Social pricing

• US 8,140,402 B1
• Filed: 05/27/2010
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Valentine Communications LLC
• Original Assignee: Ewinwin Incorporated
• Inventors: Mesaros, Gregory J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Palavecino, Kathleen G
• Application Number:
  US12/788,513
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• Field of Search: 705 26- 27, 705 261- 272
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0605 Supply or demand aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

Mechanisms are provided to facilitate buying and selling products utilizing social pricing. Sellers initiate sale of a product with volume discounts for a limited time. In other words, the more people that buy a product, the lower the price for the group. Buyers have a real incentive to become prosumers that not only purchase a product but also promote purchase by others. A social pricing system brokers interaction between sellers and buyer groups, and provisions mechanisms to aid promotion of products by consumers utilizing social networks and other online activities.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having embodied thereon instructions executable by a processor to:

provide in an electronic forum an offer that includes;

an offer price that is a function of a number of a product or service for sale and purchased by a set of buyers in the electronic forum,

a list price of the product or service for sale, and

a time of expiration of the offer,

and wherein a final price paid for the product or service is single discounted price from the list price and is based at least in part upon a total quantity of the product or service ordered prior to the time of expiration;

interface with a social network;

promote the offer from the electronic forum to members of the social network, wherein at least one interaction between a member of the social network and the offer in the electronic forum is recorded;

accept orders for the product or service from buyers when terms and conditions regarding the offer are accepted and a payment instrument is verified; and

present a promotion to a buyer when the buyer accepts the offer that is presented in the electronic forum.

2. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions executable by the processor to:

store information concerning a payment instrument provided by a buyer when the buyer accepts the offer for the product or service; and

charge the payment instrument the final price at the time of expiration of the offer.

3. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 2, wherein the payment instrument is at least one of a credit card, a reward, a credit, a voucher, a certificate, an asset account, a digital currency, or a virtual currency.

4. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions executable by the processor to issue a voucher or code for the product or service to a buyer, wherein the voucher or code is printed by the buyer, and the voucher or code is redeemable at a place of business of an associated merchant.

5. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the offer provided in the electronic forum includes a single offer price and the promotion is for at least one additional price discount or incentive.

6. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the promotion includes a link, the selection of which facilitates a buyer-based login to one or more social networks and presentation of data associated with the offer.

7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the promotion presents a set of activities that when performed by the buyer are shared with members of the social network of the buyer.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 7, further comprising instructions executable by the processor to classify the buyer when the buyer successfully accomplishes one or more of the set of activities presented in the promotion.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, further comprising instructions executable by the processor to provision special benefits or rights to a buyer of a particular classification.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions executable by the processor to present the offer in additional electronic forums, wherein the offer price for the offer in a first electronic forum differs from the offer price for the offer in a second electronic forum.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the first electronic forum is accessible by all potential buyers and the second electronic forum is accessible to select potential buyers.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the select potential buyers include particular individuals of a associated social network.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the select potential buyers are individuals of a particular classification.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions executable by the processor to issue a voucher or code for the product or service to a buyer, wherein the voucher or code is delivered to the buyer, and the voucher or code is redeemable at a place of business of an associated merchant.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions executable by the processor to issue a voucher or code for the product or service to a buyer, wherein the voucher or code is made available via a mobile device to the buyer, and the voucher or code is redeemable at a place of business of an associated merchant.

16. A method for facilitating the buying or selling of products or services in association with a social network, the method comprising:

employing at least one processor to execute computer executable instructions stored in a non-transitory storage memory to present an offer for a product or service at a discounted price that is conditional upon an aggregate amount of the product or service being ordered by a set of buyers during a certain period of time as defined by the offer;

transmitting information associated with the offer over a communications network to members of at least one social network by way of a network interface, a current buyer of the offer also being a member of the social network, and wherein at least one interaction between a member of the social network and the offer is stored in memory, the at least one interaction including an individual having influenced the purchasing activity of another;

accepting orders for the offer, wherein at least one order results from a buyer having received information regarding the offer in the at least one social network, the buyer in the at least one social network accepting terms and conditions regarding the offer and offering a verified form of payment; and

presenting a promotion upon accepting an order, the promotion including at least one additional price discount or incentive.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising billing for each order after the certain period of time ends or a certain threshold has been met.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising capturing data associated with a payment instrument employed for the billing at a time of order acceptance.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising generating a certificate or digital code that is redeemable for the product or service.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising delivering the certificate or digital code to a specified recipient after billing for the product or service.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising presenting the offer in a plurality of electronic forums, wherein the discounted price differs between at least two of the electronic forums.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein at least one of the electronic forums is publicly accessible.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein accepting the order further requires a code for a deal to be consummated.

24. The method of claim 16 wherein the promotion includes a link to a social network.

25. The method of claim 16 wherein the promotion includes a link to a social network and where a status of the buyer is made available to others.

26. The method of claim 16 wherein the promotion includes a list of activities for promoting the offer.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising categorizing a buyer in response to satisfaction of at least one of the list of activities.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising providing rewards to the buyer in addition to a discount included in the final price.

29. The method of claim 16, further comprising presenting the offer in a plurality of electronic forums, wherein the discounted price differs between each of the electronic forums.

30. A method for facilitating buying or selling of products, the method comprising:

employing at least one processor to execute computer executable instructions stored in a non-transitory storage memory to publicly offer a product or service for sale such that a discounted price is achieved by at least one buyer when a total quantity ordered of the product or service meets a certain threshold;

promoting the product or service to possible buyers in a social network by way of a network interface, the product or service promoted by a user having placed an order for the product or service, and wherein at least one interaction between the user and a member of the social network is recorded;

accepting orders from the possible buyers when terms and conditions regarding the offer are accepted and a form of payment is verified;

and

providing notice to the possible buyers as to the status of the offer once the possible buyers have placed an order for the offer, the status of the offer including the total quantity ordered.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising providing a voucher or code redeemable for the product or service.