Rebate cross-sell network and systems and methods implementing the same

• US 8,126,772 B1
• Filed: 08/15/2006
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dale LeFebvre
• Original Assignee: Dale LeFebvre
• Inventors: LeFebvre, Dale
• Primary Examiner(s): Dagnew, Saba
• Application Number:
  US11/504,122
• Time in Patent Office: 2,023 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/14.34
• US Class Current: 705/14.34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0234 Rebates after completed purchase

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide a robust rebate cross-sell network in which business entities, including financial institutions, can make targeted offers, including pre-approved or pre-qualified credit offers, to a desirable consumer utilizing information submitted by the consumer during a rebate redemption process. These business entities may but need not be associated with a rebate-issuing entity (i.e., rebate sponsor) or a rebate processing center which processes rebate claims for the rebate sponsor. In one embodiment, a cross-sell network manager can determine the consumer'"'"'s identity, look-up the consumer at credit bureau(s), and perform a passive, real-time inquiry. Contingent upon a plurality of factors (e.g., the results of the inquiry or look-up against the pre-approved/qualified customer list, etc.), one or more targeted offers are identified. A Web page can be dynamically generated with the selectively identified offers and presented to the consumer as disbursement options, perhaps after authenticating the consumer'"'"'s identity.

Claims

1. A method of cross-selling products over a network of interconnected computers during a rebate redemption process, comprising:

at a Rebate Processing Center computer;

processing a rebate, wherein said rebate is associated with an item or service and wherein said rebate is submitted by a consumer for redemption after said consumer makes a purchase of said item or service; and

in addition to processing said rebate, presenting a cross-sell offer to said consumer, comprising;

at said Rebate Processing Center computer,

collecting rebate redemption information during said rebate redemption process, wherein said collected rebate redemption information comprises information about said consumer;

generating a query intended for a Cross-Sell Network Manager computer based at least in part on said collected rebate redemption information about said consumer collected during said rebate redemption process; and

sending said query to the Cross-Sell Network Manager computer connected to said Rebate Processing Center computer;

at said Cross-Sell Network Manager computer;

receiving said query from said Rebate Processing Center computer;

analyzing said collected rebate redemption information contained in said query from said Rebate Processing Center computer;

generating one or more queries intended for one or more target systems based at least in part on said collected rebate redemption information about said consumer collected during said rebate redemption process; and

sending said one or more queries to said one or more target systems connected to said Cross-Sell Network Manager computer in said network to obtain a cross-sell offer for said consumer;

at said one or more target systems;

receiving at least one of said one or more queries from said Cross-Sell Network Manager computer;

formulating a response to said Cross-Sell Network Manager computer based on said at least one of said one or more queries received from said Cross-Sell Network Manager computer, wherein said response contains at least one cross-sell offer for said consumer; and

sending said response containing said at least one cross-sell offer for said consumer to said Cross-Sell Network Manager computer;

at said Cross-Sell Network Manager computer;

receiving said at least one cross-sell offer for said consumer from said one or more target systems;

analyzing said at least one cross-sell offer; and

forwarding a response to said Rebate Processing Center computer, wherein said response to said Rebate Processing Center computer contains said cross-sell offer for said consumer; and

at said Rebate Processing Center computer;

presenting to said consumer said cross-sell offer for said consumer.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said collected rebate redemption information about said consumer comprises personal information of said consumer and wherein said personal information of said consumer comprises a name, an address, a phone number, an email address, or a combination thereof.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said cross-sell offer presented to said consumer is not associated with said item or service.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

communicating a set of cross-sell offers from said one or more target systems to said consumer during said rebate redemption process;

said consumer selecting one of said set of cross-sell offers during said rebate redemption process; and

said consumer receiving benefit of said selected cross-sell offer during said rebate redemption process, wherein at least one of said selected cross-sell offers must be accepted by said consumer during said rebate redemption process.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said selected cross-sell offer is a pre-qualified credit card offer for said consumer.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein said set of cross-sell offers includes an option to donate a value associated with said post-purchase rebate to a charitable organization.

7. A method of cross-selling products over a network of interconnected computers during a rebate redemption process, comprising:

at a Rebate Processing Center computer;

processing a rebate, wherein said rebate is associated with an item or service and wherein said rebate is submitted by a consumer for redemption after said consumer makes a purchase of said item or service; and

in addition to processing said rebate, presenting a cross-sell offer to said consumer, comprising;

at said Rebate Processing Center computer,

collecting rebate redemption information during said rebate redemption process, wherein said collected rebate redemption information comprises information about said consumer;

analyzing said collected rebate redemption information;

generating one or more queries intended for one or more target systems based at least in part on said collected rebate redemption information about said consumer collected during said rebate redemption process;

sending said one or more queries to said one or more target systems connected to said Rebate Processing Center computer in said network to obtain a cross-sell offer for said consumer;

at said one or more target systems;

receiving at least one of said one or more queries from said Rebate Processing Center computer;

formulating a response to said Rebate Processing Center computer based on said at least one of said one or more queries received from said Rebate Processing Center computer, wherein said response contains at least one cross-sell offer for said consumer; and

sending said response containing said at least one cross-sell offer for said consumer to said Rebate Processing Center computer; and

at said Rebate Processing Center computer;

receiving one or more cross-sell offers for said consumer from said one or more target systems;

analyzing said one or more received cross-sell offers;

selecting from said one or more received cross-sell offers a set of cross-sell offers for said consumer, wherein said set of cross-sell offers comprises said cross-sell offer; and

