, wherein the one or more screening and removal filter thresholds are configured by the filter system registrant.

23. The incentive filtering system of claim 19 comprising a delivery module configured to deliver incentive data that passes the filter module according to one or more delivery parameters.

24. The incentive filtering system of claim 23, wherein the delivery module is configured to deliver incentive data according to one or more delivery parameters including one or more of delivery mechanism parameters and temporal delivery parameters.

25. The incentive filter system of claim 23, wherein the delivery module includes an association module configured to associate the delivered incentive data with at least one electronic payment instrument of the filter system registrant.

26. The incentive filter system of claim 19, wherein the removal module is configured to:

compare the incentive data of a plurality of delivered incentives according to incentive parameters common to the plurality of delivered incentives; and

remove data representing one or more of the delivered incentives that include inferior incentive parameter data relative to data representing one or more delivered incentives that include superior incentive parameter data.

27. A method for generating and delivering a stayed charge gift instrument comprising:

generating a stayed charge gift instrument including;

receiving designation data representing the identity of a gift recipient,

receiving gift data representing the parameters of stayed charge gift instrument,

receiving payment data representing the funding mechanism for the stayed charge gift instrument, and

generating stayed charge gift instrument data representing the stayed charge gift instrument according to the designation data, the gift data and the payment data, wherein the stayed charge gift instrument data includes a gift value based on the gift data;

delivering the stayed charge gift instrument data to the gift recipient;

redeeming the stayed charge gift instrument including;

using the stayed charge gift instrument data in a transaction satisfying the parameters of the stayed charge gift instrument data, and

assessing a value of the transaction against the funding mechanism at the time or after the stayed charge gift instrument data is used in the transaction, wherein the value of the stayed charge gift instrument based on the gift data is not assessed against the funding mechanism until at least the time of assessing of the value of the transaction.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein generating the stayed charge gift instrument includes associating the stayed charge gift instrument with the funding mechanism including at least one electronic payment instrument of a gift giver.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein delivering the stayed charge gift instrument data includes delivering one or more of a tangible gift card, a notification and request for association with an electronic payment instrument of the gift recipient, or an electronic message including at least a portion of the gift data.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein receiving gift data representing the parameters of stayed charge gift instrument includes gift data representing a merchant that does not issue gift instruments.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein assessing the value of the transaction against the funding mechanism includes assessing the funding mechanism for the value of the transaction with the merchant.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein assessing the value of the transaction against the funding mechanism includes redirecting the assessing of the value of the transaction from a gift recipient electronic payment instrument to the funding mechanism.