Method and apparatus for managing subscriptions

• US 7,613,631 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2007
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Mik, Magdalena, Jorasch, James A., Van Luchene, Andrew S., Kobayashi, Michiko, Gelman, Geoffrey M., Sammon, Russell Pratt, Golden, Andrew P., Stevenson, Adam, Walker, Jay S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Champagne, Luna
• Application Number:
  US11/768,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20070250388A1
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/22 Payment schemes or models
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• 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 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0231 Awarding of a frequent usage incentive independent of the monetary value of a good or service purchased, or distance travelled
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0284 Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A subscription system allows a customer to establish a subscription to a product with one or more retailers (e.g., by establishing the subscription through a controller or central system). In one embodiment, a subscription is established by receiving a request to establish a subscription and receiving information that identifies a product. Terms of a subscription for the product are established. The established subscription is identified by a redemption identifier which is communicated to the customer. It is also determined whether the customer is complying with a frequency of the subscription.

Claims

1. A process comprising:

receiving, by a controller, a request by a customer to establish a subscription;

receiving, by the controller, information that identifies a product;

identifying, by the controller, at least one supermarket offering the product;

establishing, by the controller, terms of a subscription for the product, in which the subscription is valid at the at least one supermarket, in which the terms include information identifying;

a subscription price, in which the subscription price is less than a retail price of a unit of the product,

a frequency of the subscription that indicates a period of time,

a duration of the subscription, in which the duration of the subscription includes a plurality of the periods of time, and

in which in order to comply with the frequency of the subscription the customer is required to purchase at least one unit of the product in each respective period of time;

receiving, by the controller and from the customer at a point of sale, an identifier that identifies the subscription;

receiving, by the controller and from the customer at the point of sale, an indication of the product;

determining, by the controller, whether the customer is complying with the frequency of the subscription; and

authorizing, by the controller, the customer to purchase the product at the subscription price if the customer is redeeming the product in accordance with the frequency.

3. The method of claim 1, in which the product is a dairy product.

4. The method of claim 1, in which the terms of the subscription indicate that the customer is required to purchase the product weekly.

2. A method comprising:

receiving a request by a customer to establish a subscription;

receiving information that identifies a product;

identifying at least one physical retailer offering the product;

establishing, by a controller, terms of a subscription for the product, in which the subscription is valid at the at least one physical retailer, in which the terms include information identifying;

a subscription price, in which the subscription price is less than a retail price of a unit of the product,

a frequency of the subscription that indicates a period of time,

a duration of the subscription, in which the duration of the subscription includes a plurality of the periods of time, and

in which in order to comply with the frequency of the subscription the customer is required to purchase at least one unit of the product in each respective period of time;

receiving from the customer at a point of sale an identifier that identifies the subscription;

receiving from the customer at the point of sale an indication of the product;

determining whether the customer is complying with the frequency of the subscription; and

authorizing the customer to purchase the product at the subscription price if the customer is redeeming the product in accordance with the frequency.

5. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory in communication with the processor, the memory storing instructions that when executed by the processor result in;

receiving, from a customer, a request to establish a subscription;

receiving, from the customer, information that identifies a product for which the subscription is requested to be established;

identifying at least one physical retailer offering the product;

establishing terms of the subscription for the product, in which the subscription is valid at the at least one physical retailer, and in which the terms include information identifying;

a subscription price, in which the subscription price is less than a retail price of a unit of the product,

a frequency of the subscription that indicates a period of time,

a duration of the subscription, in which the duration of the subscription includes a plurality of the periods of time, and

in which in order to comply with the frequency of the subscription the customer is required to purchase at least one unit of the product in each respective period of time;

receiving, from the customer and via a point of sale, an identifier that identifies the subscription;

receiving, from the customer and via the point of sale, an indication of the product;

determining whether the customer is complying with the frequency of the subscription; and

authorizing the customer to purchase the product at the subscription price if the customer is redeeming the product in accordance with the frequency.