System for marketing leisure activity services through prepaid tickets
DCFirst Claim
1. A method for providing a payment mode for services, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing service specific payment modes, each payment mode possessing a substantially unique identifier and representing an initial value to be remitted for use of a desired service, each said payment mode configured to be valid for incremental quantity of services at any one of a plurality of service providers; and
(b) enabling a variable rate redemption of the payment mode for service provided by one of the plurality of service providers, by;
allowing a user to select one of the service providers among the plurality of service providers for redemption in exchange for a unit use of a desired service from said selected service provider;
at the selected service provider, debiting a price set by the selected service provider for the desired service, wherein price debited for said service by at least certain of said service providers being able to be different from price debited by others of said service providers for similar service, such that the payment mode is redeemable at a variable rate among the plurality of service providers for similar service; and
effecting payment at the price debited for said service by said selected service provider.
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Accused Products
Abstract
One-time-use tickets containing a unique identification code that allow for prepayment of entertainment or personal services are distributed and sold. When a ticket is sold, it is activated by the seller notifying a ticket information manager of its sale, at which time the ticket'"'"'s unique identification code is recorded by the ticket information manager. Part of the sale price is transferred by the vendor to an account maintained by a ticketing program manager. Ticket-holders present the ticket for redemption of the particular service from an agreed service provider. The service provider verifies the ticket'"'"'s validity by checking with the ticket information manager that the ticket'"'"'s unique identification code is valid and that the ticket has been activated. While the purchase price of the ticket is fixed, service providers will receive their agreed payment price from the ticketing program manager'"'"'s account when a ticket user redeems a ticket regardless of whether that price is higher or lower than the ticket purchase price.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method for providing a payment mode for services, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing service specific payment modes, each payment mode possessing a substantially unique identifier and representing an initial value to be remitted for use of a desired service, each said payment mode configured to be valid for incremental quantity of services at any one of a plurality of service providers; and (b) enabling a variable rate redemption of the payment mode for service provided by one of the plurality of service providers, by; allowing a user to select one of the service providers among the plurality of service providers for redemption in exchange for a unit use of a desired service from said selected service provider; at the selected service provider, debiting a price set by the selected service provider for the desired service, wherein price debited for said service by at least certain of said service providers being able to be different from price debited by others of said service providers for similar service, such that the payment mode is redeemable at a variable rate among the plurality of service providers for similar service; and effecting payment at the price debited for said service by said selected service provider. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A prepaid services account management system, comprising:
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(a) means for providing and validating service specific payment modes usable in a merchant payment network, each payment mode having a respective unique identifier and an initial value remittable for use of a desired service, different payment modes being redeemable for different services and payment mode validation being based on at least respective unique identifiers; (b) inclusion listing means for identifying among all service providers that are authorized participants in the merchant payment network, a subset of participants that are authorized service providers for at least one service, wherein for a payment modes redeemable for a similar service, each payment mode is redeemable at a variable rate among the authorized service providers for said similar service; and (c) processor means for; (i) communicating to the validating means the unique identifier of a payment mode received from a service provider, the processor means signaling refusal if the validating means indicates that the payment mode is not properly redeemable as presented; and (ii) crediting the service provider at a variable rate for redemption of the payment mode for a respective service, wherein price debited for said service by at least certain of the service providers is different from price debited by others of said service providers for similar service, such that the payment mode is redeemed at a variable rate among the plurality of service providers for similar service, wherein the service provider is selected by a user among said subset of participants of the inclusion listing means. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification