U.S. patent application number 10/688065 was filed with the patent office on 2004-07-15 for discount-instrument methods and systems.
This patent application is currently assigned to First Data Corporation. Invention is credited to Algiene, Kenneth, Baumgartner, David, McGee, Christopher R., Schwaner, Tanya.
Application Number | 20040138947 10/688065 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32042865 |
Filed Date | 2004-07-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040138947 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
McGee, Christopher R. ; et
al. |
July 15, 2004 |
Discount-instrument methods and systems
Abstract
Methods and systems are provided for implementing a program of
discount arrangements. Discount-arrangement information relating to
discount arrangements is maintained, with each discount arrangement
being associated with one of multiple merchants. Transaction
information related to a transaction at a point of sale is
received, with the transaction information identifying a merchant
party to the transaction. An identifier for a discount instrument
presented at the point of sale during the transaction is received.
A determination is made whether the merchant party is one of the
multiple merchants is made. Validation information is then returned
to the point of sale in accordance with the determination.
Inventors: |
McGee, Christopher R.;
(Parker, CO) ; Schwaner, Tanya; (Castle Rock,
CO) ; Baumgartner, David; (Parker, CO) ;
Algiene, Kenneth; (Littleton, CO) |
Correspondence
Address: |
TOWNSEND AND TOWNSEND AND CREW, LLP
TWO EMBARCADERO CENTER
EIGHTH FLOOR
SAN FRANCISCO
CA
94111-3834
US
|
Assignee: |
First Data Corporation
12500 East Belford Avenue
Englewood
CO
80112-5939
|
Family ID: |
32042865 |
Appl. No.: |
10/688065 |
Filed: |
October 16, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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10688065 |
Oct 16, 2003 |
|
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10268040 |
Oct 8, 2002 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/14.26 ;
705/14.38 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/02 20130101;
G06Q 30/0225 20130101; G06Q 30/0238 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/014 |
International
Class: |
G06F 017/60 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method for implementing a program of discount arrangements,
the method comprising: maintaining discount-arrangement information
relating to a plurality of discount arrangements, wherein each such
discount arrangement is associated with one of a plurality of
merchants; receiving transaction information related to a
transaction at a point of sale, the transaction information
identifying a merchant party to the transaction; receiving an
identifier for a discount instrument presented at the point of sale
during the transaction; making a determination whether the merchant
party is one of the plurality of merchants; and returning
validation information to the point of sale in accordance with the
determination.
2. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the validation information
comprises an indication that the merchant party is not one of the
plurality of merchants.
3. The method recited in claim 1 wherein: the merchant party is not
one of the plurality of merchants; and the validation information
comprises an indication that no discount is to be provided to the
transaction.
4. The method recited in claim 1 wherein: the merchant party is one
of the plurality of merchants; and the validation information
comprises an instruction to apply a discount in accordance with the
discount-arrangement information associated with the merchant
party.
5. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the merchant party is not
one of the plurality of merchants, the method further comprising
generating a record for recording transaction information related
to the merchant party.
6. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the merchant party is not
one of the plurality of merchants, the method further comprising
recording at least a portion of the transaction information in a
record associated with the merchant party.
7. The method recited in claim 6 further comprising identifying
criteria from the record associated with the merchant party for
initiation of marketing efforts with the merchant party.
8. The method recited in claim 1 further comprising recording at
least a portion of the transaction information in a database.
9. The method recited in claim 8 further comprising: analyzing
information in the database according to specified criteria; and
generating a summary report from the analyzed information.
10. The method recited in claim 9 further comprising distributing
the summary report to the merchant party.
11. The method recited in claim 9 wherein the criteria are
specified by the merchant party.
12. A computer system comprising: a storage device; a
communications device; a processor in communication with the
storage device and the communications device; and a memory coupled
with the processor, the memory comprising a computer-readable
storage medium having a computer-readable program embodied therein
for operating the computer system to manage a discount arrangement,
the computer readable program including: instructions for
maintaining on the storage device discount-arrangement information
relating to a plurality of discount arrangements, wherein each such
discount arrangement is associated with one of a plurality of
merchants; instructions for receiving with the communications
device transaction information related to a transaction at a point
of sale, the transaction information identifying a merchant party
to the transaction; instructions for receiving with the
communications device an identifier for a discount instrument
presented at the point of sale during the transaction; instructions
for making a determination with the processor whether the merchant
party is one of the plurality of merchants; and instructions for
returning validation information to the point of sale with the
communications device in accordance with the determination.
