Tradesmans card system

• US 7,938,319 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2007
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tradesforward LLC
• Original Assignee: Steve Newmark
• Inventors: Newmark, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Michael G
• Assistant Examiner(s): GUDORF, LAURA A
• Application Number:
  US11/983,830
• Publication Number:
  US 20090121015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 705/35, 705 37- 38, 705/14.1, 705/14.17, 705/14.37, 705/14.38
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/06 Private payment circuits, e.g. involving electronic currency used among participants of a common payment scheme
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/347 Passive cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0237 at kiosk
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02

Abstract

A Tradesman'"'"'s Card system issues a Tradesman'"'"'s Card to qualifying tradesman selected from the group consisting of plumbers, electricians, carpenters, masons, mechanics, repair shop professionals, contractors, or related construction or trade companies and professions upon payment of an initiation fee and payment of periodic maintenance fees. The card is issued by a bank or a credit card issuing authority that has contracted with pre-selected wholesalers, jobbers and businesses to provide pre-negotiated discount levels for tradesmen within the group. The tradesman'"'"'s Card has unique identification features, which identify the card holder as a professional tradesman that is entitled to pre-negotiated discounts. A number visible on the Tradesman'"'"'s card serves as the system identification number and a credit card number. Professional purchases by the tradesman are tracked by the system, analyzed and reported to sponsoring manufacturers of goods, jobbers or wholesalers for a fee. The purchasing information can be used by merchants for marketing purposes and generation of special discounts on future purchases by the tradesmen.

Claims

1. A Tradesman'"'"'s Credit Card System, comprising:

a. a Tradesman'"'"'s Credit Card appointed to be issued to a qualifying tradesman selected from the group consisting of plumbers, electricians, carpenters, masons, mechanics, repair shop professionals, contractors, or construction, trade companies or professionals upon payment of an initiation fee and payment of periodic maintenance fees;

b. said Tradesman'"'"'s Credit Card being appointed for issuance by a bank or credit card issuing authority;

c. said tradesman being provided with a list of wholesalers and jobbers that have agreed to provide a pre-negotiated discount for purchase of trade merchandise and services;

d. said Tradesman'"'"'s Credit Card front face having printed thereon the name of the tradesman, the tradesman'"'"'s business name, a logo and printed text representing the profession of the tradesman'"'"'s business, tradesman'"'"'s license number, and a unique identification number which serves as the Tradesman'"'"'s Credit Card System number and also as a credit card number;

e. said Tradesman'"'"'s Credit Card back face having a magnetically encoded strip readable by a magnetic card reader, for transmitting the unique identification number and the tradesman'"'"'s license number;

f. said magnetic strip additionally including security codes;

g. said Tradesman'"'"'s Card further including a pictorial logo representing the profession of the tradesman;

h. use of said Tradesman'"'"'s Credit Card by a tradesman for the purchase of merchandise at said wholesalers or jobbers results in automatic generation of pre-negotiated discounts for said trade purchases;

i. said trade purchase by the tradesman being tracked by said bank or credit card issuing authority and purchase information being analyzed to provide valuable marketing information for manufacturers of goods, service providers and wholesalers on a fee payment basis;

j. said discount on trade purchases by the tradesman is provided by communication between a magnetic card reader device and said bank or credit card issuing authority which sets discount levels for trade merchandise at cash register checkout; and

k. the qualification of a tradesman for a Tradesman'"'"'s Card includes an evaluation of professional licenses and company affiliation;

whereby the tradesman'"'"'s profession is recognized by presentation of the Tradesman'"'"'s Credit Card at wholesaler and jobber locations, and discounts are provide for trade specific goods and services purchased and used professionally by the tradesman, and said Tradesman'"'"'s Credit Card System relieves wholesalers, jobbers or other commercial organizations from opening credit lines for a tradesman in order to attract the tradesman'"'"'s business purchases.

2. A Tradesman'"'"'s Credit Card System as recited by claim 1, wherein said Tradesman'"'"'s Card includes a pictorial logo of the business of the tradesman.

3. A Tradesman'"'"'s Credit Card System as recited by claim 1, wherein said Tradesman'"'"'s Credit Card System provides a tradesman with instant credit for trade specific purchases without having to open charge accounts at a plurality of wholesalers, jobbers or other commercial organizations.

4. A Tradesman'"'"'s Credit Card System as recited by claim 1, wherein said Tradesman'"'"'s Credit Card System is sponsored by manufacturers of goods, service providers and wholesalers upon payment of an initial sponsorship fee and periodic payment of fees for tradesman professional purchase reports.

5. A Tradesman'"'"'s Credit Card System as recited by claim 4, wherein said professional purchase reports include brand specific purchase details and product details that indicate end use customer preferences.

6. A Tradesman'"'"'s Credit Card System as recited by claim 4, wherein said manufacturers of goods, service providers and wholesalers establish additional discounts for tradesman professional purchases, or provide incentives.