Fully integrated on-line interactive frequency and award redemption program

• US 6,009,412 A
• Filed: 06/25/1998
• Issued: 12/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Affinion Net Patents Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Netcentives Inc.
• Inventors: Storey, Thomas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Retta, Yehdega
• Application Number:
  US09/105,227
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/17
• US Class Current: 705/14.27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0219 based on funds or budget
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• 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 30/0234 Rebates after completed purchase
• 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: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

An fully integrated on-line frequency award program is disclosed. A user may access the program on-line and may browse a product catalog for shopping. The user may electronically place an order, upon which the program automatically checks the user'"'"'s credit and electronically issues a purchase order to the supplying company. The program also calculates award points, updates the award account of enrolled users, and communicates that number of awarded points to the user. Enrolled users may browse through an award catalog and electronically redeem an amount of awarded points towards an award. The program then electronically places an award redeeming order with the fulfillment house and updates the user'"'"'s award account.

Claims

1. A method for implementing an on-line incentive program, said method comprising the steps of:

providing an Internet webpage accessible to at least one user, via a computer system, for on-line interactive communications between said user and said Internet webpage;

offering, on said Internet webpage, at least one product for sale to said user;

determining whether said user qualifies for one or more award points based on said user'"'"'s response to purchase said at least one product;

calculating said award points according to a preprogrammed formula if said user qualifies for said award points; and

issuing said award points to an account of said user if said user qualifies for said award points, wherein said award points are redeemable by said user for an award.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of determining whether said user is enrolled in said incentive program.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the step of determining whether said user is enrolled in said incentive program comprises the step of checking a frequency database that comprises user enrollment information.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying to said user, via said computer system, said award points earned by said user.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying to said user, via said computer system, an amount of award points necessary to qualify for an incentive award.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of permitting a user to enroll in said on-line incentive program.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of providing said user with an on-line order form for ordering a product for purchase.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

establishing an on-line link to an order computer; and

sending electronically to said order computer information received from said on-line order form.

9. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving credit information from said user for purchase of said at least one product;

establishing an on-line link to a computer; and

sending electronically to said computer said credit information to verify available credit for said user.

10. A method for redeeming incentive awards in an on-line incentive program, said method comprising the steps of:

implementing an on-line incentive program that issues award points to users, wherein said award points are redeemable by said user for an award;

implementing an Internet webpage accessible, via a computer system, to at least one user of said on-line incentive program for on-line interactive communications between said user and said Internet webpage;

offering, on said Internet webpage, at least one redeemable award available to said user for exchange of said award points; and

permitting said user to initiate a process to receive said at least one redeemable award for exchange of said award points issued to said user through said on-line incentive program.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein the step of permitting said user to initiate a process to receive a redeemable award comprises the steps of:

accessing an account of said user;

redeeming a particular award for said user based on said points issued to said user if said user has earned sufficient points to qualify for said particular award; and

subtracting said points from said account of said user.

12. The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein the step of redeeming a particular award for said user comprises the steps of:

displaying, via said Internet webpage, a catalog of awards redeemable with said award points of said on-line incentive system; and

accepting a selection by said user that indicates an award from said catalog.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

providing said user with an on-line redeeming form comprising entries that specify an award for redeeming said award points; and

establishing an on-line link to an award computer; and

sending, via said on-line link, entries of said on-line redeeming form to said award computer.

14. The method as set forth in claim 10, further comprising the step of permitting a user to review an awards catalog from said Internet webpage that comprises awards redeemable for said award points.

15. The method as set forth in claim 10, further comprising the step of permitting a user to review an account from said Internet webpage for said user, wherein said account reflects an amount of said award points credited to said user.

16. The method as set forth in claim 10, further comprising the step of permitting a user to preview information about said on-line incentive program from said Internet webpage.

17. The method as set forth in claim 10, further comprising the step of permitting a user to apply for membership to said on-line incentive program from said Internet webpage.