13. The computer system recited in claim 12 wherein the validation
information comprises an indication that the merchant party is not
one of the plurality of merchants.
14. The computer system recited in claim 12 wherein: the merchant
party is not one of the plurality of merchants; and the validation
information comprises an indication that no discount is to be
provided to the transaction.
15. The computer system recited in claim 12 wherein: the merchant
party is one of the plurality of merchants; and the validation
information comprises an instruction to apply a discount in
accordance with the discount-arrangement information associated
with the merchant party.
16. The computer system recited in claim 12 wherein the merchant
party is not one of the plurality of merchants, the
computer-readable program further including instructions for
generating a record for recording on the storage device transaction
information related to the merchant party.
17. The computer system recited in claim 12 wherein the merchant
party is not one of the plurality of merchants, the
computer-readable program further including instructions for
recording on the storage device at least a portion of the
transaction information in a record associated with the merchant
party.
18. The computer system recited in claim 17 wherein the
computer-readable program further includes instructions for
identifying criteria from the record associated with the merchant
party for initiation of marketing efforts with the merchant
party.
19. The computer system recited in claim 12 wherein the
computer-readable program further includes instructions for
recording at least a portion of the transaction information in a
database.
20. The computer system recited in claim 19 wherein the
computer-readable program further includes: instructions for
analyzing with the processor information in the database according
to specified criteria; and instructions for generating with the
processor a summary report from the analyzed information.
21. The computer system recited in claim 20 wherein the criteria
are specified by the merchant party.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/268,040, entitled "DISCOUNT-INSTRUMENT
METHODS AND SYSTEMS," filed Oct. 8, 2002 by Christopher R. McGee et
al., the entire disclosure of which in herein incorporated by
reference for all purposes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This application relates generally to discount instruments.
More specifically, this application relates to methods and systems
for providing discount instruments that may be used in fundraising
applications.
[0003] There are many organizations that rely on fundraising drives
or events to finance their operations. Common examples are seen in
school groups, such as athletic and other types of clubs, that use
fundraising techniques to finance the purchase of uniforms,
equipment, and travel, among other expenses. These school groups
may engage in fundraising activities regardless of their level,
including elementary-school, secondary-school, and university-level
groups. Moreover, fundraising activities are often used by other
types of groups to finance their activities, including, for
example, scouting and social organizations. While many such groups
are children's groups, there are also adult groups that rely on
similar fundraising activities for financial support.
[0004] A persistent problem faced by fundraising organizations is
the need to find a fundraising program that is sufficiently
appealing to raise the desired funds. In some instances,
organizations may rely on donations of a purely charitable nature,
although it is often believed that the fundraising is more
successful when the donor acquires something of value in exchange.
Accordingly, many fundraising drives typically take the form of
having individuals in the organization sell a product to customers,
with the organization taking some of the profit from the sale.
There are a wide variety of products that may be sold, common
examples of which include magazine subscriptions, cookies, and
candy. While these approaches do have some success, they usually
rely on a partnership between the fundraising organization and the
regular producer of the product. To accommodate the funds retained
by the fundraising organization, the cost of the products may be
greater to the consumer than if they were purchased elsewhere
and/or the profit provided to the regular producer may be lower
than is usual for a comparable purchase. Both of these factors act
to limit the overall success of the fundraising activity.
[0005] There is accordingly a need in the art for methods and
systems that limit the negative impact of these factors.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Embodiments of the invention thus provide for
discount-instrument methods and systems. In some instances, the
discount instruments used by such methods and systems may result
from a fundraising activity, but this is not a requirement. The
result of such a fundraising activity is to provide customers with
a discount instrument that may be used with merchants to obtain
discounts on goods and/or services. In other instances, customers
may acquire such a discount instrument through other means. In
embodiments of the invention, the customer presents the discount
instrument to the merchant to obtain the discount. The merchant
ascertains whether the discount instrument is active and determines
an applicable discount to be applied to a transaction.
[0007] In a first set of embodiments, a method is provided to apply
a discount to a transaction. An identifier is extracted from a
discount instrument, such as by reading a magnetic strip on the
discount instrument, and is transmitted to a host system from a
point of sale. The identifier may, for example, comprise an account
number extracted from the discount instrument, which may be a
plastic card. The transmission to the host system may, for example,
take the form of an authorization. A validation is received from
the host system for the discount instrument and the transaction is
modified in accordance with a discount arrangement associated with
the discount instrument. The transaction modification may be
dictated by discounting information included on the discount
instrument, such as in the form of a bar code or otherwise.
