Shopping center gift card offer fulfillment machine, program product, and associated methods
US8371502B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 28, 2009 |
| Grant date | Feb 12, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 21, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06Q30/02
- WIPO fieldIT methods for management
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Exemplary embodiments provide for offer fulfillment utilizing a shopping center gift card and an offer fulfillment machine. A cardholder obtains the gift card and registers with an issuer to receive offers, discounts, and promotions electronically. The machine activates the gift card's offer purse, a subaccount associated with an offer. The machine notifies a cardholder of the promotional offer. To redeem an offer, the cardholder presents the gift card as payment to a merchant. No coupons are necessary. No change to the merchant's POS terminal is necessary. The machine matches, in memory, the offer purse to a standard transaction approval request. The machine determines eligibility for the promotion and updates an amount associated with the offer purse to thereby satisfy at least in part from the offer purse the standard transaction approval request. A purchase purse, another gift card subaccount, can optionally provide any remaining amount for the transaction.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.