Systems and Methods for Controlling a Coupon Redemption Characteristic

• US 20140379454A1
• Filed: 04/30/2014
• Published: 12/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Meyers Printing Companies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Verify Holdings LLC
• Inventors: GEYEN, Jason
• Application Number:
  US14/265,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20140379454A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.33
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date

Abstract

Systems and methods for controlling redemption of an electronic coupon involve issuing an electronic coupon with a predetermined redemption characteristic and later updating the redemption characteristic of the electronic coupon based on one or more factors.

Claims

1. A method of controlling redemption of a coupon, the method comprising:

issuing, by a coupon server, a coupon to an end-user, wherein the coupon is issued with a predetermined redemption characteristic;

determining, by the coupon server based on a variable factor, an updated redemption characteristic of the issued coupon; and

informing, by the coupon server, the end-user of the updated redemption characteristic,

wherein the variable factor includes at least one of a geographic location, a date, a time of day, a day of a week, a number of redemptions by a particular person or device, total number of redemptions, redemptions set by parameters determined by the brand owner or retailer, or valued activities performed by a particular person.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the redemption characteristic is at least one of a redemption value, a redemption expiration date, and a redemption quantity.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the redemption characteristic is a redemption value, the method further comprising:

crediting, by the coupon server, a merchant for an updated redemption value when the coupon is redeemed with the merchant.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the coupon is an electronic coupon that is issued to an end-user device and the end-user is informed of the updated redemption characteristic via the end-user device.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the redemption characteristic is an updated redemption expiration date, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the coupon server, a request for redemption of the coupon from a merchant;

determining, by the coupon server, whether a current date is before the updated expiration date;

wherein when

the current date is on or before the updated expiration date the coupon server credits the merchant for redeeming the coupon, and

the current date is after the updated expiration date the coupon server informs the merchant that the coupon has expired and is not redeemable.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameters determined by the brand owner or retailer includes at least one of whether

a particular sporting team wins a particular game,

a particular sporting team achieves a certain score,

a particular sporting team achieves a number of certain types of scores, and

occurrence of a number of statistical-based events for a particular player or a particular sporting team.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the coupon is associated with a loyalty program, the predetermined and updated redemption characteristic is an amount of credit or points, and redemption of the coupon adds the amount of credit or points to a loyalty program account of the end-user.

8. A system for controlling redemption of an electronic coupon, the system comprising:

an end-user device;

a coupon server configured to

issue an electronic coupon to the end-user device with a predetermined redemption characteristic;

determine, based on a variable factor, an updated redemption characteristic of the electronic coupon; and

inform the end-user device of the updated redemption characteristic;

wherein the variable factor includes at least one of a geographic location, a date, a time of day, a day of a week, a number of redemptions by a particular person or device, total number of redemptions, redemptions set by parameters determined by the brand owner or retailer, or valued activities performed by a particular person.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the redemption characteristic is at least one of a redemption value, a redemption expiration date, and a redemption quantity.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the redemption characteristic is a redemption value, the coupon server is further configured to:

credit a merchant for an updated redemption value when the electronic coupon is redeemed with the merchant.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the coupon server is further configured to:

inform an operator of the end-user device of the predetermined redemption characteristic; and

inform the operator of the end-user device of the updated redemption characteristic after informing the operator of the predetermined redemption characteristic.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the redemption characteristic is an updated redemption expiration date, the coupon server is further configured to:

receive a request for redemption of the electronic coupon from a merchant;

determine whether a current date is before the updated expiration date;

wherein when

the current date is on or before the updated expiration date the coupon server credits the merchant for redeeming the electronic coupon, and

the current date is after the updated expiration date the coupon server informs the merchant that the electronic coupon has expired and is not redeemable.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the parameters determined by the brand owner or retailer includes at least one of whether

a particular sporting team wins a particular game,

a particular sporting team achieves a certain score,

a particular sporting team achieves a number of certain types of scores, and

occurrence of a number of statistical-based events for a particular player or a particular sporting team.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the electronic coupon is associated with a loyalty program, the predetermined and updated redemption characteristic is an amount of credit or points, and redemption of the coupon adds the amount of credit or points to an loyalty program account of a user associated with the end-user device.

15. A coupon server, comprising:

a non-transitory memory; and

a processor coupled to the non-transitory memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute logic stored in the non-transitory memory, which causes the processor to

issue a coupon to an end-user, wherein the coupon is issued with a predetermined redemption characteristic;

determine, based on a variable factor, an updated redemption characteristic of the issued coupon; and

informing the end-user of the updated redemption characteristic,

wherein the variable factor includes at least one of a geographic location, a date, a time of day, a day of a week, a number of redemptions by a particular person or device, total number of redemptions, redemptions set by parameters determined by the brand owner or retailer, or valued activities performed by a particular person.

16. The coupon server of claim 15, wherein the redemption characteristic is at least one of a redemption value, a redemption expiration date, and a redemption quantity.

17. The coupon server of claim 15, wherein the coupon is an electronic coupon that is issued to an end-user device and the end-user is informed of the updated redemption characteristic via the end-user device.

18. The coupon server of claim 15, wherein the parameters determined by the brand owner or retailer includes at least one of whether

a particular sporting team wins a particular game,

a particular sporting team achieves a certain score,

a particular sporting team achieves a number of certain types of scores, and

occurrence of a number of statistical-based events for a particular player or a particular sporting team.

19. The coupon server of claim 15, wherein the coupon is associated with a loyalty program, the predetermined and updated redemption characteristic is an amount of credit or points, and redemption of the coupon adds the amount of credit or points to a loyalty program account of the end-user.