Promotional financial transaction machine method

• US 6,260,758 B1
• Filed: 03/25/1998
• Issued: 07/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Compuscan Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Blumberg, Barry B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D.
• Application Number:
  US09/047,220
• Time in Patent Office: 1,210 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/379, 235/492, 235/383, 235/378
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

An improved promotional financial transaction machine method which includes the steps of determining whether a patron'"'"'s transaction at the financial transaction machine qualifies for a promotional offer; performing transaction-specific promotional processing if the patron'"'"'s transaction qualifies for a promotional offer; selectively printing a promotional receipt from the financial transaction machine by a variable print-on-demand process if the patron'"'"'s transaction qualifies for a promotional offer, wherein the promotional receipt includes a patron-interactive promotional section; and providing the promotional receipt to the patron.

Claims

1. An improved promotional financial transaction machine method comprising the steps of:

determining whether a patron'"'"'s specific transaction type at the financial transaction machine qualifies for a promotional offer;

performing transaction-specific promotional processing if the patron'"'"'s specific transaction type qualifies for a promotional offer;

selectively printing a promotional receipt on demand from the financial transaction machine by a variable print-on-demand process if the patron'"'"'s specific transaction type qualifies for a promotional offer, wherein said promotional receipt includes a patron-interactive promotional section; and

providing said promotional receipt to the patron;

wherein said variable print-on-demand process allows the use of standard FTM receipt paper for printing the promotional receipt within the FTM.

2. The improved promotional financial transaction machine method of claim 1, wherein said patron-interactive promotional section of the promotional receipt indicates to the patron whether they are an instant winner of a random prize selection process actuated during the financial transaction within the financial transaction machine.

3. The improved promotional financial transaction machine method of claim 1, wherein said patron-interactive promotional section of the promotional receipt comprises a value coupon distributed to the patron.

4. The improved promotional financial transaction machine method of claim 1, wherein said patron-interactive promotional section of the promotional receipt is an alternate media transaction product.

5. The improved promotional financial transaction machine method of claim 1, wherein said patron-interactive promotional section of the promotional receipt indicates loyalty points to the patron for a collect and redeem program.

6. The improved promotional financial transaction machine method of claim 1, wherein said promotional receipt further includes a financial section, reporting financial details of the patron'"'"'s transaction.

7. The improved promotional financial transaction machine method of claim 1, wherein said determining step and said performing step are performed by a promotion controller processor installed at an individual financial transaction machine location.

8. The improved promotional financial transaction machine method of claim 1, wherein said determining step and said performing step are performed by a promotion controller processor installed at a central financial transaction machine host terminal driver system.

9. The improved promotional financial transaction machine method of claim 8, wherein said promotion controller processor is coupled to a terminal handler portion of the central financial transaction machine host terminal driver system.

10. The improved promotional financial transaction machine method of claim 1, wherein said patron'"'"'s specific transaction type qualifies for the promotional offer if the patron utilizes a participating financial transaction machine to conduct a transaction at a predetermined time.

11. The improved promotional financial transaction machine method of claim 10, wherein said predetermined time is a specific date.

12. The improved promotional financial transaction machine method of claim 10, wherein said predetermined time is a specific time of day.

13. The improved promotional financial transaction machine method of claim 1, wherein said patron'"'"'s specific transaction type qualifies for a promotional offer if the transaction included the purchasing of a particular product.

14. The improved promotional financial transaction machine method of claim 13, wherein said particular product is an alternate media transaction product.

15. The improved promotional financial transaction machine method of claim 13, wherein said particular product is a predetermined amount of an alternate media transaction product.

16. The improved promotional financial transaction machine method of claim 1, wherein said patron'"'"'s specific transaction type qualifies for a promotional offer if the transaction included the withdrawal of at least a predetermined minimum amount of money.

17. The improved promotional financial transaction machine method of claim 1, wherein said patron'"'"'s specific transaction type qualifies for a promotional offer if the transaction included the use of a card from a predetermined institution.