Electronic commerce transactions within a marketing system that may contain a membership buying opportunity

• US 7,778,884 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2006
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amway Corporation (Alticor Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Amway Corporation (Alticor Incorporated)
• Inventors: Paasche, Thomas D., Parker, John P., Zevalkink, Claire E., McDonald, Kenneth J., Bamborough, David L., Savage, Kelly K., Hunking, James P., Horder-Koop, Robin A., Blodgett, James G., Dangl, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): ZURITA, JAMES H
• Application Number:
  US11/453,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20060235764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/37
• US Class Current: 705/14.36
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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 30/0231 Awarding of a frequent usage incentive independent of the monetary value of a good or service purchased, or distance travelled
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• 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 30/0258 Registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system and method for providing complete electronic commerce (“E-Commerce”) transactions and solutions for a marketing company'"'"'s products via the World Wide Web, including facilities for signing up new customers and recruiting, training and supporting new Independent Business Owners through an interactive online process. In another aspect, the present invention relates to the combination of a marketing business with a membership buying opportunity using both electronic commerce and face-to-face transactions. The present invention is also directed to a system and method for combining a marketing business with a membership buying opportunity, so that Independent Business Owners participating in the marketing plan can introduce customers to a membership buying opportunity and earn bonuses or commissions based on the purchases by those members, while Members in the buying opportunity can consume products or, at their option, qualify to become Independent Business Owners.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating electronic commerce transactions in a marketing system comprising:

a memory device having embodied therein information relating to a plurality of marketing system products or services; and

a processor in communication with the memory device, the processor configured to;

establish an interactive online registration process so that an individual may register with the marketing system in a First Participation Category, a Second Participation Category or a Third Participation Category, wherein an individual registered in the First Participation Category is not eligible to earn compensation and is eligible to buy products or services at a First Participation Category price, wherein an individual registered in the Second Participation Category is eligible to earn compensation based on sales to other individuals registered in the First Participation Category and is eligible to buy products or services at a Second Participation Category price, and wherein an individual registered in the Third Participation Category is eligible to buy products or services at a Third Participation Category price and is eligible to earn compensation based on sales to other individuals registered in the First Participation Category and to other individuals registered in the Second Participation Category and wherein an individual registered in the Second Participation Category may be promoted to the Third Participation Category based on satisfaction of a goal, the goal comprising satisfaction of a sales qualification;

provide a plurality of web files operatively coupled to a web site associated with the marketing system; and

allow access to a plurality of marketing system products or services to the individual registered as a First Participation Category, Second Participation Category, or Third Participation Category via at least one of the plurality of web files.

2. A system according to claim 1, the processor being further configured to:

supply a service page web file of the plurality of web files to a registered individual in the Second or Third Participation Categories;

allow the registered individual to enter personal information onto the service page web file;

store the personal information on the server computer; and

customize a layout of the plurality of web files based on the personal information.

3. A system according to claim 2, the processor being further configured to:

establish a plurality of marketing system products or services based on the personal information supplied by the registered individual; and

present the plurality of marketing system products or services to the registered individual.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein an individual registered in the Second Participation Category is eligible to earn compensation based on sales to other individuals registered in the First Participation Category and an individual registered in the Third Participation Category is eligible to earn compensation based on sales to other individuals registered in the First Participation Category and to other individuals registered in the Second Participation Category and wherein an individual registered in the Second Participation Category may be promoted to the Third Participation Category based on satisfaction of a goal, the goal comprising satisfaction of a sales qualification.

5. The system of claim 1, the processor being further configured to assign the individual registered as a First Participation Category or Second Participation Category to an individual registered as a Third Participation Category.