presenting to said consumer said cross-sell offer for said consumer.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said collected rebate redemption information about said consumer comprises personal information of said consumer and wherein said personal information of said consumer comprises a name, an address, a phone number, an email address, or a combination thereof.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein said cross-sell offer presented to said consumer is not associated with said item or service.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

communicating a set of cross-sell offers from said one or more target systems to said consumer via said Rebate Processing Center computer during said rebate redemption process;

said consumer selecting one of said set of cross-sell offers during said rebate redemption process; and

said consumer receiving benefit of said selected cross-sell offer during said rebate redemption process.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein at least one of said selected cross-sell offers must be accepted by said consumer during said rebate redemption process.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said selected cross-sell offer is a pre-qualified credit card offer for said consumer.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein said set of cross-sell offers includes an option to donate a value associated with said post-purchase rebate to a charitable organization.

14. A system for cross-selling products over a network of interconnected computers during a rebate redemption process, comprising:

a Rebate Processing Center computer;

one or more target systems; and

a Cross-Sell Network Manager computer coupled to said Rebate Processing Center computer and said one or more target systems;

wherein said Rebate Processing Center computer is operable to;

process a rebate, wherein said rebate is associated with an item or service and wherein said rebate is submitted by a consumer for redemption after said consumer makes a purchase of said item or service; and

in addition to processing said rebate, present a cross-sell offer to said consumer, wherein presenting said cross-sell offer to said consumer comprises;

collect rebate redemption information during said rebate redemption process, wherein said collected rebate redemption information comprises information about said consumer;

generate a query intended for said Cross-Sell Network Manager computer based at least in part on said collected rebate redemption information about said consumer collected during said rebate redemption process; and

send said query to said Cross-Sell Network Manager computer;

wherein said Cross-Sell Network Manager computer is operable to;

receive said query from said Rebate Processing Center computer;

analyze said collected rebate redemption information contained in said query from said Rebate Processing Center computer;

generate one or more queries intended for said one or more target systems based at least in part on said collected rebate redemption information about said consumer collected during said rebate redemption process; and

send said one or more queries to said one or more target systems connected to said Cross-Sell Network Manager computer in said network to obtain a cross-sell offer for said consumer;

wherein said one or more target systems are operable to;

receive at least one of said one or more queries from said Cross-Sell Network Manager computer;

formulate a response to said Cross-Sell Network Manager computer based on said at least one of said one or more queries received from said Cross-Sell Network Manager computer, wherein said response contains at least one cross-sell offer for said consumer; and

send said response containing said at least one cross-sell offer for said consumer to said Cross-Sell Network Manager computer;

wherein said Cross-Sell Network Manager computer is further operable to;

receive at least one cross-sell offer for said consumer from said one or more target systems;

analyze said at least one cross-sell offer; and

forward a response to said Rebate Processing Center computer, wherein said response to said Rebate Processing Center computer contains said cross-sell offer for said consumer; and

wherein said Rebate Processing Center computer is further operable to;

present to said consumer said set of cross-sell offer for said consumer.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said collected rebate redemption information about said consumer comprises personal information of said consumer and wherein said personal information of said consumer comprises a name, an address, a phone number, an email address, or a combination thereof.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein said cross-sell offer presented to said consumer is not associated with said item or service.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein said cross-sell offer is one of a set of cross-sell offers from said one or more target systems that are communicated to said consumer during said rebate redemption process, wherein one of said set of cross-sell offers is selected by said consumer during said rebate redemption process, and wherein said consumer receives benefit of said selected cross-sell offer during said rebate redemption process.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said selected cross-sell offer is a pre-qualified credit card offer for said consumer.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said set of cross-sell offers includes an option to donate a value associated with said post-purchase rebate to a charitable organization.

20. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer instructions executable by a processor to implement a method of cross-selling products over a network of interconnected computers during a rebate redemption process in which a rebate associated with an item or service is submitted by a consumer for redemption after said consumer makes a purchase of said item or service, wherein, in addition to processing said rebate, said computer instructions comprise:

code for collecting rebate redemption information during said rebate redemption process, wherein said collected rebate redemption information comprises information about said consumer;

code for analyzing said collected rebate redemption information;

code for generating one or more queries intended for one or more target systems based at least in part on said collected rebate redemption information about said consumer collected during said rebate redemption process;

code for sending said one or more queries to said one or more target systems in said network to obtain cross-sell offers for said consumer;

code for receiving one or more cross-sell offers for said consumer from said one or more target systems;

code for analyzing said one or more received cross-sell offers; and

code for selecting a set of cross-sell offers for said consumer, wherein said set of cross-sell offers comprises a subset of said one or more received cross-sell offers; and

code for dynamically presenting to said consumer during said rebate redemption process said set of cross-sell offers for said consumer.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein said collected rebate redemption information about said consumer comprises personal information of said consumer and wherein said personal information of said consumer comprises a name, an address, a phone number, an email address, or a combination thereof.

22. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein said set of Gross-sell offers comprises a plurality of cross-sell offers for said consumer from said one or more target systems, wherein said plurality of cross-sell offers are not associated with said item or service.

23. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein one of said set of cross-sell offers is selected by said consumer during said rebate redemption process and wherein said consumer receives benefit of said selected cross-sell offer during said rebate redemption process.

24. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein said selected cross-sell offer is a pre-qualified credit card offer for said consumer.

25. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein said set of cross-sell offers includes an option to donate a value associated with said post-purchase rebate to a charitable organization.