Alternatively, the transaction modification may be dictated by
discounting information received from the host system. The
transaction modification may take a variety of different forms,
examples of which include a uniform reduction in transaction cost
by a predetermined percentage or through a full-cost deduction of
at least one item comprised by the transaction.
[0008] In a second set of embodiments, a method is provided to
apply a discount to a transaction. Information relating to a
discount arrangement is extracted from a discount instrument at a
point of sale. The transaction is modified in accordance with the
discount arrangement and information relating to the discount
arrangement is updated on the discount instrument. In one such
embodiment, the information relating to the discount arrangement is
extracted from a chip on the discount instrument. In another
embodiment, the information relating to the discount arrangement is
updated by writing information onto the chip. The transaction may
be modified by applying a uniform cost reduction by a predetermined
percentage or through a full-cost deduction of at least one item
comprised by the transaction.
[0009] The above methods may be implemented with a point-of-sale
device having a housing with a display screen, a data-entry device,
a memory, a communications device, and a processor coupled with the
data-entry device, the memory, and the communications device. Such
a point-of-sale device may be configured to perform the methods
described above.
[0010] In a third set of embodiments, a method is provided for
managing a discount arrangement. Information relating to the
discount arrangement is maintained. An identifier for a discount
instrument presented during a transaction is received from a point
of sale, and a determination is made whether the identifier
identifies an active discount instrument. If so, information for
the discount arrangement is transmitted back to the point of sale
to identify the discount instrument as an active discount
instrument. The discount arrangement may define a variety of
different transaction modifications, examples of which include a
uniform reduction in transaction cost by a predetermined percentage
or a full-cost deduction of at least one item comprised by the
transaction. In some embodiments, the information relating to the
discount arrangement may also be updated.
[0011] In some embodiments, the methods may include provisions to
accommodate nonparticipating merchants. In these embodiments, a
method is provided for implementing a program of discount
arrangements. Discount-arrangement information relating to a
plurality of discount arrangements is maintained, with each such
discount arrangement being associated with one of a plurality of
merchants. Transaction information related to a transaction at a
point of sale is received, with the transaction information
identifying a merchant party to the transaction. An identifier for
a discount instrument presented at the point of sale during the
transaction is received. A determination is made whether the
merchant party is one of the plurality of merchants is made.
Validation information is then returned to the point of sale in
accordance with the determination.
[0012] The validation information may comprise an indication that
the merchant party is not one of the plurality of merchants. In
instances where the merchant party is one of the plurality of
merchants, the validation information may comprise an instruction
to apply a discount in accordance with the discount-arrangement
information associated with the merchant party. In some instances
where the merchant party is not one of the plurality of merchants,
the validation information comprises an indication that no discount
is to be provided to the transaction. In other instances where the
merchant party is not one of the plurality of merchants, a record
may be generated for recording transaction information related to
the merchant party. Where such a record already exists, the method
may comprise recording at least a portion of the transaction
information in the record. Criteria may be identified from the
record for initiation of marketing efforts with the merchant party.
More generally, at least a portion of the transaction information
may be recorded in a database. The information in the database may
be analyzed according to specified criteria, and a summary report
may be generated from the analyzed information. In some instances,
the criteria may have been specified by the merchant party.
[0013] These methods may be embodied in a computer-readable storage
medium having a computer-readable program embodied therein for
directing operation of a computer system. Such a computer system
may include a processor, a storage device, and a communications
system. The computer-readable program includes instructions for
operating the computer system to manage a discount arrangement in
accordance with the embodiments described above.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the
present invention may be realized by reference to the remaining
portions of the specification and the drawings wherein like
reference numerals are used throughout the several drawings to
refer to similar components. In some instances, a sublabel is
associated with a reference numeral and follows a hyphen to denote
one of multiple similar components. When reference is made to a
reference numeral without specification to an existing sublabel, it
is intended to refer to all such multiple similar components.
