Systems and methods for internet reward service
First Claim
1. A system facilitating Internet retail services, comprising:
- a server, wherein the server includes a database of valid reward codes for a network of consumer product good/manufacturer'"'"'s and service providers, and a number of consumer accounts;
a portal maintained on a client interface server, which is downloadable and displayable to a remote client having a graphical user interface, and wherein the portal provides access to a number of active server pages which communicate with the server; and
software means operable on the server and the number of active server pages for;
receiving a reward code;
verifying a validity of the reward code as against the database of valid reward codes for the network of consumer product good/manufacturer'"'"'s and service providers; and
crediting an appropriate one of the number of consumer accounts with a value when the validity of the reward code is verified.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods are described which afford greater flexibility for consumers to purchase through either on-line or traditional retail venues and receive a more direct perceived value from reward offerings. The system'"'"'s network of CPGs enables sponsors and partnered e-commerce retailers to share development, database management, and other administrative costs. Cooperative database mining combined with timely, anticipated and permission-based relevant e-mail communications adds a powerful customer acquisition component to traditional database and customer loyalty programs. Member users benefit from the flexibility in the ways in which they can accumulate value in their member user accounts from entering rewards received from CPG Sponsors. Member users also have flexibility in the manner in which they spend value accumulated in their consumer accounts. In the present invention, conducting online transactions with any one of the partnered e-commerce retailers is simplified and streamlined.
In particular, an illustrative embodiment of the present invention includes a system facilitating Internet reward services. The system includes a server coupled to the Internet. A website is stored on the server. Software means is operative on the website and the server. The software means receives one or more reward codes for verification against a network of consumer product/service sponsors and credits a proprietary value for valid reward codes to an appropriate member user'"'"'s account such that a member user can apply the proprietary value to on-line transactions with a number of partnered e-commerce retailers. According to the teachings of the present invention, the software means is further operable for associating a reward activity process with a particular member user account and collecting data associated with an on-line transaction by the member user such that the collected data can be analyzed and shared between the network of consumer product/service sponsors and the number of partnered e-commerce retailers.
138 Citations
59 Claims
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1. A system facilitating Internet retail services, comprising:
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a server, wherein the server includes a database of valid reward codes for a network of consumer product good/manufacturer'"'"'s and service providers, and a number of consumer accounts;
a portal maintained on a client interface server, which is downloadable and displayable to a remote client having a graphical user interface, and wherein the portal provides access to a number of active server pages which communicate with the server; and
software means operable on the server and the number of active server pages for;
receiving a reward code;
verifying a validity of the reward code as against the database of valid reward codes for the network of consumer product good/manufacturer'"'"'s and service providers; and
crediting an appropriate one of the number of consumer accounts with a value when the validity of the reward code is verified. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A system facilitating Internet retail services, comprising:
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a server, wherein the server includes a database of valid reward codes for a network of consumer product/service sponsors, and a number of consumer accounts;
a portal maintained on a client interface server, which is downloadable and displayable to a remote client having a graphical user interface, and wherein the portal provides access to a number of active server pages which communicate with the server; and
software means operable on the server and the number of active server pages for;
receiving a reward code;
verifying a validity of the reward code as against the database of valid reward codes for the network of consumer product/service sponsors;
crediting an appropriate one of the number of consumer accounts with a value when the validity of the reward code is verified; and
adding a number of additional value amounts to an appropriate one of the number of consumer accounts for a number of additional reward codes received when the number of additional reward codes are verified. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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13. A system facilitating Internet retail services, comprising:
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a server, wherein the server includes a database of valid reward codes, a network of consumer products manufacturers/service providers, and a number of consumer accounts;
a portal maintained on a client interface server, which is downloadable and displayable to a remote client having a graphical user interface, wherein the portal provides access to a number of active server pages which communicate with the server, and wherein the portal further provides access to a number of partnered e-commerce retailers; and
software means operable on the server and the number of active server pages for;
receiving a reward code associated with one of the network of sponsoring companies;
verifying a validity of the reward code against the database of valid reward codes for the network of sponsoring companies;
crediting an appropriate one of the number of consumer accounts with a value when the validity of the reward code is verified; and
debiting a value from the appropriate one of the number of consumer accounts in connection with making an on-line purchase.
