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System for offering targeted discounts to customers and collecting purchasing behavior data

  • US 6,484,146 B2
  • Filed: 11/26/1997
  • Issued: 11/19/2002
  • 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 at least one database containing customer account information providing information on customers which is specific to a particular customer account, the customer account information including prior purchasing behavior for the particular customer account for products in addition to products being provided with coupon offerings;

    said at least one computer also including a database containing special offers including at least one targeted offer which is to be made to customer accounts on the basis of targeted offer targeting parameters, said targeted offer targeting parameters including prior purchasing behavior for the particular customer account, said prior purchasing behavior including prior purchasing behavior for the particular customer account for products in addition to products being provided with coupon offerings;

    a customer interface in communication with said at least one computer to transfer data therebetween;

    said customer interface having means for identifying a customer to allow particular customer account information to be associated with a customer using the customer interface;

    said at least one computer receiving information from said means for identifying a customer, to allow said at least one computer to access customer account information contained in said at least one computer and the database containing special offers;

    said at least one computer including means for generating a customized customer offer list for 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 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.

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