[0015] FIG. 1A is a block-diagram representation of an arrangement
for implementing a discounting program in accordance with an
embodiment of the invention;
[0016] FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram of a point-of-sale device
that may be used with embodiments of the invention;
[0017] FIG. 1C is a schematic representation of an embodiment of a
discounting process using the arrangement shown in FIG. 1A in the
context of fundraising activity;
[0018] FIG. 2A is a flow diagram of an embodiment of the
discounting process that corresponds generally to the
representation of FIG. 1B;
[0019] FIG. 2B is a flow diagram of an embodiment of the invention
that tracks information related to nonparticipating merchants;
[0020] FIG. 2C is a flow diagram of an embodiment of the invention
that provides reporting functions; and
[0021] FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a computer system on
which methods of the invention may be embodied.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0022] Embodiments of the invention provide discount-instrument
methods and systems, including usage validation and tracking
capabilities. In some of the discussion that follows, examples of
the use of such discount instruments is provided, for illustrative
purposes, in the context of fundraising programs. It will be
appreciated, however, that the invention is not limited to
fundraising applications and applies more generally to discount
instruments regardless of how they may be obtained by customers. In
some embodiments, the discount instrument may take the form of a
plastic card similar in structure to a credit card or debit card.
In fundraising applications, this card may be sold by individuals
of a fundraising organization to customers, who may then use the
card to obtain discounts on purchases of goods and/or services at
one or more merchants. The card provides the customers with
benefits in accordance with a specific discount arrangement,
although this discount arrangement may vary among cards. As used
herein, the term "discount arrangement" is intended to be construed
broadly as any arrangement that provides for a modification of a
transaction that benefits a customer. Examples of discount
arrangements include provisions that uniformly reduce the cost of
transactions either by a percentage amount or predetermined fixed
amount, provide "buy one, get one free" or "buy one, get the second
at half price" arrangements, and the like. In addition, the benefit
provided at each merchant may differ, with one providing a 5%
discount, for example, and another providing a free product (such
as a free order of popcorn at a movie theater).
[0023] One structure that may be used to enable such embodiments is
shown schematically with a block diagram in FIG. 1A. In this
figure, the general operation of a fundraising system is
coordinated with a host system 110. The host system 110 is
controlled by a coordination entity 112 that may be responsible for
different functions in different embodiments. In a simple
embodiment, the host system 110 acts only to coordinate whether the
status of individual discount instruments is active or inactive,
but in other embodiments it performs further functions, such as
tracking and reporting usage information. The host system 110 may
additionally maintain information related to the implementation of
the system on a database 114 and may use that information to
provide discount instructions to a merchant 122 in accordance with
the system when a customer 126 presents one of the discount
instruments. The host system 110 may also be equipped to modify the
implementation information as dictated by a merchant.
[0024] Interaction between the host system 110 and the merchant 122
and customer 126 may be effected with a point-of-sale device 118 at
a location of the merchant. Generally, the point-of-sale device 118
is equipped to read information from one of the discount
instruments and to transmit that information to the host system
110. The host system 110 may then provide a response to the
point-of-sale device 118 with a validation or denial of the
request. Thus, in an embodiment where the discount instrument
comprises a plastic card with a magnetic strip, the point-of-sale
device 118 may include a magnetic-strip reader. In other
embodiments, the discount instrument may include other features,
such as magnetic ink, a bar code, optical indicia, or the like,
that the point-of-sale device 118 is equipped to read with
magnetic-ink readers, bar-code readers, optical readers, or similar
reading devices. In some embodiments, the point-of-sale device 118
may also be equipped to exchange information with a financial
institution to coordinate payment by the customer 126 for an
associated transaction, such as when the customer pays for the
transaction with a credit card, debit card, check, or other
instrument. Examples of point-of-sale devices that include multiple
capabilities for extracting information from such transaction
instruments and/or discount instruments are provided in the
following commonly assigned applications, the entire disclosures of
which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes: U.S.
Prov. Pat. Appl. No. 60/147,889, entitled "INTEGRATED POINT OF SALE
DEVICE," filed Aug. 9, 1999 by Randy J. Templeton et al.; U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 09/634,901, entitled "POINT OF SALE
PAYMENT SYSTEM," filed Aug. 9, 2000 by Randy J. Templeton et al.;
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/116,689, entitled "SYSTEMS AND
METHODS FOR PERFORMING TRANSACTIONS AT A POINT-OF-SALE," filed Apr.
3, 2002 by Earney Stoutenburg et al.; U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 10/116,733, entitled "SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DEPLOYING A
POINT-OF-SALE SYSTEM," filed Apr. 3, 2002 by Earney Stoutenburg et
al.; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/116,686, entitled "SYSTEMS
AND METHODS FOR UTILIZING A POINT-OF-SALE SYSTEM," filed Apr. 3,
2002 by Earney Stoutenburg et al.; and U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 10/116,735, entitled "SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONFIGURING A
POINT-OF-SALE SYSTEM," filed Apr. 3, 2002 by Earney
Stoutenburg.
