Method and system to discharge a liability associated with a proprietary currency

• US 20040199421A1
• Filed: 04/04/2003
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Oda, Lisa Maureen, Kurie, Todd
• Application Number:
  US10/407,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20040199421A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

A method and an apparatus to discharge a liability owed to a buyer and stored in a first proprietary currency. The apparatus receives authorization from the buyer to tender the first proprietary currency to pay for an offering that is listed by a seller on a network-based marketplace. The apparatus transmits a national currency to the seller who receives the national currency as payment for the offering. The transmission at least partially discharges the liability owed to the buyer.

Claims

1. A method to discharge a liability owed to a buyer and stored in a first proprietary currency, the method including:

receiving authorization from the buyer to tender the first proprietary currency to pay for an offering that is listed by a seller on a network-based marketplace; and

transmitting a national currency to the seller, the seller receiving the national currency as payment for the offering, the transmission to at least partially discharge the liability owed to the buyer.

2. The method of claim 1, including converting the first proprietary currency to the national currency.

3. The method of claim 1, including converting at least one second proprietary currency to the first proprietary currency.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first proprietary currency includes the at least one of a coupon, a rebate, a gift certificate and at least one point.

5. The method of claim 3, including converting the first proprietary currency into the at least one second proprietary currency.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the converting is based on a preferential exchange rate.

7. The method of claim 6, including selecting the preferential exchange rate by utilizing a preferential exchange threshold.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first proprietary currency expires after a predetermined period of time.

9. The method of claim 1, including merchandising a second offering to the buyer based on a quantity of the first proprietary currency owned by the buyer.

10. The method of claim 9, including selecting the second offering based on a purchase history of the buyer.

11. The method of claim 1, including receiving authorization from the buyer to tender a combination of national currency and the first proprietary currency to the seller.

12. A system to discharge a liability owed to a buyer and stored in a first proprietary currency, the system including:

an authorization module to receive authorization from the buyer to tender the first proprietary currency to pay for an offering that is listed by a seller on a network-based marketplace; and

a primary conversion module to transmit a national currency to the seller, the seller to receive the national currency as payment for the offering, the transmission to at least partially discharge the liability owed to the buyer.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the primary conversion module is utilized to convert the first proprietary currency to the national currency.

14. The system of claim 12, including a secondary conversion module to convert at least one second proprietary currency to the first proprietary currency.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the first proprietary currency includes at least of a coupon, a rebate, a gift certificate and at least one of point.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the secondary conversion module is utilized to convert the first proprietary currency into the at least one second proprietary currency.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the secondary conversion module uses a preferential exchange rate.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the secondary conversion module selects the preferential exchange rate based on a preferential exchange threshold.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the authorization module causes the first proprietary currency to expire after a predetermined period of time.

20. The system of claim 12, including a merchandise module to merchandise a second offering to the buyer based on a quantity of the first proprietary currency owned by the buyer.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the merchandise module selects the second offering based on the purchase history of the buyer.

22. The system of claim 12, including the authorization module to receive authorization from the buyer to tender a combination of national currency and the first proprietary currency to the seller.

23. A machine readable medium storing a set of instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

receive authorization from a buyer to tender a first proprietary currency to pay for an offering that is listed by a seller on a network-based marketplace; and

transmitt a national currency to the seller, the seller to receive the national currency as payment for the offering, the transmission to at least partially discharge a liability owed to the buyer.

24. A system to discharge a liability owed to a buyer and stored in a first proprietary currency, the system including:

a first means to receive authorization from the buyer to tender the first proprietary currency to pay for an offering that is listed by a seller on a network-based marketplace; and

a second means to transmit a national currency to the seller, the seller to receive the national currency as payment for the offering, the transmission to at least partially discharge the liability owed to the buyer.

25. A method to incentivize a buyer to utilize a network-based payment service, the method including:

communicating information about the network-based payment service to the buyer;

offering an incentive to the buyer to utilize the network-based payment service; and

enhancing the incentive if the buyer performs a predetermined action.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the incentive includes a primary proprietary currency that may be tendered by the buyer to pay for an offering on the network-based marketplace.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the primary proprietary currency includes at least one of a coupon, a gift certificate, a rebate and at least one point.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the enhancing includes increasing the primary proprietary currency of the buyer.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the enhancing includes utilizing a preferential exchange rate based on a preferential exchange threshold.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the predetermined action includes converting secondary currency to primary currency.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the predetermined action includes responding to an offer by an at least one of a network-based marketplace, a partner of the network-based marketplace, a buyer that transacts in the network based-marketplace and a seller that transacts in the network-based marketplace.

32. A system to incentivize a buyer to utilize a network-based payment service, the system including:

a page server to communicate information about the network-based payment service to the buyer;

an incentive engine to offer an incentive to the buyer to utilize the network-based payment service; and

a conversion module to enhance the incentive if the buyer performs a predetermined action.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the incentive includes a primary proprietary currency that may be tendered by the buyer to pay for an offering on the network-based marketplace.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the primary proprietary currency includes at least one of a coupon, a gift certificate, a rebate and at least one point.

35. The system of claim 32, wherein the conversion module to enhance the incentive includes to increase the primary proprietary currency of the buyer.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the conversion module to enhance the incentive includes to utilize a preferential exchange rate based on a preferential exchange threshold.

37. The system method of claim 35, wherein the predetermined action includes the conversion module to convert secondary currency to primary currency.

38. The system method of claim 35, wherein the predetermined action includes the conversion module to respond to an offer by an at least one of a network-based marketplace, a partner of the network-based marketplace, a buyer that transacts in the network based-marketplace and a seller that transacts in the network-based marketplace.

39. A machine readable medium storing a set of instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

communicate information about the network-based payment service to the buyer;

offer an incentive to the buyer to utilize the network-based payment service; and

enhance the incentive if the buyer performs a predetermined action.