Peel off coupon redemption card and tracking system

• US 5,501,491 A
• Filed: 05/02/1994
• Issued: 03/26/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: James Thompson
• Original Assignee: Debra Tak Thompson, Kenneth Thompson
• Inventors: Thompson, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Fridie, Jr., Willmon
• Application Number:
  US08/237,503
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 283/67, 283/70, 283/51, 283/81, 283/101, 283/105, 283/56, 283/115
• US Class Current: 283/70
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/00 Printed matter of special format or style not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2003/0202 printed before use
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2003/0205 Coupon
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2003/023 Adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/10 by an adhesive layer

Abstract

A coupon redemption card and tracking system includes a credit card size redemption coupon card used by the customer, and a tracking sheet used by the redemption center such as a restaurant. The redemption card has a plurality of mini coupons, which can be peeled off individually. Each redeemed coupon is affixed to the tracking sheet, which has dimensions of a dollar bill so that it can be placed in the till of a cash register. The tracking system facilitates the accounting and inventory of redeemed coupons. The coupon card is formed as two laminated layers of special paper joined together by a layer of adhesive material, and a layer of clear plastic film on the top face of the card. The base layer is fabricated from a special paper. An adhesive coating is applied to one side of the base layer. The peel off coupon layer is affixed to the adhesive coating. The finished layered sheet is printed on both sides, die-cut on the coupon side, and then laminated with the film on the other side. Each coupon that is removed from the card has adhesive to adhere the coupon to the tracking sheet. The small size of the mini coupons is convenient for the card holder and the redemption center. It eliminates the need to process diverse sizes and shapes of customer coupons. The system can be used wherever one has to keep track of various redeemable coupons.

Claims

1. A method of redeeming a coupon secured to a redemption card which comprises:

presenting to a redemption center a redemption card having a bar code thereon and containing at least one peel-off coupon;

peeling off at least one said peel-off coupon from said redemption card;

transferring said peel-off coupon to a tracking means;

crediting the value of said peel-off coupon to the redeemer by reading said bar code on said redemption card with a bar code reader; and

returning said redemption card to the redeemer.

2. A method of redeeming a coupon secured to a redemption card and tracking the redeemed coupon, which comprises:

presenting to a redemption center a redemption card containing at least one peel-off coupon having a bar code thereon;

placing a tracking means at said redemption center;

peeling off at least one said peel-off coupon from said redemption card;

transferring said peel-off coupon to said tracking means;

crediting the value of said peel-off coupon to the redeemer by reading said bar code on said peel-off coupon with a bar code reader; and

returning said redemption card to the redeemer.

3. A method of redeeming a coupon secured to a redemption card which comprises:

presenting to a redemption center a redemption card having a magnetic strip thereon, and having at least one peel-off coupon thereon;

peeling off said at least one said peel-off coupon from said redemption card;

transferring said peeled-off coupon to a tracking means;

crediting the value of said coupon to the redeemer by reading said magnetic strip on said card with a magnetic strip reader; and

returning said redemption card to the redeemer.

4. A method of redeeming a coupon secured to a redemption card and tracking the redeemed coupon, which comprises:

presenting to a redemption center a redemption card containing at least one peel-off coupon having a magnetic strip thereon;

peeling off at least one said peel-off coupon from said redemption card;

transferring said peeled-off coupon to a tracking means;

crediting the value of said coupon to the redeemer by reading said magnetic strip on said peel-off coupon with a magnetic strip reader; and

returning said redemption card to the redeemer.

5. A method of redeeming a coupon secured to a redemption card which comprises:

presenting to a redemption center a redemption card having a bar code and a magnetic strip thereon and containing at least one peel-off coupon;

peeling off at least one said peel-off coupon from said redemption card;

transferring said peeled-off coupon to a tracking means;

crediting the value of said coupon to the redeemer by reading said bar code on said redemption card with a bar code reader and by reading said magnetic strip on said redemption card with a magnetic strip reader; and

returning said redemption card to the redeemer.

6. A method of redeeming a coupon secured to a redemption card and tracking the redeemed coupon, which comprises:

presenting to a redemption center a redemption card containing at least one peel-off coupon covered with a removable scratch-off layer thereon;

removing said removable scratch-off layer from said peel-off coupon;

reading the message on said visible coupon;

peeling off said visible peel-off coupon from said redemption card;

transferring said peel-off coupon to a tracking means;

crediting the value of said coupon to the redeemer; and

returning said redemption card to the redeemer.