[0025] One specific example of how the point-of-sale device 118 may
be constructed is illustrated in FIG. 1B. The point-of-sale device
118 comprises a housing 156 having a keypad 158 for entering
various types of information. The keys of the keypad 158 may permit
the entry of numbers or letters, or may be function keys for
performing various functions. The point-of-sale device 118 further
includes a display screen 160 for displaying information relating
to a transaction and/or to a discount. A card reader 162 may also
be provided for reading information from cards. The point-of-sale
device 118 may communicate with the host system 110 using any of a
wide variety of communications systems, such as by a phone network,
a wide-area network such as the Internet, a local-area network, a
wireless network, and the like.
[0026] In addition to these structural elements of the system, FIG.
1A illustrates how the system may be used in fundraising
applications by additionally showing the fundraising organization
102 and individual participant fundraisers 106. The interaction of
fundraising organization 102 and the individual fundraisers with
the host system 110, merchants 122, and customers 126 is indicated
through the use of dotted lines in the diagram.
[0027] FIGS. 1C and 2A depict the implementation of a typical
fundraising transaction that uses the arrangement shown in FIG. 1A.
FIG. 1C schematically shows the flow of interactions between
different components of the structure while FIG. 2A provides a flow
diagram that details a specific implementation in an embodiment.
The steps shown in FIG. 2A are divided into two columns. The left
column shows an example of how customers may acquire discount
instruments as part of a fundraising program and the right column
shows an example of how a customer with an authenticated discount
instrument may use it to obtain discounts. The steps shown in the
right column may thus be used to obtain discounts even if the
discount instrument is acquired by the customer in a manner other
than as part of a fundraising program. The solid-line arrows in
FIG. 1C correspond to the blocks in the flow diagram of FIG. 2A.
The following description of an exemplary transaction thus makes
reference to both FIGS. 1C and 2A simultaneously.
[0028] As indicated at block 204, the initiation of a fundraising
program according to an embodiment of the invention begins with
establishing an arrangement between the fundraising organization
102 and the coordination entity 112 and/or one or more merchants
122. Such an arrangement is an example of a discount arrangement
that specifies the conditions under which the discount program may
operate: which merchants are to participate, what discount benefits
those merchants are to provide, what time limits may apply, etc. In
some instances, the coordination entity 112 may have one or more
preconfigured arrangements from which the fundraising organization
102 selects. After determining what discount arrangement is to be
used, further participation by the fundraising organization 102 may
be as simple as selling discount instruments to customers for a
price in accordance with the discount arrangement. A portion of the
price for each discount instrument is retained by the fundraising
organization 102 and the remainder is retained by the coordination
entity 112.
[0029] Thus, at block 208, the coordination entity 112 provides a
plurality of discount instruments to the fundraising organization
102 for it to sell. In some embodiments, the discount instruments
may comprise cards with magnetic strips, although the use of other
forms for the discount instruments is also within the scope of the
invention. In some embodiments the discount instruments are
inactive when they are provided at block 208, thereby preventing
their fraudulent use should any of them be lost or stolen, although
in other embodiments they may be active. In one embodiment, the
discount instruments are ensured to be inactivate by assigning a
unique identifier to each discount instrument and designating it as
inactive in the database 114. In some embodiments, the unique
identifier may correspond to an account number. The primary
activity of the fundraising organization 102 is carried out at
block 216 as individual fundraisers 106 sell the discount
instruments to customers 126. Such sales may be made in any
suitable fashion, including through door-to-door solicitation,
mail-order sales, sales at shopping malls, etc.
[0030] After the discount instruments have been sold to customers
126, the individual fundraisers 106 notify the fundraising
organization 102 at block 220 of which discount instruments have
been sold and require activation, if applicable. This information
may be accumulated from multiple individual fundraisers 106 so that
the fundraising organization conveys a summary of the information
to the coordination entity 112 at block 224. This may be done in a
variety of different ways. In one embodiment, the host system 110
includes an interface for connection with the Internet, which is
then used by the fundraising organization to identify which of the
discount instruments should be activated. In other embodiments, a
telephone interface may alternatively use dual-tone
multiple-frequency ("DTMF") tones to convey the information. In
still other embodiments, the information may be conveyed to a
representative of the coordination entity 112 who enters it into
the host system 110. Regardless of how the information identifying
which cards have been sold is provided to the host system 110, the
host system 110 activates the respective discount instruments at
block 228. Such activation may be achieved by removing the
"inactive" designation for each of the discount instruments in the
database 114, for example.
