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System and method for offering targeted discounts to customers

  • US 5,857,175 A
  • Filed: 08/11/1995
  • Issued: 01/05/1999
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1995
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A system for presenting customized special offers to customers, the special offers including targeted offers to a customer selected from a plurality of customers, and for collecting purchasing behavior information concerning the customers, the system comprising:

  • at least one computer including a database containing customer account information providing information specific to a particular customer account;

    said at least one computer also including a database containing special offers including at least one targeted offer which is to be made to selected customer accounts on the basis of targeted offer targeting parameters;

    a plurality of customer cards, each customer card having machine readable card information indicating at least identification of the card with a particular customer account;

    a customer interface in communication with said at least one computer to transfer data therebetween, said customer interface having at least one card reader for reading machine readable card information from said customer card;

    said at least one computer including means for generating a customized customer offer list available to that particular customer account which includes at least one said special offer;

    at least one offer communicator for communicating said customer offer list to the customer for which it is generated;

    at least one check-out at which the customer presents purchased item information indicating items being purchased by the customer;

    said check-out including a card reader for reading said customer card;

    said at least one computer including means for sending information from the customized customer offer list to the at least one check-out;

    said at least one computer further including means for collecting customer purchase information which is indicative of items being purchased by the customer via the check-out;

    said at least one computer still further including means for editing said customer account information to reflect items purchased by the customer;

    means for defining categories of products, and means for providing category exclusivity, wherein the system only permits special offers for one brand of product per category.

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