VOUCHER CODE REDEMPTION VIA SMS

• US 20130124306A1
• Filed: 11/14/2011
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Hutchinson, Martin, Singleton, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,612,356 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.47
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A voucher verification system is based on SMS message-based processing of voucher verifications by a central verification authority. Merchants may establish an account with the system and then register mobile communication devices and those of employees by sending an SMS-based registration request to the system. Once registered, the merchant and employees may verify the status of vouchers by sending SMS-base verification requests to the system. Verifications of voucher status are returned to the merchant mobile device via SMS messaging.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for verifying merchant issued vouchers, comprising:

receiving, at a computer, a registration request short message service (“

SMS”

) message from a mobile communication device, wherein the registration request SMS message comprises a merchant account identifier and a security code;

verifying, by the computer, that the merchant account identifier in the registration request SMS message matches a merchant account identifier stored in a merchant index and that the security code in the registration request SMS message matches a security code assigned to the merchant account identifier, thereby determining that the merchant account identifier and security code are associated with a merchant account;

linking, by the computer, a mobile device number of the mobile device with the merchant account in response to determining that the merchant account identifier and security code are associated with the merchant account;

generating, by the computer, a registration confirmation SMS message indicating that the mobile device is registered with the merchant account;

communicating, by the computer, the registration confirmation SMS message to the mobile device;

receiving, by the computer, a voucher verification request SMS message from a merchant mobile communication device, the voucher verification request SMS message comprising a voucher identifier for a voucher associated with the merchant account;

determining, by the computer, that the mobile device is registered with the merchant account;

identifying, by the computer, a voucher status of the voucher associated with the voucher identifier;

generating, by the computer, a voucher verification SMS message including the voucher status; and

communicating, by the computer, the voucher verification SMS message to the merchant mobile device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising storing, by the computer, a voucher record in a voucher index prior to receiving the voucher verification request SMS message, wherein the voucher record comprises the unique voucher identifier for the voucher.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the voucher record further comprises a limit on a number of times the voucher can be redeemed.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the voucher record further comprises an expiration date for the voucher.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the voucher status is valid or invalid, and wherein the voucher status is based on at least one of the previous number of times the voucher has been redeemed and whether the voucher has expired.

6. The computer-program product code of claim 1, further comprising updating the voucher status in the voucher record after a status of the voucher is identified as valid.

7. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for providing voucher verifications to a merchant comprising;

computer-readable program code for reading a voucher verification request short message service (“

SMS”

) message received from a merchant mobile device, the voucher verification request SMS message comprising a voucher identification number for a voucher;

computer-readable program code for identifying a voucher status of the voucher associated with the voucher identification number, wherein the voucher status is defined in a corresponding voucher record;

computer-readable program code for generating a verification SMS message to the merchant mobile device, wherein the verification SMS message indicates the voucher status of the voucher associated with the voucher identification number; and

computer-readable program code for communicating the verification SMS message to the mobile device.

8. The computer program product code of claim 7, further comprising

computer-readable program code for receiving a registration request SMS message from the mobile device prior to receiving the voucher verification request SMS message, wherein the registration request SMS message comprises a merchant account identifier;

computer-readable program code for determining whether the merchant account identifier in the registration request SMS message matches a merchant account identifier of a merchant account;

computer-readable program code for registering the mobile device with the merchant account in response to determining whether the merchant account identifier in the registration request SMS message matches the merchant account identifier of the merchant account;

computer-readable program code for generating a registration confirmation SMS message indicating that the mobile device is registered with the merchant account;

computer-readable program code for communicating the registration confirmation SMS message to the mobile device; and

computer-readable program code for determining that the mobile device is registered with the merchant account prior to identifying the voucher status.

9. The computer-program product code of claim 7, further comprising computer-readable program code for storing a voucher record prior to receiving the voucher verification request SMS message, wherein the voucher record comprises the unique voucher identifier for the voucher.

10. The computer-program product code claim 9, wherein the voucher record further comprises a limit on a number of times the voucher can be redeemed.

11. The computer-program product code of claim 9, wherein the voucher record further comprises an expiration date for the voucher.

12. The computer-program product code of claim 7, wherein the voucher status is defined as valid or invalid, and wherein the voucher status is based on at least one of a number of time the voucher has been redeemed and whether the voucher has expired.

13. The computer-program product code of claim 7, further comprising computer-readable program code for updating the voucher status in the voucher record after a status of the voucher is identified as valid.

14. A system for verification of merchant vouchers, comprising;

a short message service (“

SMS”

) communication module that receives from a merchant mobile device a registration and a voucher verification request SMS message and communicates to the merchant mobile device a corresponding registration verification or voucher verification SMS message, respectively;

a merchant account interface module that generates a user interface allowing a merchant to register for a merchant verification account and that processes registration request SMS messages received via the SMS communication module;

a merchant index that stores a merchant record for each merchant that registers for a merchant verification account;

a voucher verification module that validates voucher verification request SMS messages received via the SMS communication module and that generates voucher verification SMS messages that are communicated to the merchant mobile device via the SMS communication module; and

a voucher index that stores a set of voucher records corresponding to vouchers issued by one or more merchants, each voucher record comprising status information for a particular voucher.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a registered mobile device number index comprising merchant mobile device numbers registered with the system.