[0031] After each of the steps shown in the left column of FIG. 2A,
each customer 126 who has purchased one of the discount instruments
may now use it in conjunction with transactions as set forth in the
discount arrangement. In one embodiment, for example, the discount
arrangement may provide that customers receive a discount on all
items purchased from a particular merchant 122. Thus, at block 232
the customer 126 makes a purchase of goods and/or services at one
of the participating merchants 122. As part of the transaction, the
customer 126 provides the discount instrument so that it may be
swiped at the point-of-sale device 118 at block 236. The
point-of-sale device 118 reads identification information from the
discount instrument, such as by reading an identifier from a
magnetic strip. This identification information is conveyed to the
host system 110 at block 240 so that the host system 110 may verify
the validity of the discount instrument and retrieve activation
information at block 244. A validation is returned to the
point-of-sale device at block 248 so that the appropriate discount
may be applied.
[0032] Actual application of the discount may be performed
differently in different embodiments, depending on the
configuration of the host system 110. For example, in one
embodiment, the identification provided by the point-of-sale device
118 to the host system 110 at block 240 may be in the form of an
authorization, a specific form of which is a balance-inquiry
function, with the validation returned at block 248 indicating only
that the discount instrument has been activated. In such an
instance, the merchant may collect specific discounting information
from the discount instrument itself to apply the discount. The
information may be printed on the discount instrument so that the
merchant keys the discount into the point-of-sale device 118.
Alternatively, the information may be encoded on the discount
instrument, such as in the form of a bar code, that may be read
with the point-of-sale device 118.
[0033] In other embodiments, details of the discount arrangement
may be stored in the database 114 connected with the host system
110. In such instances, the validation information returned to the
point-of-sale device 118 at block 248 may include not only an
indication that the discount instrument has been activated, but
also the applicable discount for that instrument. In such an
embodiment, the point-of-sale device 118 may then apply the
discount automatically without further action on the part of the
merchant. For example, if the discount arrangement indicates that
the merchant is to offer a 5% discount on all merchandise, the
point-of-sale device 118 may apply that discount automatically. If,
instead, the discount arrangement indicates that a certain product
should be provided free of charge, the point-of-sale device 118 may
reduce the total cost of the transaction by the cost of that
product.
[0034] In instances where such detailed information regarding the
discount arrangement is stored at the database 114, it may be
appropriate for the information to be updated in response to the
transaction. Thus, in such instances, the host system 110 updates
the database 114 in accordance with the use of the discount
instrument at block 252. For example, if the fundraising
arrangement provides for a 5% discount at a particular merchant
only three times, the database 114 is updated to record that an
additional one of those times has been used; if the customer 126
attempts to use the discount instrument a fourth time, the host
system 110 will not instruct the point-of-sale device 118 to apply
the discount. Similarly, if the fundraising arrangement provides
for a free product only once, the database 114 is updated to record
that that portion of the fundraising arrangement has been satisfied
and that the product should not be provided free in the future. The
updating may also record information about the use of the discount
instrument. Such information may be used in evaluating the
popularity of different components of fundraising arrangements to
improve offerings in the future. Such evaluations may themselves be
performed with broad or narrow demographic limitations, providing
the coordination entity 112 and/or the merchants 122 with useful
marketing information.
[0035] There are other techniques that may alternatively be used
for activating discount instruments in other embodiments. For
example, the activation could be performed the first time the
customer uses the discount instrument rather than activating it in
advance. It is also possible for the discount instrument to be
activated before it is ever sold to a customer. In some instances,
the activation is performed as a batch activation of a plurality of
cards at one time.
[0036] In some embodiments, methods of invention provide for
identifying and responding to merchants that do not participate in
the program of discount arrangements. For example, a customer who
has purchased one of the discount instruments may present it at a
variety of merchants with the hope that they participate, even
though some of them may not. FIG. 2B thus uses a flow diagram to
provide an illustration of how methods for accommodating
nonparticipating merchants may be integrated with the method
illustrated in FIG. 2A in some embodiments. After the host system
110 has retrieved activation information for the discount
instrument at block 244 of FIG. 2A, a check may be performed at
block 256 whether the merchant identified with the point-of-sale
device 118 is a participating merchant. If so, the method continues
as previously described at block 248 of FIG. 2A.
