METHOD FOR REDEEMING ELECTRONIC COUPONS

• US 20130085827A1
• Filed: 11/29/2012
• Published: 04/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Connie Lynn Jenkins
• Original Assignee: Connie Lynn Jenkins
• Inventors: Jenkins, Connie Lynn
• Application Number:
  US13/689,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20130085827A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives

Abstract

A merchant provides a consumer with its email address along with at least a portion of one or more images of coupons. The consumer selects a desired coupon for redemption and sends an email to the merchant attaching the image or a portion of the image, or the URL or a Quick Response Symbol (QR code) of the coupon. The merchant, upon receipt, verifies the authenticity of the coupon and redeems it if valid. The merchant accumulates and stores emails from consumers who have sought redemption of coupons. These accumulated consumer emails and email addresses are analyzed to determine how the emails and/or email addresses can used by the merchant for communicating with consumers by email to promote the merchant'"'"'s goods and services.

Claims

1. A method for redeeming a merchant'"'"'s electronic coupon by a consumer and providing email addresses of consumers while redeeming a coupon to the merchant for the benefit of the merchant using an Internet, comprising the steps of:

a) obtaining at least a portion of an image of the coupon by a consumer;

b) providing the consumer with an email address of the merchant;

c) using the email address of the merchant to construct an email by the consumer to send to the merchant;

d) attaching the image or portion of the image of the coupon to the email by the consumer;

e) sending the email to the merchant by the consumer;

f) receiving the email by the merchant

g) accumulating and storing the email addresses of a plurality of consumers by the merchant from the emails that are received by the merchant seeking redemption of an electronic coupon; and

h) analyzing the stored emails to determine what responses might be sent to consumers that would benefit the merchant;

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a redeemed coupon provides the consumer with benefits and wherein the step of receiving the email by the merchant includes the step of verifying receipt of the email by the merchant prior to authorizing or awarding the benefit as provided by the coupon to the consumer.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of verifying receipt of the email by the merchant includes the step of verifying receipt of said at least a portion of the image of the coupon by the merchant prior to authorizing or awarding the benefit as provided by the coupon to the consumer.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of using the stored email addresses of the plurality of consumers includes the step of sending an email to the email address of one or more of the stored consumer email addresses by the merchant.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of sending an email to the email address of one or more consumers includes the step of sending a promotional communication to a consumer.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the merchant generates solicitations relating to price of goods and services and wherein the step of sending the communication to at least one of the consumers includes the step of sending a solicitation to such consumers relating to price of goods or services.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of sending an email to at least a portion of the email addresses includes the step of sending a communication to at least a portion of the stored email addresses of the plurality of consumers.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein the merchant generates solicitations relating to prices of goods and services and includes the step of sending a solicitation to at least a portion of the email addresses of the plurality of consumers, wherein the solicitation includes a revised electronic coupon or a notice about a sale or other change in the price of goods or services offered by the merchant.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of obtaining at least a portion of an image of the coupon includes displaying at least a portion of said image of the coupon on a display of a mobile computing device.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of displaying at least a portion of said image of the coupon on said display of said mobile computing device includes the step of showing at least a portion of said image of the coupon on said display to the merchant or to an employee of the merchant prior to the step of sending the email to the merchant.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of displaying said at least a portion of the image of the coupon on said display of said mobile computing device includes the step of displaying at least a portion of said image of the coupon on a cell phone.

12. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of obtaining at least a portion of the image of the coupon includes the step of displaying said at least a portion of the image of the coupon on a display of a cell phone or on a display of a mobile computing device.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of displaying said at least a portion of said image of the coupon on said display of said cell phone or on said display of said mobile computing device includes the step of displaying said at least a portion of said image of the coupon on said display of said cell phone and wherein said cell phone includes a microprocessor or a microcomputer or of displaying said at least a portion of said image of the coupon on said display of said mobile computing device and wherein said mobile computing device includes a microprocessor or a microcomputer.

14. The method of claim 4 including the step of providing a coupon in the form of a URL by the merchant and wherein sending the email to the merchant by the consumer with the URL address of the chosen coupon from the merchant'"'"'s website of the desired coupon.

15. The method as in claim 4 wherein the step of including in the email to the consumer a link to the merchant'"'"'s website includes sending a quick response symbol (QR) to the consumer and includes the step of sending a quick response symbol (QR code) of the chosen coupon in the email to the merchant.

16. A method for redeeming a merchant'"'"'s electronic coupon or offer by a consumer and providing email addresses of consumers to a merchant for the additional benefit of the merchant using an Internet, comprising the steps of:

a. sending an email to the merchant indicating what coupon the consumer wants to redeem;

b. redeeming the coupon or offer for the selected goods or services if it is valid;

c. accumulating and storing the emails received by the merchant from consumers seeking redemption; and

d. analyzing the stored emails to determine what responses might be sent by email to consumers that would benefit the merchant.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of analyzing the stored emails to determine what responses might be sent to consumers includes the step of sending an email to the email address of one or more of the stored consumer email addresses by the merchant.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of sending an email to the email address of one or more of the stored consumer email addresses includes the step of sending a promotional communication to the consumer.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the merchant generates solicitations relating to price of goods and services and wherein the step of sending the communication to at least one of the stored email address includes the step of sending a solicitation to such consumers relating to price of goods or services.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of sending an email to at least a portion of the stored email addresses includes the step of sending a communication to at least a portion of the stored email addresses of the plurality of consumers.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the merchant generates solicitations relating to prices of goods and services and includes the step of sending a solicitation to at least a portion of the email addresses of the plurality of consumers, wherein the solicitation includes a revised electronic coupon or a notice about a sale or other change in the price of goods or services offered by the merchant.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of analyzing the stored emails includes the step of analyzing the time of transmission of the stored emails to assess business patterns.

23. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of analyzing the stored emails includes the step of tracking and analyzing patterns of redemption of coupons.

24. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of analyzing the stored emails includes targeting groups of consumers most likely to be interested in the merchant'"'"'s products or services.