18. A computer readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions, which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the steps of:

providing an Internet webpage accessible to at least one user, via a computer system, for on-line interactive communications between said user and said Internet webpage;

offering, on said Internet webpage, at least one product for sale to said user;

determining whether said user qualifies for one or more award points based on said user'"'"'s response to purchase said at least one product;

calculating said award points according to a preprogrammed formula if said user qualifies for said award points; and

issuing said award points to an account of said user if said user qualifies for said award points, wherein said award points are redeemable by said user for an award.

19. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 18, further comprising the computer to perform the step of determining whether said user is enrolled in said incentive program.

20. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 19, wherein the step of determining whether said user is enrolled in said incentive program comprises the step of checking a frequency database that comprises user enrollment information.

21. The computer readable medium for as set forth in claim 18, further comprising the step of displaying to said user, via said computer system, said award points earned by said user.

22. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 18, further comprising the step of displaying to said user, via said computer system, an amount of award points necessary to qualify for an incentive award.

23. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 18, further comprising the step of permitting a user to enroll in said on-line incentive program.

24. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 18, further comprising the step of providing said user with an on-line order form for ordering a product for purchase.

25. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 24, further comprising the steps of:

establishing an on-line link to an order computer; and

sending electronically to said order computer information received from said on-line order form.

26. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

receiving credit information from said user for purchase of said at least one product;

establishing an on-line link to a computer; and

sending electronically to said computer said credit information to verify available credit for said user.

27. A computer readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions, which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the steps of:

implementing an on-line incentive program that issues award points to users, wherein said award points are redeemable by said user for an award;

implementing an Internet webpage accessible, via a computer system, to at least one user of said on-line incentive program for on-line interactive communications between said user and said Internet webpage;

offering, on said Internet webpage, at least one redeemable award available to said user for exchange of said award points; and

permitting said user to initiate a process to receive said at least one redeemable award for exchange of said award points issued to said user through said on-line incentive program.

28. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 27, wherein the step of permitting said user to initiate a process to receive a redeemable award comprises the steps of:

accessing an account of said user;

redeeming a particular award for said user based on said points issued to said user if said user has earned sufficient points to qualify for said particular award; and

subtracting said points from said account of said user.

29. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 28, wherein the step of redeeming a particular award for said user comprises the steps of:

displaying, via said Internet webpage, a catalog of awards redeemable with said award points of said on-line incentive system; and

accepting a selection by said user that indicates an award from said catalog.

30. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 29, further comprising the steps of:

providing said user with an on-line redeeming form comprising entries that specify an award for redeeming said award points; and

establishing an on-line link to an award computer; and

sending, via said on-line link, entries of said on-line redeeming form to said award computer.

31. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 27, further comprising the step of permitting a user to review an awards catalog from said Internet webpage that comprises awards redeemable for said award points.

32. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 27, further comprising the step of permitting a user to review an account from said Internet webpage for said user, wherein said account reflects an amount of said award points credited to said user.

33. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 27, further comprising the step of permitting a user to preview information about said on-line incentive program from said Internet webpage.

34. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 27, further comprising the step of permitting a user to apply for membership to said on-line incentive program from said Internet webpage.

35. A computer system for implementing an on-line incentive program, said computer system comprising:

software for offering at least one product for sale to at least one user via an Internet webpage, said Internet webpage being accessible to said user for on-line interactive communications between said user and said Internet webpage; and

software for determining whether said user qualifies for one or more award points based on said user'"'"'s response to purchase said at least one product, for calculating said award points according to a preprogrammed formula if said user qualifies for said award points, and for issuing said award points to an account of said user if said user qualifies for said award points, wherein said award points are redeemable by said user for an award.

36. A computer system for implementing an on-line incentive program, said computer system comprising software for offering, on an Internet webpage, at least one redeemable award available to said user for exchange of at least one award point, and for permitting said user to initiate a process to receive at least one redeemable award for exchange of said award points, said award points being issued from said on-line incentive program, and said Internet webpage being accessible to said user for on-line interactive communications between said user and said Internet webpage.