System for selling subscriptions to periodicals using subscription giftcards

• US 7,197,477 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2003
• Issued: 03/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Walgreen Co. (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Walgreen Co. (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bleser, Michael, Merten, Laura
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart; Matthew S.
• Application Number:
  US10/375,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20030163389A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,489 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0042 for hiring of objects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered

Abstract

A periodical subscription order system may be used to provide a customized order vehicle for a consumer to purchase a variety of subscriptions from a publisher. A customer may purchase, at a retail location, a giftcard from a point of sale terminal, wherein the giftcard is provided with an identification number. The giftcard may be pre-produced with a specified credit value, or may be purchased for any desired value and may contain storage components for storing the purchased credit value. Information regarding the sale of the giftcard, including the identification number and the credit value may be forwarded to a central system operated by a publisher. The consumer may then be provided with an interface to provide the publisher with the giftcard identification number and to select a periodical subscription from a plurality of subscription options. The publisher may then fulfill the subscription request after determining the validity of the provided giftcard identification number.

Claims

1. A periodical subscription order system for processing a subscription order, the system comprising:

a giftcard having a unique identifier;

a point of sale terminal receiving the unique identifier and receiving a payment from a purchaser of the giftcard, the point of sale terminal coupling the unique identifier with data representative of the payment;

a subscription database receiving and storing, from the point of sale terminal, the unique identifier and data representative of the payment; and

a subscription ordering controller coupled to the subscription database, the subscription ordering controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor, the subscription ordering controller programmed to allow a giftcard user to provide the unique identifier to the subscription ordering controller,

the subscription ordering controller programmed to compare the unique identifier provided by the giftcard user with the unique identifier stored in the database,

the subscription ordering controller programmed to allow the giftcard user to choose at least one subscription to a periodical from a plurality of periodicals provided by a single periodical publisher, each of the plurality of periodical subscriptions having an associated value,

the subscription ordering controller programmed to determine whether the associated value of the chosen at least one periodical subscription is less than or equal to the value of the data representative of the payment; and

the subscription ordering controller programmed to fulfill the at least one periodical subscription if the compared unique identifier provided by the giftcard user and the unique identifier stored in the database match, and if the associated value of the chosen at least one periodical subscription is less than or equal to the value of the data representative of the payment.

2. A periodical subscription order system of claim 1, wherein the giftcard user provides the unique identifier to the subscription ordering controller via the Internet.

3. A periodical subscription order system of claim 1, wherein the giftcard user provides the unique identifier to the subscription ordering controller via a telephonic interface.

4. A periodical subscription order system of claim 1, wherein the giftcard user provides the unique identifier to the subscription ordering controller via a mail-in subscription order form.

5. A periodical subscription order system of claim 1, wherein the giftcard comprises a smart card having a memory, the smart card memory storing the unique identifier.

6. A periodical subscription order system of claim 1, wherein the giftcard comprises a displayed credit value.

7. A periodical subscription order system of claim 1, wherein the subscription ordering controller updates the value of the data representative of the payment with data representative of a remaining subscription value, wherein the remaining subscription value is the difference between the associated value of the chosen at least one periodical subscription and the value of the data representative of the payment.

8. A periodical subscription order system for processing a subscription order, the system comprising:

a giftcard receiving a unique identifier;

a point of sale terminal assigning a unique identifier to the giftcard and receiving a payment from a purchaser of the giftcard, the point of sale terminal coupling the unique identifier with data representative of the payment;

a subscription database receiving and storing, from the point of sale terminal, the unique identifier and data representative of the payment; and

a subscription ordering controller coupled to the subscription database, the subscription ordering controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor,

the subscription ordering controller programmed to allow a giftcard user to provide the unique identifier to the subscription ordering controller,

the subscription ordering controller programmed to compare the unique identifier provided by the giftcard user with the unique identifier stored in the database, and

the subscription ordering controller programmed to allow the giftcard user to choose at least one subscription to a periodical from a plurality of subscriptions to periodicals provided by a single periodical publisher, each of the plurality of periodical subscriptions having an associated value,

the subscription ordering controller programmed to determine whether the associated value of the chosen at least one periodical subscription is less than or equal to the value of the data representative of the payment, and

the subscription ordering controller programmed to fulfill the at least one periodical subscription if the compared unique identifier provided by the giftcard user and the unique identifier stored in the database match, wherein the associated value of the chosen at least one periodical subscription is less than or equal to the value of the data representative of the payment.

9. A periodical subscription order system of claim 8, wherein the giftcard user provides the unique identifier to the subscription ordering controller via the Internet.

10. A periodical subscription order system of claim 8, wherein the giftcard user provides the unique identifier to the subscription ordering controller via a telephonic interface.

11. A periodical subscription order system of claim 8, wherein the giftcard user provides the unique identifier to the subscription ordering controller via a mail-in subscription order form.

12. A periodical subscription order system of claim 8, wherein the giftcard comprises a smart card having a memory, the smart card memory receiving the unique identifier from the point-of-sale terminal and storing the unique identifier.

13. A periodical subscription order system of claim 8, wherein the giftcard comprises a programmable magnetic strip, the programmable magnetic strip receiving the unique identifier from the point-of-sale terminal and storing the unique identifier.

14. A periodical subscription order system of claim 8, wherein the subscription ordering controller updates the value of the data representative of the payment with data representative of a remaining subscription value, wherein the remaining subscription value is the difference between the associated value of the chosen at least one periodical subscription and the value of the data representative of the payment.