System and method for directing and instructing customers to deal with specific merchants using incentives

• US 6,970,835 B1
• Filed: 05/28/2003
• Issued: 11/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MFTB Holdco Incorporated, Oxford Management, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Internet (The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Forward, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alvarez, Raquel
• Application Number:
  US10/446,053
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/10, 705/14, 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/14.23
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0214 Referral reward systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0234 Rebates after completed purchase
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 Representative agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0637 Approvals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate

Abstract

A buyer-seller matching system that uses incentives to verify commissions from matching the buyer with a seller. An item locator system that comprises a repository of information about items for purchase may be provided over a network for users to access information about items for purchase. Along with each item, the system presents an incentive that may be realized if that item is purchased from a designated third party seller. The user then executes the purchase with the seller, who pays the system the agreed upon fee and also issues a certification of purchase to the buyer. The user may then take the certification of purchase back to the central repository to redeem the incentive. The item locator system then checks to verify that it has received a fee or commission from the seller for bringing the seller a buyer of the item. The fee or commission may be based on the price of the item, such as if the item is a new house for sale and the seller is a new house builder.

Claims

1. A method for using a networked system to promote items from one or more sellers, wherein operation by the networked system comprises the steps of:

presenting information to a potential buyer of an item at a host site visited by potential buyers, the information comprising item information and incentive information, wherein the item information comprises information about an identified seller of the promoted item and the incentive information comprises information about an incentive offered by the host site to the potential buyer if that potential buyer purchased the promoted item in the item information from the identified seller in the item information, wherein the amount and type of the incentive is dependent upon the promoted item and the identified seller in the item information, and wherein the incentive information specifies a condition that the buyer is only qualified for the incentive if the buyer uses a buyer'"'"'s agent with whom the host site has a fee sharing arrangement;

receiving a request for the incentive at the host site from the buyer when the buyer purchases the promoted item from the identified seller;

requesting certification from the buyer that the buyer purchased the promoted item from the identified seller;

receiving certification from a buyer at the host site indicating that the buyer purchased the promoted item from the identified seller and that the buyer used the buyer'"'"'s agent with whom the host site has a fee sharing arrangement entitling that buyer to the incentive, wherein the certification is issued to the buyer by the seller upon purchase of the promoted item and thereby confirming that the seller reports the sale to the networked system operator;

determining the amount and type of the incentive due to the buyer;

presenting the incentive to the buyer directly from the host site;

requesting payment from the seller to the host site as a fee for the host site directing the buyer to the seller; and

receiving payment from the seller at the host site when the buyer completes the purchase of the promoted item in the item information from the seller.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving a prearranged fee from the identified seller at the host site.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the incentive comprises a financial award.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the incentive presented is customized based on predetermined criteria.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the incentive is to be provided by an incentive provider and wherein the networked system receives a discount on the incentive for providing the incentive with the item for sale.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the item for sale is a house.

7. A method for identifying and purchasing a promoted item for sale from one or more sellers based on an incentive presented by a host site, the method comprising the steps of:

accessing information from a host site, the information comprising item information and incentive information, wherein the item information comprises information about an identified seller of the promoted item and the incentive information comprises information about an incentive offered by the host site to the potential buyer if that potential buyer purchased the promoted item in the item information from the identified seller in the item information without use of a broker, wherein the amount and type of the incentive is dependent upon the promoted item and the identified seller in the item information, and wherein the incentive information specifies a condition that the buyer is only qualified for the incentive if the buyer uses a buyer'"'"'s agent with whom the host site has a fee sharing arrangement;

completing the purchase of the item from the identified seller using a buyer'"'"'s agent with whom the host site has a fee sharing arrangement and receiving a certification of purchase from the seller;

transmitting the purchase certification to the host site and evidence that the buyer used the buyer'"'"'s agent with whom the host site has a fee sharing arrangement to receive the incentive; and

receiving the incentive directly from the host site after the host site receives compensation from the seller.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the incentive comprises a financial award.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the incentive presented is customized based on predetermined criteria.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the incentive is provided by an incentive provider and wherein the networked system receives a discount on the incentive for providing the incentive with the item for sale.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the networked system receives a prearranged fee from the identified seller.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the item for sale is a new house and the incentive information specifies that a buyer must use a buyer'"'"'s agent with whom the host site has a fee sharing arrangement.

13. The method according to claim 7, wherein the item for sale is a house.