Method and system for redeeming product marketing rebates

• US 8,856,025 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2013
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Plusnetmarketing Incorporated, The Ohana Companies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Plusnetmarketing Incorporated, The Ohana Companies Incorporated
• Inventors: Quinlan, Chris, Devlin, Edward A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lastra, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US14/053,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20140108116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 358 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/1
• US Class Current: 705/14.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0234 Rebates after completed purchase

Abstract

A system and computerized method of processing a rebate claim from a purchaser comprising means for or steps of receiving and storing: (a) personal information about the purchaser, including an account identifier associated with a designated account, (b) promotion information comprising one or more promotional offers associated with one or more promoted products, (c) purchase information corresponding to the at least one purchase transaction in which the designated account was used as an instrument of payment. Purchase information is associated with the purchaser using the designated account identifier, the rebate claim is validated, and the collective value associated with the rebate claim is provided to the purchaser. One embodiment may comprise means for or a step of receiving an instruction from the purchaser via an online user interface prior to the end of a qualifying period authorizing completion of rebate claim processing.

Claims

1. A method of using a computer processing system to process a rebate claim from a purchaser corresponding to at least one purchase transaction, wherein the rebate claim is triggered by involvement during the purchase transaction of a designated account associated with the purchaser and having an account identifier, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving, in the computer processing system, purchaser information comprising personal information about the purchaser, including the account identifier corresponding to the designated account, and storing the purchaser information as a stored data record accessible by the computer processing system;

(b) receiving and storing in the computer processing system promotion information comprising one or more promotional offers associated with one or more promoted products, each promoted product having a product identifier, each promotional offer having a value;

(c) receiving and storing in the computer processing system purchase information corresponding to the at least one purchase transaction, the purchase transaction comprising use of the designated account as an instrument of payment for the purchase transaction, the designated account comprising a credit card account, a debit card account, or a bank account and having an account identifier, the purchase information comprising at least the purchaser'"'"'s designated account identifier and at least each product identifier corresponding to each promoted product purchased in the at least one purchase transaction;

(d) using the computer processing system to associate the purchase information with the purchaser by matching the purchaser'"'"'s designated account identifier in the purchase information with the designated account identifier in the stored data record;

(e) using the computer processing system to validate the rebate claim by matching the product identifier corresponding to each promoted product in the stored purchase information to the promotional offer associated with that product identifier in the stored promotion information, and

(f) providing a collective value associated with the rebate claim to the purchaser as a credit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the credit comprises a credit to the designated account.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more promotional offers has a qualifying time period associated therewith during which purchase transactions must be made, and wherein step (e) is performed for a plurality of rebate claims corresponding to a plurality of purchase transactions made during the qualifying time period.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the purchase information includes a transaction identifier associated with the transaction and step (d) comprises updating the stored data record to associate the transaction identifier with the purchaser.

5. The method of claim 4, comprising processing the plurality of rebate claims in a single processing event covering the qualifying time period.

6. The method of claim 5, comprising crediting the account at the end of the qualifying time period.

7. The method of claim 3, comprising processing the plurality of rebate claims in a plurality of processing events during the qualifying time period, each event corresponding to one rebate claim.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising providing an online user interface directly accessible by the purchaser.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving an instruction from the purchaser prior to the end of the qualifying period via the online user interface authorizing completion of rebate claim processing.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising performing the method for a single purchaser for a plurality of rebate claims including at least a first rebate claim associated with a first purchase transaction conducted by a first establishment and a second rebate claim associated with a second purchase transaction conducted by a second establishment.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first establishment and the second establishment are unrelated to one another.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first establishment and the second establishment are participating members of a common network for processing rebates associated with purchases using the designated account.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the designated account has a designated card associated therewith.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the card is a credit card or a debit card that is legal tender for making purchases from establishments outside of the common network.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the rebate claim is automatically processed after the purchase transaction without further action from the consumer.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein providing the purchaser with the collective value comprises providing the purchaser with a credit not available to the purchaser until after the purchase transaction in which the one or more promoted products associated with the credit were purchased.

17. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

providing a user interface accessible via a global computer network and configured to permit direct user submission of rebate claims, each directly submitted rebate claim comprising the transaction code associated with the purchase transaction and information sufficient to associate the rebate claim with the consumer, and

receiving in the computer processor, prior to the end of the qualifying period, at least one rebate claim comprising use of the designated account and at least one directly submitted rebate claim from the purchaser via the user interface.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising compiling marketing information about the consumer based upon the purchase information associated with the consumer, the marketing information comprising information regarding at least one product of expected interest to the consumer based upon a prior consumer purchase.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising targeting the consumer with a marketing offer based upon the marketing information compiled about the consumer.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a user interface directly accessible by the consumer via a global computer network and configured to be used by the consumer for one of:

checking status of pending rebate claims, checking account history, submitting rebate claims, authorizing rebate processing, or a combination thereof.

21. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving the rebate claim from a computer system used for processing the purchase transaction without further action from the consumer following the purchase transaction.

22. The method of claim 21, comprising processing the rebate claim and crediting the designated account without further action from the consumer following the purchase transaction.

23. A computer system for processing a rebate claim from a purchaser corresponding to at least one purchase transaction, wherein the rebate claim is triggered by involvement in the purchase transaction of a designated account associated with the purchaser and having an account identifier, the system comprising:

means for receiving, in the computer system, purchaser information comprising personal information about the purchaser, including the account identifier corresponding to the designated account, wherein the designated account comprises a credit card account, a debit card account, or a bank account, storing the purchaser information as a stored data record accessible by the computer system;

means for receiving and storing in the computer system promotion information comprising one or more promotional offers associated with one or more promoted products, each promoted product having a product identifier, each promotional offer having a value;

means for receiving and storing in the computer processing system purchase information corresponding to the at least one purchase transaction, the purchase information comprising;

at least the purchaser'"'"'s designated account identifier as an indication of use of the account as an instrument of payment for the purchase transaction, and at least each product identifier corresponding to each promoted product purchased in the at least one purchase transaction;

a processor programmed with instructions for carrying out method steps for;

(a) associating the purchase information with the purchaser by matching the purchaser'"'"'s designated account identifier in the purchase information with the designated account identifier in the stored data record;

(b) validating the rebate claim by matching the product identifier corresponding to each promoted product in the stored purchase information to the promotional offer associated with that product identifier in the stored promotion information, and

(c) providing a collective value associated with the rebate claim to the purchaser in the form of a credit.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the designated account has a designated card associated therewith.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the computer system is configured to receive purchase information from at least a first establishment and a second establishment.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the first establishment and the second establishment are unrelated to one another.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the first establishment and the second establishment are participating members of a common network for processing rebates associated with purchases using the designated account.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the designated card is a credit card or a debit card that is legal tender for making purchases from establishments outside of the common network.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the credit issued to the consumer for the rebate claim is a credit usable for making purchases from establishments outside of the common network.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the credit provided to the purchaser comprises a credit to the designated account.

31. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor is configured to receive and process the rebate claim automatically after the purchase transaction without further action from the consumer.

32. The system of claim 23, further comprising a user interface directly accessible by the consumer via a global computer network and configured to be used by the consumer for one of:

checking status of pending rebate claims, checking account history, submitting rebate claims, authorizing rebate processing, or a combination thereof.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the one or more promotional offers has a qualifying time period associated therewith during which purchase transactions must be made, and the system is configured to receive an instruction from the purchaser via the online user interface prior to the end of the qualifying period effective to initiate rebate claim processing.

34. The system of claim 23, wherein the computer system is further configured to compile marketing information about the consumer based upon the purchase information associated with the consumer, the marketing information comprising information regarding at least one product of expected interest to the consumer based upon a prior consumer purchase.

35. The system of claim 34, further comprising means for targeting the consumer with a marketing offer based upon the marketing information compiled about the consumer.

36. A method of using a computer processing system to process a rebate claim from a purchaser corresponding to at least one purchase transaction, wherein the rebate claim is triggered by involvement during the purchase transaction of a designated account associated with the purchaser and having an account identifier, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving, in the computer processing system, purchaser information comprising personal information about the purchaser, including the account identifier corresponding to the designated account, and storing the purchaser information as a stored data record accessible by the computer processing system;

(b) receiving and storing in the computer processing system promotion information comprising one or more promotional offers associated with one or more promoted products, each promoted product having a product identifier, each promotional offer having a value, the one or more promotional offers having a qualifying time period associated therewith during which purchase transactions must be made;

(c) receiving and storing in the computer processing system purchase information corresponding to the at least one purchase transaction, the purchase information comprising at least the purchaser'"'"'s designated account identifier and at least each product identifier corresponding to each promoted product purchased in the at least one purchase transaction;

(d) using the computer processing system to associate the purchase information with the purchaser by matching the purchaser'"'"'s designated account identifier in the purchase information with the designated account identifier in the stored data record;

(e) using the computer processing system to validate the rebate claim by purchase information to the promotional offer associated with that product identifier in matching the product identifier corresponding to each promoted product in the stored the stored promotion information,

(f) providing an online user interface directly accessible by the purchaser;

(g) receiving an instruction from the purchaser via the online user interface prior to the end of the qualifying period authorizing completion of rebate claim processing;

(h) providing a collective value associated with the rebate claim to the purchaser.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the step of providing the collective value to the purchaser comprises providing a credit, a check, an article of manufacture, or a coupon good for a future purchase.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the designated account comprises a credit card account, a debit card account, or a bank account and the involvement of the account during the purchase transaction comprises use of the designated account as an instrument of payment for the purchase transaction.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the step of providing the collective value to the purchaser comprises providing a credit to the designated account.