7. A laminated coupon redemption card, which comprises:

a base layer having a front face and a back face;

said front face of said base layer having printed matter thereon;

a protective clear layer over said front face of said base layer;

removable release liner applied to said back face of said base layer;

a coupon layer having a coupon face and a release liner face;

said coupon face of said coupon layer having coupons printed on it and scored at regular intervals to form a matrix of small adhesive backed removable coupons.

8. The coupon card as recited in claim 7 further comprising a bar code on said card.

9. The coupon card as recited in claim 7 further comprising a bar code on at least one said peel-off coupon.

10. The coupon card as recited in claim 7 further comprising a magnetic strip on said card.

11. The coupon card as recited in claim 7 further comprising a magnetic strip on at least one said peel-off coupon.

12. The coupon card as recited in claim 7 further comprising:

a magnetic strip on said card; and

a bar code on said card.

14. The coupon card as recited in claim 7 wherein said coupon card has the overall dimensions of a credit card.

15. The coupon card as recited in claim 7 wherein:

said overall dimensions of said coupon are 1" by 13/16"; and

said base layer is fabricated from 6,8,10, or 12 tag paper.

17. The coupon card as recited in claim 7 further comprising:

tracking sheet means comprising a flat rectangular sheet having overall dimensions sufficiently small to fit into a compartment, or a typical tray in a cash register;

said tracking sheet having a plurality of rectangles, each being slightly larger than each said peel-off coupon of said coupon card for affixing said redeemed coupons from said coupon card and keeping a record of said redeemed coupons on said tracking sheet.

18. The coupon card as recited in claim 11 wherein said base is fabricated from a plastic material, such as PVC or vinyl.

29. The coupon card as recited in claim 7 wherein said base is fabricated from a plastic material, such as PVC or vinyl.

30. The coupon card as recited in claim 8 wherein said base is fabricated from a plastic material, such as PVC or vinyl.

31. The coupon card as recited in claim 9 wherein said base is fabricated from a plastic material, such as PVC or vinyl.

32. The coupon card as recited in claim 10 wherein said base is fabricated from a plastic material, such as PVC or vinyl.

33. The coupon card as recited in claim 11 wherein said base is fabricated from a plastic material, such as PVC or vinyl.

34. The coupon card as recited in claim 12 wherein said base is fabricated from a plastic material, such as PVC or vinyl.

36. The coupon card as recited in claim 14 wherein said base is fabricated from a plastic material, such as PVC or vinyl.

13. A laminated coupon redemption card, which comprises:

a base layer having a front face and a back face;

said front face of said base layer having printed matter thereon;

a protective clear layer over said front face of said base layer;

removable release liner applied to said back face of said base layer;

a coupon layer having a coupon face and a release liner face;

said coupon face of said coupon layer having coupons printed on it and scored at regular intervals to form a matrix of small adhesive backed removable coupons; and

a removable scratch-off layer temporarily covering at least one said peel-off coupon.

35. The coupon card as recited in claim 13 wherein said base is fabricated from a plastic material, such as PVC or vinyl.

16. A laminated coupon redemption card, which comprises:

a base layer having a front face and a back face;

said front face of said base layer having printed matter thereon;

a protective clear layer over said front face of said base layer;

removable release liner applied to said back face of said base layer;

a coupon layer having a coupon face and a release liner face;

said coupon face of said coupon layer having coupons printed on it and scored at regular intervals to form a matrix of small adhesive backed removable coupons;

said overall dimensions of said coupon are 1" by 13/16";

said base layer is fabricated from 6,8,10, or 12 tag paper; and

a double flap coupon card having overall dimensions of 65/8" by 23/8".

19. A method of presenting an immunization coupon secured to an immunization card and tracking the immunization record of a child, which comprises:

issuing an immunization card that has a series of coupons having bar codes thereon and representing the required vaccination shots needed by a child from birth to teenage years;

periodically vaccinating a child according to the schedule set forth on said immunization card;

presenting to an immunization tracking center the peel-off coupon corresponding to the particular vaccination administered to the child;

placing a tracking means for the child at said immunization tracking center;

transferring said peel-off coupon to said tracking means;

recording the vaccination on said peel-off coupon by reading said bar code on said peel-off coupon with a bar code reader; and

returning said immunization card to the presenter.

20. A laminated hotel casino card, which comprises:

a base layer having a front face and a back face;

said front face of said base layer having printed matter thereon;

a protective clear layer over said front face of said base layer;

removable release liner applied to said back face of said base layer;

a coupon layer having a coupon face and a release liner face;

said coupon face of said coupon layer having coupons printed thereon and scored at regular intervals to form a matrix of small adhesive backed removable coupons;

said peel-off coupons redeemable at said hotel for a variety of gratuities according to what is printed on said peel-off coupon; and

a scratch-off layer over at least one coupon on said casino card.

