Integrated system and method for managing electronic coupons
First Claim
1. A system to create traceable unique electronic coupon identifications in electronic promotional transactions to prevent undesired or multiple uses of offers, comprising:
- a storage device;
a network device; and
a processor communicatively coupled to the storage device and the network device, wherein the processor executes application code instructions that are stored in the storage device to cause the system to;
receive a request from a consumer computing device associated with a consumer to associate an electronic coupon with an account of the consumer;
identify a unique consumer identification associated with the consumer account;
create a unique electronic coupon identification associated with the electronic coupon;
at a time before an initiation of a financial transaction to be conducted by the consumer account at a point of sale computing device, associate the unique electronic coupon identification only with the unique consumer identification associated with the consumer account and store the unique electronic coupon identification in the consumer account, wherein the electronic coupon having the unique electronic coupon identification is only redeemable in connection with a transaction conducted via the consumer account associated with the unique consumer identification;
decline the association of the electronic coupon with the unique consumer identification associated with the consumer account when a maximum financial exposure value has been reached by a promotion associated with the electronic coupon;
receive, from a point of sale computing device associated with a retailer, a notification of an initiation of a transaction being conducted by the consumer account at the point of sale terminal, the notification comprising data to identify the unique consumer identification; and
in response to receiving the notification of the initiation of the transaction;
identify the unique consumer identification based on the notification;
identify the unique electronic coupon identification based on the associated unique consumer identification; and
communicate the electronic coupon having the unique electronic coupon identification to the point of sale computing device for redemption in connection with the transaction.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A networked electronic coupon management system is disclosed for managing electronic coupons. The system includes tightly integrated database, application server, and client components facilitating performing electronic coupon definition, issuance, and redemption operations. The operations include creating electronic coupons, wherein each electronic coupon includes a unique coupon ID, creating customer accounts, wherein each customer account comprises a unique customer ID; creating manufacturer accounts, wherein each manufacturer account comprises a Unique ID; and creating retailer accounts, wherein each retailer account comprises a unique retailer ID; and assigning a unique electronic coupon ID to a unique customer ID. Thereafter the system validates the electronic coupon with a product purchase transaction by a customer associated with the unique customer ID. Furthermore, funds transfers associated with the product purchase transaction are tracked, and historical transactional level data is maintained for all customer, manufacturer and retailer accounts.
201 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A system to create traceable unique electronic coupon identifications in electronic promotional transactions to prevent undesired or multiple uses of offers, comprising:
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a storage device; a network device; and a processor communicatively coupled to the storage device and the network device, wherein the processor executes application code instructions that are stored in the storage device to cause the system to; receive a request from a consumer computing device associated with a consumer to associate an electronic coupon with an account of the consumer; identify a unique consumer identification associated with the consumer account; create a unique electronic coupon identification associated with the electronic coupon; at a time before an initiation of a financial transaction to be conducted by the consumer account at a point of sale computing device, associate the unique electronic coupon identification only with the unique consumer identification associated with the consumer account and store the unique electronic coupon identification in the consumer account, wherein the electronic coupon having the unique electronic coupon identification is only redeemable in connection with a transaction conducted via the consumer account associated with the unique consumer identification; decline the association of the electronic coupon with the unique consumer identification associated with the consumer account when a maximum financial exposure value has been reached by a promotion associated with the electronic coupon; receive, from a point of sale computing device associated with a retailer, a notification of an initiation of a transaction being conducted by the consumer account at the point of sale terminal, the notification comprising data to identify the unique consumer identification; and in response to receiving the notification of the initiation of the transaction; identify the unique consumer identification based on the notification; identify the unique electronic coupon identification based on the associated unique consumer identification; and communicate the electronic coupon having the unique electronic coupon identification to the point of sale computing device for redemption in connection with the transaction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A computer-implemented method to enable electronic promotional transactions in real time, comprising:
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receiving, using one or more computing devices, a request from a consumer computing device associated with a consumer to associate an electronic coupon with a consumer account; creating, using the one or more computing devices, a unique electronic coupon identification associated with the electronic coupon; associating, using the one or more computing devices, the unique electronic coupon identification only with a unique consumer identification associated with the consumer account, wherein the unique electronic coupon identification is only redeemable by the consumer account; declining, using the one or more computing devices, the association of the electronic coupon with the unique consumer identification associated with the consumer account when a maximum financial exposure value has been reached by a promotion associated with the electronic coupon; receiving, using the one or more computing devices and from a point of sale computing device associated with a retailer, a notification of an initiation of a financial transaction between the consumer account and a point of sale terminal, the notification comprising data to identify the unique consumer identification; identifying, using the one or more computing devices, the unique consumer identification based on the notification; identifying, using the one or more computing devices, the unique electronic coupon identification based on the unique consumer identification; communicating, using the one or more computing devices, the electronic coupon having the unique electronic coupon identification to the point of sale computing device for association with the financial transaction; and providing, using the one or more computing devices, funds to the retailer to redeem the electron coupon. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A computer program product, comprising:
a non-transitory computer-readable storage device having computer-executable program instructions embodied thereon that when executed by a computer cause the computer to enable electronic promotional transactions in real time, the computer-executable program instructions comprising; computer-executable program instructions to create a unique electronic coupon identification associated with the electronic coupon; computer-executable program instructions to associate the unique electronic coupon identification with a consumer account; computer-executable program instructions to associate the unique electronic coupon identification only with a unique consumer identification associated with the consumer account, wherein the unique electronic coupon identification is only redeemable by the consumer account; computer-executable program instructions to decline the association of the electronic coupon with the unique consumer identification associated with the consumer account when a maximum financial exposure value has been reached by a promotion associated with the electronic coupon computer-executable program instructions to receive, from a point of sale computing device associated with a retailer, a notification of an initiation of a financial transaction between the consumer computing device and a point of sale terminal, the notification comprising data to identify the unique consumer identification; computer-executable program instructions to identify the unique consumer identification based on the notification; computer-executable program instructions to communicate the electronic coupon having the unique electronic coupon identification to the point of sale computing device for association with the financial transaction computer-executable program instructions to receive a request for a redemption of the electronic coupon from the retailer; and computer-executable program instructions to provide funds to the retailer to redeem the electronic coupon. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
Specification