Method and system for managing magazine portfolios

• US 6,332,124 B1
• Filed: 07/30/1999
• Issued: 12/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Synapse Group, Inc. (IAC, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Synapse Group, Inc. (IAC, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nimons, John, Loeb, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosimano, Edward R.
• Application Number:
  US09/364,772
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/7, 707/100, 707/102, 707/104, 707/200, 707/101
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0637 Approvals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A method and system for organizing magazine subscription information. The method including collecting subscription information from one or more fulfillment houses and organizing or associating the subscription information by household. In one embodiment, the subscription information organized by household is made available to a consumer of a particular household so that the consumer may make changes to all subscription information associated with the household. In one embodiment, the consumer associates a credit card or other account with the household subscription information; the account is charged as payment for the household subscriptions.

Claims

1. A method of consolidating subscriptions comprising:

receiving from one or more fulfillment houses subscription information corresponding to subscriptions;

organizing the subscription information by consumer household;

receiving consumer information from a consumer of a household;

matching the consumer information with subscription information associated with the consumer'"'"'s household;

presenting to the consumer subscription information matching the received consumer information;

receiving from the consumer an indication of selected subscriptions; and

linking a number of the selected subscriptions to the received consumer information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the consumer information is a credit card number.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the consumer information is consumer name and address.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the consumer information includes a first credit card number and a second credit card number and wherein the subscription information is matched to the first credit card number.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the received consumer information includes an identifier of an account and the number of subscriptions are linked to the account identifier, the method further comprising charging the account for the linked subscriptions.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein all of the subscriptions corresponding to the selected subscription information are linked to the received consumer information.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting renewal notices to the consumer and receiving consumer renewal responses; and

providing add-on subscriptions based on consumer renewal responses.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selectively preventing linking of a subscription.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing the consumer a number of add-on subscriptions based on the linked subscriptions.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the number of add-on subscriptions is based on the number of linked subscriptions.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the add-on subscriptions have associated half basic rates and the providing is based on the total of the half basic rates of the add-on subscriptions.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising billing the consumer for an add-on subscription based on the consumer failing to cancel that add-on subscription.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the number of add-on subscriptions is based on an amount paid by the consumer for the linked subscriptions and half basic rates of linked subscriptions.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

for individual linked subscriptions, calculating an individual subscription add-on value by subtracting the half basic rate from the amount paid; and

calculating a total add-on value by summing the individual add-on values of the linked subscriptions,

wherein providing the add-on subscriptions is based on the total add-on value.

15. A method of consolidating subscriptions comprising:

receiving from one or more fulfillment houses subscription information corresponding to subscriptions;

organizing the subscription information by consumer household, wherein the subscription information includes subscription expiration date;

linking the organized subscription information to an account; and

automatically billing the account for subscriptions corresponding to the linked subscription information based on the expiration date.

16. A method of consolidating subscriptions comprising:

receiving from one or more fulfillment houses subscription information corresponding to subscriptions;

organizing the subscription information by consumer household;

receiving consumer information from a consumer of a household;

matching the consumer information with subscription information associated with the consumer'"'"'s household;

receiving a consumer edit to the subscription information associated with the consumer'"'"'s household; and

updating the subscription information associated with the consumer'"'"'s household according to the consumer edits.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the consumer edit is applied to subscription information corresponding to multiple subscriptions.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein receiving the consumer edit includes receiving at least one of the following edits:

cancellation, change of address, change of the credit card number, new purchase, and purchase of gift subscription.

19. A system for consolidating subscriptions, comprising:

a storage device to store information relating to subscriptions, wherein said subscription information is received from one or more fulfillment houses, and wherein the subscription information includes at least one subscription expiration date; and

one or more processors coupled to the storage device, wherein the processors are configured to organize the subscription information by household;

to associate information relating to subscriptions with a household of a consumer based on consumer information, wherein the consumer information includes an identifier of an account;

to initiate billing the consumer for subscriptions associated with the consumer'"'"'s household by charging the account; and

to bill the consumer for the subscriptions based on the at least one subscription expiration date.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the consumer information is received from the consumer.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the consumer information is part of the information received from the fulfillment houses.

22. A system for consolidating subscriptions, comprising:

a storage device to store information relating to subscriptions, the information received from one or more fulfillment houses; and

one or more processors coupled to the storage device, wherein the processors are configured to organize the subscription information by household and to determine the availability of add-on subscriptions.

23. A method of managing a magazine portfolio, the method comprising:

receiving subscription information relating to a plurality of subscriptions associated with a consumer of a household;

providing a consumer identifier;

selecting at least a portion of the plurality of the subscriptions for linking to the consumer identifier, wherein selecting subscriptions for linking to the consumer identifier is an agreement to renew the selected subscriptions and wherein the selected subscriptions were purchased from different sources; and

receiving one or more add-on subscriptions based on the selected subscriptions.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the consumer identifier is an identifier of an account.

25. A method of managing a magazine portfolio, the method comprising:

receiving subscription information relating to a plurality of subscriptions associated with a consumer of a household;

providing a consumer identifier;

selecting at least a portion of the plurality of the subscriptions for linking to the consumer identifier;

providing the consumer identifier a second time;

receiving the subscription information relating to the plurality of subscriptions associated with the consumer; and

editing the subscription information, wherein the subscription information relates to subscriptions purchased from different sources.