Offer insertion system

• US 8,688,512 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2011
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boku Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Boku Incorporated
• Inventors: Yoo, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Edward
• Application Number:
  US13/334,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20120215619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35, 705/14
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/384 using social networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]

Abstract

The invention provides a computer system and method for managing electronic transactions. A plurality of consumer and merchant accounts are stored in a data store. Each consumer account has a first consumer account identifier. Each merchant account has a merchant account identifier. A merchant offer is stored in the data store in association with the merchant account having the respective merchant account identifier. A push module associates the merchant offer with the consumer account identifier. A communication and routing module receives a charge request over the network interface device, the charge request including an amount and a second consumer account identifier and identifies a selected one of the consumer accounts by associating one of the first consumer account identifiers with the second consumer account identifier. A transaction processing system that processes the charge request based on an account detail of the selected consumer account.

Claims

1. A computer system for managing electronic transactions, comprising:

a server computer system including;

a processor;

a computer-readable medium connected to the processor;

a network interface device connected to the processor; and

a set of instructions on the computer-readable medium, the set of instructions being executable by the processor and including;

a data store;

a plurality of consumer accounts in the data store, each consumer account having a first consumer account identifier;

a plurality of merchant accounts stored in the data store, each merchant account having a merchant account identifier;

a plurality of voucher entries, each voucher entry being stored in the data store in association with the merchant account having the respective merchant account identifier and a respective discount;

a push module associating the voucher entry with the consumer account identifier;

a communication and routing module that receives a charge request over the network interface device, the charge request including a merchant account identifier and a second consumer account identifier and identifies a selected one of the consumer accounts by associating one of the first consumer account identifiers with the second consumer account identifier;

a voucher redemption system that utilizes the merchant account received in the charge request to identify a selected one of the merchant accounts having the same merchant account identifier as the merchant account identifier in the charge request and identify one of the voucher entries in the selected merchant account identifier and the discount of the voucher entry that has been identified; and

a transaction processing system that processes the charge request based on the discount of the voucher entry that has been identified and records a transaction in the selected consumer account.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions further includes:

an interface for the consumer account transmitted over the network interface device to a consumer computer system, the interface for the consumer account including details of the consumer account.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions further includes:

an interface for the merchant account, the interface for the merchant account being transmitted over the network interface device to a merchant computer system;

the interface for the merchant account allowing for entry of a voucher entry into the merchant interface and transmission of the voucher entry;

the voucher entry being received from the merchant computer system over the network interface device; and

the voucher entry being transmitted over the network interface device.

4. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the processor processes the voucher entry based on the association of the voucher entry with the consumer account identifier.

5. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the charge request includes a first amount and the voucher redemption system includes:

an account lookup and debit module that adjusts the first amount to a second amount that is less than the first amount based on the discount of the selected voucher entry; and

processes the second amount based on the account detail of the selected consumer account.

6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the data component of the charge request includes a first item identifier, each voucher entry including a second item identifier, wherein the voucher redemption system identifies a selected one of the voucher entries by associating the first item identifier with one of the second item identifiers.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processing of the voucher entry includes transmitting the voucher entry over the network interface device to a mobile device based on an identifier in the consumer account having the consumer account identifier.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the instructions further comprise:

a login module receiving login information from a mobile device over the network interface device, access to the voucher entry only being permitted upon successful login based on the login information.

9. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the set of instructions further includes:

a stored value in the consumer account;

a funding module receiving a top-up instruction from a consumer account funding infrastructure, and

increasing the stored value based on the top-up instruction wherein the transaction processing system includes an account lookup and debit module that reduces the stored value based on the second amount.

10. A computer-based method of managing electronic transactions comprising:

storing, with a processor, a plurality of consumer accounts in a data store, each consumer account having a first consumer account identifier;

storing, with the processor, a plurality of merchant accounts in the data store, each merchant account having a merchant account identifier;

receiving, with the processor, the voucher entry from the merchant computer system over the network interface device;

storing, with the processor, the voucher entry in the data store in association with the merchant account having the respective merchant account identifier, the voucher entry having a respective discount;

associating, with the processor, the voucher entry with the consumer account identifier;

receiving, with the processor, a charge request over the network interface device, the charge request including a merchant account identifier and a second consumer account identifier;

identifying, with the processor, based on the merchant account identifier of the charge request, a selected one of the merchant accounts having the same merchant account identifier as the merchant account identifier in the charge request and identify one of the voucher entries in the selected merchant account and the discount of the voucher entry that has been identified;

identifying, with the processor, a selected one of the consumer accounts by associating one of the first consumer account identifiers with the second consumer account identifier; and

processing, with the processor, the charge request based on the discount of the merchant offer that has been identified and records a transaction in the selected consumer account.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting an interface for the consumer account over the network interface device to a consumer computer system, the interface for the consumer account including details of the consumer account.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting, with the processor, an interface for the merchant account over the network interface device to a merchant computer system, the interface for the merchant account allowing for entry of a voucher entry into the merchant interface and transmission of the voucher entry;

receiving, with the processor, the voucher entry from the merchant computer system over the network interface device; and

transmitting, with the processor, the voucher entry over the network interface device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

processing, with the processor, the voucher entry based on the association of the voucher entry with the consumer account identifier.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the charge request includes a first amount, wherein the processing of the charge request includes:

adjusting the first amount to a second amount that is less than the first amount based on the discount of the selected voucher entry; and

processing, with the processor, the second amount based on the account detail of the selected consumer account.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the data component is a first item identifier, each voucher entry including a second item identifier, wherein the voucher redemption system identifies a selected one of the voucher entries by associating the first item identifier with one of the second item identifiers.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the processing of the voucher entry includes transmitting the voucher entry over the network interface device to a mobile device based on an identifier in the consumer account having the consumer account identifier.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving, with the processor, login information from a mobile device over the network interface device, access to the voucher entry only being permitted upon successful login based on the login information.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

saving, with the processor, a stored value in the consumer account;

receiving, with the processor, a top-up instruction from a consumer account funding infrastructure;

increasing, with the processor, the stored value based on the top-up instruction; and

reducing, with the processor, the stored value based on the second amount.