[0037] If, however, the merchant is identified as a
nonparticipating merchant, records may be maintained for the number
of times customers attempt to use the discount instruments with
that merchant, when they attempt to use them (by day of week, time
of day, or other criteria), the types and dollar-amounts of
transactions, their locations, etc. Accordingly, a check is made at
block 260 whether any record has already been established for the
identified nonparticipating merchant. If not, such a record is
established at block 262 for use when the same merchant is
subsequently identified. At block 264, relevant transaction
information is added to the record for that merchant. It is
generally desirable to record as much information as possible from
the transaction information to leave open as much versatility as
possible for use of the information. In some instances, however, it
may be appropriate to record only portions of the information where
its uses are well known in advance, such as through past experience
in use of the information. At block 268, the host system 110
returns nonvalidation information back to the point-of-sale device
118 so that the customer may be informed that the merchant does not
participate at block 272.
[0038] Notification of the merchant's nonparticipation may well
cause the customer to develop a negative impression of the
merchant, at least to the extent that the customer may be inclined
to patronize merchants from whom a discount may be obtained with
the discount instrument. Over time, the collection of information
by the host system 110 may thus be used to identify possible
merchant candidates for marketing efforts. These marketing efforts
may use the collected information to demonstrate to the merchant
statistical information on numbers of customers who would like to
use the instruments, the size of transactions implicated, temporal
and geographic distributions of such attempts, and the like. As
indicated at block 276, in some instances the host system 110
itself may be configured to identify specific criteria that have
been satisfied to prompt initiation of such marketing efforts. Such
criteria may include threshold numbers of customers presenting the
instruments at the nonparticipating merchant, threshold transaction
values, separate threshold values in localized geographic locations
or localized time periods, and other correlations. In this way,
embodiments of the invention contemplate mechanisms for increasing
the value of the program of discount arrangements by increasing the
pool of participating merchants.
[0039] In other embodiments, the host system 110 may make similar
use of information collected from transactions that involve
participating merchants. One such embodiment is illustrated in FIG.
2C, in which the host system 110 systematically adds transaction
information to a database at block 284. While the value of stored
transaction information is generally greater when it is more
complete, in some instances it may be collected selectively. For
example, in some embodiments, all transaction information that is
received by the host system 110, whether from a participating or
nonparticipating merchant, is collected. In other embodiments, only
transaction information received from a participating merchant is
collected. In still other embodiments, only transaction information
meeting certain specified criteria, based on such factors as
transaction size, time, location, and the like, is collected.
[0040] The collected information is periodically analyzed according
to specified criteria, as indicated at block 288. Such analysis is
intended to digest the large volume of accumulated information
using recognized statistical techniques to permit actual behaviors
and trends to be identified. A summary of such information may be
presented in the form of a summary report for distribution to
relevant parties. For example, a summary report limited to
information about a particular merchant may be distributed to that
merchant. This allows the merchant to evaluate the effectiveness of
its participation in the program and perhaps to modify the types of
discount arrangements it wishes to offer. To facilitate such
evaluations, the analysis performed at block 288 and the summary
report generated at block 292 may be performed according to
criteria specified in advance by the merchant. A summary report may
also be distributed to the coordination entity 112 to allow it to
evaluate the effectiveness of the program as a whole. Such an
evaluation may suggest changes to improve the program in terms of
the types of discounts offered, the types of merchants included,
and the like.
[0041] FIG. 3 provides a schematic illustration of a structure that
may be used to implement the host system 110. Other structures that
may be used are, for example, structures provided by IPS Card
Solutions d/b/a ValueLink. FIG. 3 broadly illustrates how
individual system elements may be implemented in a separated or
more integrated manner. The host system is shown comprised of
hardware elements that are electrically coupled via bus 326,
including a processor 302, an input device 304, an output device
306, the database 114, a computer-readable storage media reader
310a, a communications system 314, a processing acceleration unit
316 such as a DSP or special-purpose processor, and a memory 318.
The computer-readable storage media reader 310a is further
connected to a computer-readable storage medium 310b, the
combination comprehensively representing remote, local, fixed,
and/or removable storage devices plus storage media for temporarily
and/or more permanently containing computer-readable information.