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20. A system facilitating Internet retail services, comprising:
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a server, wherein the server includes a database of valid reward codes, a network of consumer product and service sponsors, a number of member user accounts;
a portal maintained on a client interface server, which is downloadable and displayable to a remote client having a graphical user interface, wherein the portal provides access to a number of active server pages which communicate with the server, and wherein the portal further provides access to a number of partnered e-commerce retailers; and
software means operable on the server and the number of active server pages for;
receiving a reward code associated with one of the network of noncompetitive sponsoring companies;
verifying a validity of the reward code against the database of valid reward codes for the network of sponsoring companies;
crediting an appropriate one of the number of member user accounts with a value when the validity of the reward code is verified storing an accumulated value in the member user account, wherein the accumulated value represents a number of values entered in connection with a number of different reward codes; and
debiting a value from the appropriate one of the number of member user accounts in connection with making an on-line purchase when a purchase is made through one of the number of partnered e-commerce retailers. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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26. A system facilitating Internet retail services, comprising:
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a server, wherein the server includes a database of valid reward codes, a network of consumer product and service sponsors, a number of member user accounts;
a portal maintained on a client interface server, which is downloadable and displayable to a remote client having a graphical user interface, wherein the portal provides access to a number of active server pages which communicate with the server, and wherein the number of active server pages accessible through the portal further provide access to a number of partnered e-commerce retailers; and
software means operable on the server and the number of active server pages for;
receiving a reward code associated with one of the network of sponsors;
verifying a validity of the reward code against the database of valid reward codes for the network of sponsors;
crediting an appropriate one of the number of member user accounts with a value when the validity of the reward code is verified storing an accumulated value in the member user account, wherein the accumulated value represents a number of values entered in connection with a number of different reward codes;
debiting a value from the appropriate one of the number of member user accounts in connection with making an on-line purchase when a purchase is made through one of the number of partnered e-commerce retailers; and
collecting data associated with the on-line purchase.
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33. A method for Internet retail services, comprising:
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providing a web portal having a number of active server pages, wherein the number of active server pages communicate with a server database including a network of consumer product/service sponsors;
receiving a member user identification such that the number of active server pages can access a member user account; and
using the number of active server pages to record a reward value in the member user'"'"'s account. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A method for providing Internet retail services, comprising:
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providing a web portal having a number of active server pages, wherein the number of active server pages communicate with a server database including a network of sponsors;
receiving a member user identification such that the number of active server pages can access a member user account; and
using the number of active server pages to record a reward value in the member user'"'"'s account, wherein using the number of active server pages to record a reward value in the member user'"'"'s account further includes;
receiving a reward code associated with a consumer packaged good included in the network of consumer product/service sponsors;
verifying the validity of the reward code against a database of valid reward codes for the network of consumer product/service sponsors; and
crediting an appropriate one of the member user'"'"'s accounts with a value once the reward code is verified. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. A method for providing Internet retail services, comprising:
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providing a web portal having a number of active server pages, wherein the number of active server pages communicate with a server database including a network of consumer product/service sponsors, and wherein the number of active server pages further provide access to a number of partnered e-commerce retailers;
receiving a member user identification such that the number of active server pages can access a member user account;
using the number of active server pages to record a reward value in the member user'"'"'s account, wherein using the number of active server pages to record a reward value in the member user'"'"'s account further includes;
receiving a reward code associated with a consumer packaged good included in the network of consumer product/service sponsors;
verifying the validity of the reward code against a database of valid reward codes for the network of consumer product/service sponsors; and
crediting an appropriate one of the member user'"'"'s accounts with a value once the reward code is verified; and
using the number of active server pages to access a number of partnered e-commerce retailers includes, wherein using the number of active server pages to access the number of partnered e-commerce retailers includes;
providing access to the number of partnered e-commerce retailers through a number of pass through servers;
using the number of active server pages to select an on-line transaction with one or more of the number of partnered e-commerce retailers; and
debiting a purchase value from an appropriate member user'"'"'s account in order to provide payment for the selected on-line transaction. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 59)
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58. A system, comprising:
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a server coupled to the Internet;
a website stored on the server; and
software means operative on the website and the server, wherein the software means receives one or more reward codes for verification against a network of consumer product/service sponsors and credits a proprietary value for valid reward codes to an appropriate member user'"'"'s account such that a member user can apply the proprietary value to on-line transactions with a number of partnered e-commerce retailers.
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Specification