MOBILE COUPON ANALYSIS SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20140195318A1
• Filed: 01/02/2014
• Published: 07/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pointer, Barry F., Morea, Dominic, Horsma, Bengt, Wuhrer, Christopher, Myers, Jerome, Ho, Michelangelo R., Owen, Sarah
• Granted Patent: US 9,460,447 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.17
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for issuing and settling electronic coupons. A financial service host may receive authorization and settlement information, wherein the authorization and settlement information comprises an account number of the consumer. The account number may be linked to an account of the consumer enrolled in an electronic coupon program. The methods and system may also include transmitting a notification to the consumer that indicates the electronic coupon has been redeemed. A monetary value associated with the electronic coupon may be debited from an account linked to the merchant, and the account of the consumer may be credited with the monetary value associated with the electronic coupon.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A method, comprising:

transmitting, by a computer system to a mobile device, an electronic coupon that is linked to a discount monetary amount;

receiving, by the computer system, settlement data that is linked to a purchase transaction associated with a consumer financial account and at least includes merchant account information and an indicator associated with an account number of the consumer financial account;

validating, by the computer system, the electronic coupon based on the merchant account information and the indicator;

debiting, by the computer system, the discount monetary amount from a merchant account identified from the merchant account information; and

crediting, by the computer system, the discount monetary amount of the electronic coupon to the consumer financial account.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising enrolling the consumer financial account in a merchant electronic coupon program.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the electronic coupon is linked to a merchant or a group of merchants.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the consumer financial account is a stored value account.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the stored value account is held by a financial institution associated with the computer system.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving a response from the mobile device indicating acceptance of the electronic coupon.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising storing a record indicating the acceptance of the electronic coupon.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising transmitting to the mobile device a notification that the electronic coupon has been successfully redeemed.

10. A method, comprising:

identifying consumer enrollment in an electronic coupon program, wherein a merchant authorizes a coupon aggregator system to offer a plurality of consumers at least one electronic coupon for purchases from the merchant;

receiving, by a computer system, an account identifier, wherein;

the account identifier is linked to an account of a particular consumer,

the particular consumer has previously received an electronic coupon on a mobile device,

the electronic coupon is linked to a monetary discount, and

the account identifier is enrolled in the electronic coupon program of a financial institution; and

transmitting, by the computer system to another computer system, a settlement request for a purchase, wherein the settlement request comprises an indicator that indicates participation of the particular consumer in the electronic coupon program.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the account identifier is received at a point-of-sale device of a merchant from the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the mobile device comprises an RFID tag.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the account linked to the account identifier is credited with the monetary discount after the settlement request for the purchase has been transmitted by a merchant.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the coupon aggregator system is associated with the financial institution.