The communications system 314 may comprise a wired, wireless,
modem, and/or other type of interfacing connection and permits data
to be exchanged with the Internet, DTMF processor, cable processor,
and/or point-of-sale devices 118 as described in connection with
FIGS. 1A-2C.
[0042] The host system 110 also comprises software elements, shown
as being currently located within working memory 320, including an
operating system 324 and other code 322, such as a program designed
to implement methods of the invention. It will be apparent to those
skilled in the art that substantial variations may be made in
accordance with specific requirements. For example, customized
hardware might also be used and/or particular elements might be
implemented in hardware, software (including portable software,
such as applets), or both. Further, connection to other computing
devices such as network input/output devices may be employed.
[0043] In another set of embodiments, the use of a host system may
be avoided. For example, the discount instrument may comprise a
chip card (sometimes referred to as a "smart" card) that includes a
chip on which information may be stored and retrieved. In such an
embodiment, the chip acts as a surrogate for the host system,
retaining information regarding the activation of the discount
instrument and possibly also specific information regarding the
applicable discount arrangement. This information may or may not be
subject to updating depending on the nature of the discount
arrangement. The chip card may be used in much the same way as
described above, with the information being extracted and/or
modified with a chip-card reader/writer comprised by the
point-of-sale device 118. The operation of the point-of-sale device
118 is similar to that described previously except that it
functions in response to information extracted only from the
discount instrument rather than also in response to information
received from the host system.
[0044] Exemplary Discount Arrangements
[0045] The systems and methods described above permit the
implementation of a number of different types of discount
arrangements. The following two examples of a "discount card"
arrangement and a "coupon card" arrangement are intended merely as
illustrations. Other arrangements will be evident to those of skill
in the art after reading this description.
[0046] In one embodiment, the discount arrangement provides
discount cards, which may, for example, be sold by a fundraising
organization 102. The cost of the discount cards charged to
customers is $10, of which $5 is retained by the fundraising
organization 102 and $5 is retained by the coordination entity 112.
The discount cards provide for a 5% discount on merchandise
purchased at Merchant A and a 10% discount on merchandise at
Merchant B. These merchants have previously agreed to participate
in the arrangement with the coordination entity 112 because of the
enhanced visibility that their participation provides. In this
example, the discount cards are limited in time by a year (or other
set time period) to encourage annual repurchases by customers
during subsequent fundraising drives. After customers purchase the
discount cards from individual fundraisers and the cards are
validated, they may use them as described above to receive
discounts at Merchants A and B. In an embodiment where only an
authorization is performed by the merchant to ensure that the
discount card has been activated, the specific discount information
may be encoded in two bar codes that are included on the card in
addition to the magnetic stripe--one of the bar codes encodes the
discount for Merchant A and the other bar code encodes the discount
for Merchant B. Alternatively, the actual discounts may be printed
on the card for each merchant. In an embodiment where the host
system maintains information regarding the discount arrangement, it
may return the appropriate discount rate to the point-of-sale
device as part of the verification function.
[0047] In another embodiment, a discount arrangement provides
coupon cards, which may be sold by a fundraising organization 102.
The cost of the coupon cards charged to customers is $10, of which
$5 is retained by the fundraising organization 102 and $5 is
retained by the coordination entity 112. The coupon cards provide
for a wide range of one-time discounts off specifically identified
products purchased at any merchant. The cards may be advertised to
the customers as having, say, a total value of $125 worth of
coupons. After customers purchase the coupon cards from individual
fundraisers and the cards are validated, they may use them as
described above to redeem each of the one-time discounts at any
merchant that has a point-of-sale device capable of communication
with the host system 110. In one embodiment, the limitation that
the cards be used for one-time discounts is enforced by having the
host system 110 manage the discount arrangement and update records
on the database 114 each time the card is used.
[0048] For each of these embodiments, the usage of the cards may be
collected as authorizations are provided by the host system 110 for
their use. This usage information may include a record of the use
of each card at each merchant, with an indication of the date,
time, and specific store at which it was used. Software maintained
by the host system may perform analytical functions to summarize
the information to provide it to the merchants or may provide raw
data to merchants for them to perform their own analytical
functions. In this way, merchants participating in the program may
receive information valuable in the analysis of their business
practices.
[0049] Thus, having described several embodiments, it will be
recognized by those of skill in the art that various modifications,
alternative constructions, and equivalents may be used without
departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the above
description should not be taken as limiting the scope of the
invention, which is defined in the following claims.
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