System for providing offers using a billing statement

• US 8,645,202 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2012
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Maschoff, Kurt M., Gelman, Geoffrey M., Golden, Andrew M., Walker, Jay S., Kobayashi, Michiko, Jorasch, James A., Tedesco, Daniel E., Tulley, Stephen C., Palmer, Timothy A., Sammon, Russell Pratt, Packes, Jr., John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): VAN BRAMER, JOHN W
• Application Number:
  US13/436,678
• Publication Number:
  US 20120311617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375
• US Class Current: 705/14.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

A billing statement according to one aspect of the invention includes a description of a transaction and an offer pointer associated with the transaction, wherein the offer pointer includes information that may be used to review an offer. In one example of this aspect, a telephone number or a hyperlink is provided adjacent to a total amount owed listed on a statement (e.g., an electronically-displayed billing statement). The offers reviewed may be customized, for example, based on details of the transaction such as the product purchased or the amount of the purchase, the identity of the consumer, and/or on other data.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a memory storing information about customer accounts, wherein the information comprises transaction history and an account identifier; and

a processor configured for

receiving information about a transaction between a consumer and a merchant;

generating an offer for the consumer, wherein the offer provides the consumer an option to postpone a payment due date for the transaction, the payment due date being a date the consumer is to make a payment to a billing company for a payment to the merchant made on behalf of the consumer; and

transmitting the offer electronically to a consumer device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the offer is based on a location of the consumer and/or the merchant.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the offer is based on characteristics or ratings of the consumer.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the offer is based on the transaction.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the offer is based on previously accepted offers or an acceptance percentage.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the offer is based on a time or date of the transaction.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the offer is a purchase history of the consumer.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the offer is based on one or more relationships between the consumer and at least one other consumer.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the offer is based on market conditions.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the offer is presented on an electronic billing statement or invoice on a consumer device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the offer is based on a current inventory of an item.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the offer is presented, reviewed, and/or accepted by the consumer on a television.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the offer comprises the consumer answering an online survey.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the offer requires the consumer to make a predetermined number of referrals for the merchant.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the offer provides the consumer an option of reducing a minimum payment due.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the offer provides the consumer an option to extend a grace period.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the offer comprises an instantaneous rebate at a point of sale on the consumer device.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the offer is presented on a statement for a product or service for which the consumer is billed, either before or after a purchase.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor further assigns a monetary value to a non-strictly monetary benefit.

20. The system of claim 1, where the offer differs for preferred consumers.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the offer is sent to, reviewed, and/or accepted on a set-top box, a kiosk, an ATM, an in-car display, a video game, or a vending machine.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein a single consumer identifier is used to reference multiple accounts of the consumer.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor further stores a consumer rating with an associated consumer account.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein an offer is based on a rating of the consumer, wherein the rating is based on how many friends the consumer brings to the merchant.

25. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising a plurality of machine-readable instructions which when executed by one or more processors of a server are adapted to cause the server to perform a method comprising:

receiving information about a transaction between a consumer and a merchant;

generating an offer for the consumer, wherein the offer provides the consumer an option to postpone a payment due date for the transaction, the payment due date being a date the consumer is to make a payment to a billing company for a payment to the merchant made on behalf of the consumer; and

transmitting the offer electronically to a consumer device.

26. A method, comprising:

receiving, electronically by a processor of a service provider, information about a transaction between a consumer and a merchant;

generating, electronically by the processor, an offer for the consumer, wherein the offer provides the consumer an option to postpone a payment due date for the transaction, the payment due date being a date the consumer is to make a payment to a billing company for a payment to the merchant made on behalf of the consumer; and

transmitting, electronically by the processor, the offer electronically to a consumer device.