Method and system for providing a check premium

• US 6,896,188 B1
• Filed: 03/05/2004
• Issued: 05/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Transworld Benefits International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Stuart Graham
• Inventors: Graham, Stuart
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Labaze, Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US10/794,359
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 235/487, 235/375, 235378-379, 235/485, 705/33, 705/45, 705/53, 705/62, 705/40, 705/75
• US Class Current: 235/487
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/29 Securities; Bank notes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06187 with magnetically detectable marking

Abstract

An issuer distributes to its customers a premium to attract and retain consumers. The premium comprises a checkbook having a number of partially pre-printed checks from a number of merchants. The checks are redeemable at the merchants for a predetermined amount of money towards a purchase. The consumer fills out certain information when presenting the check so that the transaction appears to be performed using a check as the method of payment while the consumer is still able to receive the financial benefit often accompanying the use of coupons. The remaining transaction amount is made using conventional payment methods.

Claims

1. A product for attracting customers, comprising:

a plurality of checks, each check specifying a respective merchant and including a predetermined dollar amount redeemable by the merchant as a credit toward a purchase amount; and

a checkbook comprising the plurality of checks wherein each check includes an identification of an issuer that distributes the checkbook as a premium to the customers.

2. The product of claim 1, wherein the identification includes an encoded alphanumeric identifier.

3. The product of claim 1, wherein the checkbook further comprises a cover, the cover including an identification of the issuer.

4. The product of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of checks further comprises:

a consumer signature field; and

a consumer personal information field.

5. The product of claim 4, wherein the personal information field relates to one or more of:

a consumer name, a consumer e-mail address, a consumer telephone number, a consumer address, a consumer sex, and a consumer age.

6. The product of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of checks further comprises:

a pre-printed condition for redeeming the check.

7. The product of claim 6, wherein the condition for redeeming the check relates to a required minimum purchase amount.

8. The product of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of checks further comprises:

a respective set of coded information.

9. The product of claim 8, wherein the set of coded information authenticates the respective check.

10. The product of claim 8, wherein the coded information identifies the issuer.

11. The product of claim 8, wherein the coded information identifies the checkbook.

12. The product of claim 8, wherein the coded information identifies the user.

13. A method for attracting customers to an issuer, comprising:

purchasing a checkbook, the checkbook comprising a plurality of checks, each check specifying a respective merchant and including a predetermined dollar amount redeemable by a merchant as a credit toward a purchase amount;

advertising availability of the checkbook to a prospective customer of the issuer purchasing the checkbook; and

distributing the purchased checkbook as a premium from the issuer to the prospective customer.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of:

branding the checkbook with an identification of the issuer.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of checks includes an identification of the issuer.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of checks further comprises:

a consumer signature field; and

a consumer personal information field.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the personal information field relates to one or more of:

a consumer name, a consumer e-mail address, a consumer telephone number, a consumer address, a consumer sex, and a consumer age.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of checks comprises:

a pre-printed condition for redeeming the check.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of checks further comprises:

a respective set of coded information.

20. A method for a merchant receive a check as a credit towards an amount of a purchase, the method comprising:

receiving the check from a consumer partaking in the purchase, the check specifying the merchant and including a pre-printed redemption amount;

requiring the consumer to fill-in additional information on the check;

redeeming the check with the pre-printed redemption amount applied as a credit towards the purchase amount; and

collecting any difference between the purchase amount and the credit of the redemption amount.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

requiring the consumer to sign the check.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising the:

requiring the consumer to provide an e-mail address on the check.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

tracking coded information on the check; and

in response, identifying market-related trends.

24. A method of creating a premium to attract customers, the method comprising:

agreeing with a plurality of merchants to print a respective check, for each merchant, in a plurality of checkbooks, each respective check in a particular checkbook specifying a respective merchant and including a predetermined redemption amount that reduces a purchase price as a credit;

agreeing with a plurality of issuers to provide for each issuer a respective subset of the plurality of the checkbooks, wherein each check in the respective subset of checkbooks includes an identification of a respective issuer of the checkbook; and

distributing the plurality of checkbooks.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein of distributing the plurality of checkbooks further includes distributing the plurality of checkbooks to the plurality of issuers.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein distributing the plurality of checkbooks further includes, for a particular issuer, mailing the respective subset of checkbooks to customers of that particular issuer as the premium.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein each checkbook in the respective subset of checkbooks includes an identification of a respective issuer of the checkbook.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein each of the plurality of checks further comprises:

a consumer signature field; and

a consumer personal information field.

29. The method of claim 24 wherein the personal information field relates to one or more of:

a consumer name, a consumer e-mail address, a consumer telephone number, a consumer address, a consumer sex, and a consumer age.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein each of the plurality of checks further comprises:

a pre-printed condition for redeeming the check.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the condition for redeeming the check relates to a required minimum purchase amount.

32. The method of claim 24, wherein each check further comprises:

a respective set of coded information.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the set of coded information authenticates the respective check.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the coded information identifies one of the plurality of issuers.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the coded information identifies one of the plurality of checkbooks.

36. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

collecting and tracking the respective sets of coded information; and

in response, identifying market-related trends.