39. The casino card as recited in claim 20 wherein said base is fabricated from a plastic material, such as PVC or vinyl.

21. The method of making a peel off coupon card, which comprises:

fabricating a base layer having a front face and a back face;

applying an adhesive layer to said back face of said base layer;

applying a coupon layer to said adhesive layer of said base layer;

said base layer, said adhesive layer and said coupon layer being formed as a roll or a sheet;

transferring said sheet or roll to a printing means;

applying printed matter to said coupon layer to form a matrix of coupons;

applying printed matter to said front face of said base layer;

covering at least one coupon with a removable scratch-off layer;

die-cutting from said sheet or roll to form score lines on said coupon layer to allow each said coupon to be individually peeled away from said adhesive layer while leaving a portion of said adhesive to the back of said coupon; and

die-cutting said sheet or said roll to form each coupon redemption card separate from the printed sheet or roll.

23. The method of making a peel-off coupon card as recited in claim 21 including applying at least one bar code to said card.

24. The method of making a peel-off coupon card as recited in claim 21 including applying at least one magnetic strip to said card.

25. The method of making a peel-off coupon card as recited in claim 21 including applying at least one magnetic strip and at least one bar code to said card.

22. The method of making a peel off coupon card, which comprises:

fabricating a base layer having a front face and a back face;

applying an adhesive layer to said back face of said base layer;

applying a coupon layer to said adhesive layer of said base layer;

said base layer, said adhesive layer and said coupon layer being formed as a roll or a sheet;

transferring said sheet or roll to a printing means;

applying printed matter to said coupon layer to form a matrix of coupons;

applying printed matter to said front face of said base layer;

applying a protective sealant to said front face of said base layer;

die-cutting from said sheet or roll to form score lines on said coupon layer to allow each said coupon to be individually peeled away from said adhesive layer while leaving a portion of said adhesive on the back of said coupon; and

cutting said sheet or said roll to form each coupon card separate from the printed sheet or roll.

26. The method of making a peel off coupon card, which comprises:

fabricating a base layer having a front face and a back face;

applying an adhesive layer to said back face of said base layer;

applying a coupon layer to said adhesive layer of said base layer;

said base layer, said adhesive layer and said coupon layer being formed as a roll or a sheet;

transferring said sheet or roll to a printing means;

applying printed matter to said coupon layer to form a matrix of coupons;

applying printed matter to said front face of said base layer;

applying at least one magnetic strip to said card;

die-cutting from said sheet or roll to form score lines on said coupon layer to allow each said coupon to be individually peeled away from said adhesive layer while leaving a portion of said adhesive to the back of said coupon; and

die-cutting said sheet or said roll to form each coupon redemption card separate from the printed sheet or roll.

27. The method of making a peel-off coupon card as recited in claim 26 including applying at least one bar code to said card.

28. The method of making a peel off coupon card, which comprises:

fabricating a base layer having a front face and a back face;

applying an adhesive layer to said back face of said base layer;

applying a coupon layer to said adhesive layer of said base layer;

said base layer, said adhesive layer and said coupon layer being formed as a roll or a sheet;

transferring said sheet or roll to a printing means;

applying printed matter to said coupon layer to form a matrix of coupons;

applying printed matter to said front face of said base layer;

applying at least one bar code to said card;

die-cutting from said sheet or roll to form score lines on said coupon layer to allow each said coupon to be individually peeled away from said adhesive layer while leaving a portion of said adhesive to the back of said coupon; and

die-cutting said sheet or said roll to form each coupon redemption card separate from the printed sheet or roll.

37. A laminated hotel casino card, which comprises:

a base layer having a front face and a back face;

said front face of said base layer having printed matter thereon;

a protective clear layer over said front face of said base layer;

removable release liner applied to said back face of said base layer;

a coupon layer having a coupon face and a release liner face;

said coupon face of said coupon layer having coupons printed thereon and scored at regular intervals to form a matrix of small adhesive backed removable coupons; and

said peel-off coupons redeemable at said hotel for a variety of gratuities according to what is printed on said peel-off coupon.

38. The casino card as recited in claim 37 wherein said base is fabricated from a plastic material, such as PVC or vinyl.

40. An immunization card, which comprises:

a base layer having a front face and a back face;

said front face of said base layer having printed matter thereon;

removable release liner applied to said back face of said base layer;

a coupon layer having a coupon face and a release liner face;

said coupon face of said coupon layer having a series of coupons having bar codes thereon representing the vaccination shots needed by a child from birth to teenage years; and

said coupon face scored at regular intervals to form a matrix of small adhesive backed removable coupons.