Method of providing price-per-unit discounts for fuel to a customer

• US 6,885,996 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2004
• Issued: 04/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Excentus Corporation (Professional Datasolutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AutoGas Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Nicholson, G. Randy
• Primary Examiner(s): Janvier, Jean D.
• Application Number:
  US10/764,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20040158493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/10, 235/375, 235/378, 235/380, 235/381, 235/383
• US Class Current: 705/14.38
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery

Abstract

A method of providing multiple level, price-per-unit (PPU) discounts on gasoline to a customer who purchases at least one cross-marketed product at a point of sale (POS) checkout. The customer is awarded a first PPU discount on the gasoline based on a purchase by the customer of a first cross-marketed product, and is awarded a second PPU discount based on the purchase of a second cross-marketed product. The first discount is then added to the second discount to determine a total PPU discount. The total discount is stored in a discounts issued database. When the customer redeems the discount, the total discount is retrieved from the discounts issued database, and the gasoline station then reduces the PPU of the gasoline by an amount equal to the total discount. Portions of the discount redeemed are then allocated to vendors of the first and second cross-marketed products according to predetermined criteria.

Claims

1. A method of managing discounts on a price-per-unit (PPU) of fuel, wherein the discounts are provided to a customer who purchases a plurality of cross-marketed products or services, said method comprising the steps of:

awarding a first discount on the PPU of the fuel to the customer in response to a purchase by the customer of a first cross-marketed product or service provided by a first vendor;

awarding a second discount on the PPU of the fuel to the customer in response to a purchase by the customer of a second cross-marketed product or service provided by a second vendor;

adding by a processor, the first discount to the second discount to determine a total discount on the PPU of the fuel;

redeeming the total discount when the customer subsequently purchases fuel by reducing on a fuel dispenser, the posted PPU of the fuel by the amount of the total discount;

determining a redeemed discount value by multiplying the total discount on the PPU of the fuel by the number of units of fuel purchased by the customer;

allocating to the first vendor, a portion of the redeemed discount value corresponding to the first discount; and

allocating to the second vendor, a portion of the redeemed discount value corresponding to the second discount.

2. The method of managing discounts of claim 1, further comprising, after adding the first discount to the second discount to determine a total discount, the step of storing the total discount in a discounts issued database, and wherein the step of redeeming the total discount includes the steps of:

receiving by a fueling station controller, an indication that the customer has initiated a subsequent purchase of fuel, said indication including an identifier associated with the total discount stored in the discounts issued database;

retrieving by the fueling station controller, the total discount from the discounts issued database; and

reducing by the fueling station controller, the PPU of the fuel by the total discount.