Systems and Methods to Distribute and Redeem Offers

• US 20110238483A1
• Filed: 03/24/2011
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Boku Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Boku Incorporated
• Inventors: Hirson, Ron, Yoo, David
• Application Number:
  US13/071,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20110238483A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.38
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]

Abstract

In one aspect, a system includes an interchange with a data storage facility to store data associating an offer with a phone number. The interchange includes a common format processor and a plurality of converters to interface with a plurality of different controllers of mobile communications. The converters are configured to communicate with the common format processor in a common format and to communicate with the controllers in different formats. The common format processor is configured to use one of the converters to communicate with a mobile phone at the phone number to process a payment to a merchant, to determine, for the payment, whether the offer is applicable based on the data associating the offer with the phone number, and to apply a benefit of the offer towards the payment if the offer is applicable.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, an offer provided to a user of a phone number;

storing, in the computing device, data associating the offer with the phone number;

communicating, by the computing device, with a mobile phone at the phone number to process a payment to a merchant;

determining, by the computing device for the payment, whether the offer is applicable based on the data associating the offer with the phone number; and

applying, by the computing device, a benefit of the offer towards the payment if the offer is applicable.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the offer is from the merchant.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the computing device on behalf of the merchant, a notification about the offer to the mobile phone at the phone number.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining is performed without the user identifying the offer.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining is performed without the user identifying the notification about the offer.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the transmitting is in response to the receiving of the offer in the computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the communicating with the mobile phone comprises confirming the payment for a first amount of a purchase from the merchant;

and the applying the benefit of the offer comprises determining a second amount to be charged to the user of the phone number, the second amount being smaller than the first amount.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the benefit comprises a discount.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the benefit comprises a third amount of funds applicable to the payment.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the offer comprises a code representing the third amount of funds reserved for the offer.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the code is not transmitted to the mobile phone at the phone number.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

transmitting a plurality of premium messages to the mobile phone at the phone number in accordance with the second amount to collect funds for the payment.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the benefit of the offer is applied to the payment without the user of the phone number identifying the offer.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting, from the computing device to the mobile phone at the phone number, a message indicating application of the benefit of the offer towards the payment.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein applicability of the offer to the payment is based at least in part on whether the payment is for a purchase from the merchant.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein applicability of the offer to the payment is based at least in part on whether the payment is for a purchase of a predetermined item from the merchant.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the predetermined item is selected from the group consisting of:

a product and a service.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

removing the data associating the offer with the phone number after the benefit of the offer has been applied towards the payment.

19. A tangible computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, an offer provided to a user of a phone number;

storing, in the computing device, data associating the offer with the phone number;

communicating, by the computing device, with a mobile phone at the phone number to process a payment to a merchant;

determining, by the computing device for the payment, whether the offer is applicable based on the data associating the offer with the phone number; and

applying, by the computing device, a benefit of the offer towards the payment if the offer is applicable.

20. A system, comprising:

a data storage facility to store data associating an offer with a phone number; and

an interchange coupled with the data storage facility, the interchange including a common format processor and a plurality of converters to interface with a plurality of controllers, the converters configured to communicate with the controllers in different formats, the converters to communicate with the common format processor in a common format, the common format processor configured to use one of the converters to communicate with a mobile phone at the phone number to process a payment to a merchant and to determine, for the payment, whether the offer is applicable based on the data associating the offer with the phone number;

wherein the common format processor is configured to apply a benefit of the offer towards the payment if the offer is applicable.