Online promotional scheme

• US 20020099607A1
• Filed: 03/13/2002
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NetSpend Corporation (Global Payments Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: NetSpend Corporation (Global Payments Incorporated)
• Inventors: Sosa, Rogelio, Sosa, Bertrand
• Application Number:
  US10/097,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20020099607A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/26 Debit schemes, e.g. "pay now"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered

Abstract

A method of conducting a promotional scheme to identify potential customers and online cash account users in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The method includes publishing information via a public media including identification information that identifies the promotional scheme, receiving responses by entrants via an electronic communications network, creating an online cash account for each entrant, linking each online cash account created for each entrant to the identified promotional scheme, determining if a response is a winning response, and providing an online prize to at least one entrant that provided a winning response. The identification information may be existing manufacturer'"'"'s serial numbers or new tokens printed on product packaging. A single token may be published or multiple different tokens may be published with one or more winning tokens. Publication is by any broadcast or print media. A convenient prize is an online cash account loaded with cash.

Claims

1. A method of conducting a promotional scheme, comprising:

publishing information of a promotional scheme via a public media including publishing identification information identifying the promotional scheme;

receiving responses by entrants via an electronic communications network;

creating an online cash account for each entrant;

linking each online cash account created for each entrant to the identified promotional scheme;

determining if a response is a winning response; and

providing an online prize to at least one entrant that provided a winning response.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

said publishing identification information comprising using existing manufacturer'"'"'s serial numbers already printed on product packaging placed on sale or sold to the public;

selecting at least one winning manufacturer'"'"'s serial number; and

said determining if a response is a winning response comprising comparing received numbers with the at least one wining manufacturer'"'"'s serial number.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

said publishing identification information comprising printing tokens on product packaging;

selecting at least one winning token; and

said determining if a response is a winning response comprising comparing received tokens with the at least one winning token.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said publishing identification information comprises publishing at least one token.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said publishing at least one token comprises publishing a single token and wherein said determining if a response is a winning response comprises determining a first entrant that responds with the published token.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the public media comprises a broadcast media.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said publishing at least one token comprises publishing a plurality of different tokens that includes at least one winning token and wherein said determining if a response is a winning response comprises comparing received tokens with the at least one winning token.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the public media comprises a print media.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said print media includes printed advertisements.

10. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

publishing a promotional web page;

providing the promotional web page with a link;

detecting selection of the link by a potential entrant and transferring the potential entrant to a promotion program; and

enabling the potential entrant to enter a token.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

redirecting the potential entrant to a second promotional web page associated with a promoter of the promotional scheme; and

providing an entry field with the second promotional web page that enables the potential entrant to enter a token.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

providing promoter information to the promotion program associated with a promoter of the promotional scheme.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing an online prize comprises providing a winning entrant with an online cash account with a cash amount.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said online cash account includes a multiplier that multiplies additional cash amounts entered into the online cash account.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing consolation online cash accounts for losing entrants with corresponding multipliers for multiplying cash amounts entered into the consolation online cash account.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving a response comprises receiving results of a game associated with the promotional scheme.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining a first contestant to win the game.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining a contestant having a highest score.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising posting an online interactive game via a computer communications network.