VIRTUAL COUPONING METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USE WITH CONSUMER KIOSK

• US 20030088461A1
• Filed: 05/21/1999
• Published: 05/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
• Original Assignee: E Centives Inc.
• Inventors: CHRISTENSEN, SCOTT N.
• Granted Patent: US 7,917,386 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0208 Trade or exchange of goods or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• 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 30/0237 at kiosk

Abstract

A method and apparatus for distributing, generating, and redeeming discount Virtual Coupons™, rebate or gift certificates or the like which may be used on conjunction with a frequency card program or the like. Virtual Coupons™ may be distributed electronically, for example, in the form of a diskette or CD-ROM software. Software on the diskette or CD-ROM may prompt a consumer to call a 1-800 number for a validation number or code. During the phone call, telemarketing personnel may request consumer demographic and or identification information which may be entered into a centralized database. Once the software is validated, a consumer may print out a list selected Virtual Coupons™ displayed on a Graphical User Interface (GUI). When a product is purchased, the UPC code of the product may be compared electronically with a list of Virtual Coupons™ authorized for a particular consumer. An appropriate coupon discount may then be applied and the Virtual Coupon™ may be considered “redeemed”. Once redeemed, consumer ID information and Virtual Coupon™ information may be retrieved electronically and used to update a central database. Accurate data may then be produced illustrating which consumers or groups of consumers are redeeming which Virtual Coupons™. Such data may be used for marketing purposes or to generated further diskettes for distribution targeting specific consumers or groups of consumers with specific classes of Virtual Coupon™ offerings. The use of Virtual Coupons™ eliminates or reduces fraud, and allows a frequency card discount to be applied only a limited number of times.

Claims

1. A computer kiosk arranged for generating coupons, said kiosk comprising:

means for accessing a database, said database including a list of consumer names, consumer identification data and virtual coupon data corresponding to each consumer name;

data entry means for entering consumer identification data for a consumer using said kiosk;

first generating means for printing a coupon, in response to a command input by a consumer, based upon said virtual coupon data corresponding to said consumer identification data of said consumer using said computer kiosk; and

processing means, coupled to said data base, for receiving a request by said consumer using said kiosk for redemption of a selected virtual coupon corresponding to said consumer identification data, and for generating redemption data indicating said selected virtual coupon has been redeemed.

2. The computer kiosk of claim 1, wherein said means for accessing comprise a keyboard.

3. The computer kiosk of claim 2, wherein said means for accessing further comprise means for transmitting data to and from a remote computer network.

4. The computer kiosk of claim 1 wherein said processing means comprises:

means for counting the number of times a consumer redeemed a particular virtual coupon, and

fraud indication means for indicating fraud if the number of times a virtual coupon is deemed by the consumer exceeds a predetermined amount.

5. The computer kiosk of claim 4, wherein the consumer identification data is imprinted on a selected coupon as a bar code.

6. The computer kiosk of claim 3, wherein said processing means retrieves virtual coupon data from said remote data base.

7. The computer kiosk of claim 1, wherein said data entry means comprise a computer diskette.

8. The computer kiosk of claim 3, wherein said computer diskette contains data from said remote computer network entered on said computer diskette prior to use of said computer kiosk.