Methods for discounting goods and services

• US 8,249,942 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2012
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Valentine Communications LLC
• Original Assignee: Ewinwin Incorporated
• Inventors: Mesaros, Gregory J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosen, Nicholas D
• Application Number:
  US13/398,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20120179526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 187 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.2, 705/26.41, 705/26.42, 705/26.43, 705/26.44
• US Class Current: 705/26.2
• 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 30/0214 Referral reward systems
• 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 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0605 Supply or demand aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

The subject invention relates to electronic buying and selling systems and methods. In particular, the invention concerns relations among distinct price curves, price curve attributes (i.e., factors of the offer that can affect the price curves) and buyers or potential buyers. For instance, a price offered to a system user can vary based on total volume of all people aggregating in private environments, cumulative total order by user, ship date, optimal time, as well as terms and conditions associated with the offer (e.g., no cancellation of order, cancellation possible, payment method . . . ).

Claims

1. A method for discounting goods or services, the method comprising:

generating a plurality of electronic forums that are displayed at end-user computing devices, each of the electronic forums associated with a good or service offered for sale, and wherein purchase of the good or service requires at least one condition being met that differs from the ability to view the good or service;

executing instructions stored in memory to determine a quantity of orders for a good or service in one of the electronic forums that have been received from the end-user computing devices, the orders associated with a discount price contingent upon a predetermined quantity of orders for the good or service;

executing instructions stored in memory to apply the discount price for the good or service based on the quantity of orders received from the end-user computing devices, the discount corresponding to a predetermined pricing arrangement;

processing a financial transaction to fulfill the orders for the good or service after application of the discount price; and

adjusting a price charged to a user as a part of the financial transaction based upon a characteristic of a user profile associated with the user, wherein the price charged to the user is less than the discount price and not extended to all users that have placed an order for the good or service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of electronic forums require acceptance of terms or conditions.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein one or more of the plurality of electronic forums are available only to those who accept the terms or conditions.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the terms or conditions are associated with the electronic forum.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the terms or conditions are associated with the good or service offered for sale in the electronic forum.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the terms or conditions are associated with an entity offering access to the electronic forum.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of the user profile is a credit.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of the user profile is a predetermined discount that is not related to the discount price.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of the user profile is related to a prior purchase.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of the user profile is related to a referral by the user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the characteristic of the user profile is related to a purchase made by the referral by the user.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the characteristic of the user profile is related to a pending transaction by the referral by the user.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of the user profile is related to a pending transaction of the user.