Dynamic time-of-purchasing-decision incentive system and method

Abstract

A system and method that provides suppliers or sellers with a competitive opportunity to influence consumers at the precise moment a purchasing decision is being made. A consumer using a personal wireless device (110), which has an integrated bar code scanner (120), scans the bar code of a product in a store. The device, using wireless communication (420), sends the scanned product information and a consumer ID to a processing application (430). The processing application (430) sends a profile of the consumer's past shopping behavior, the scanned product information and other data to each interested supplier's competitive incentive offer engine (470). Each supplier's incentive engine determines the optimal incentive to offer and returns this data to the processing application (430) where the incentives are collectively sent back to the consumer's device (110) using wireless communication (421). The device displays the competing incentives and the consumer selects one or more of the incentives presented and repeats this process throughout the store. Upon checkout, a bar code identifying the store and point of sale register is scanned and the incentives are redeemed by scanning them into the store's point of sale register like conventional printed coupons via a display (240) on the device that dynamically renders standard coupon bar codes. The redeemed incentives are then sent from the device to the processing application using wireless communication (422) where they are reconciled and the store is given credit for the redeemed values.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This is a continuation of patent application Ser. No. 10 / 071,537, filed on Feb. 5, 2002 which also claims the benefit of the Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 268,199 filed Feb. 12, 2001.FIELD OF INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to a dynamic time-of-purchasing-decision incentive system and method, and more particularly, to a wireless system and method whereby one or more customized incentives are communicated to a shopper at the precise moment in time when the purchasing decision is being made.DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART[0003]Price is often a significant motivating factor in purchasing decisions. Therefore, product suppliers, such as manufacturers and retailers, frequently resort to the mass distribution of printed discount coupons in an effort to entice shoppers to consider purchasing their products. In most instances, such coupons are printed on paper and are distributed to shoppers sometimes together with discount coupons for other produ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0018]Accordingly, the system and method according to the present invention provide many objects, advantages and improvements over the prior art. Unlike the inefficiencies and waste associated with printing and distributing paper coupons, this system will afford far more efficient, effective and targeted incentives. Combining the real-time knowledge of what a shopper is contemplating buying (that being the product scanned) and the immediacy of the electronic delivery of the incentive allows every incentive to be truly relevant and targeted to each shopper. Additionally, the CIP that is provided enables the supplier to generate a targeted offer designed to maximize the effect of the incentive for the lowest possible cost. Issuing incentives at the moment the purchase decision is being made also improves on the current process of printing coupons for the shopper at the POS system, which provide incentives long after the purchase decisions have been made.

[0019]The present invention also alleviates the problems for consumers not willing to search for, collect, and collate discount coupons. Triggered by a shopper scanning a product, every coupon is generated in real time and then presented to the shopper electronically within seconds. Every time they go shopping they will receive new coupons as they demonstrate a need for them. Consumers who may find the collection and use of printed discount coupons to be embarrassing will very possibly find the present invention interesting and fun to use. Some consumers will find using the bar code scanner in the sophisticated wireless device entertaining in and of itself. Others will be attracted to the element of surprise and reward when receiving real-time discounts each time they scan a product. And since incentives are issued at the moment a shopper scans a product, shoppers will no longer be frustrated by making a purchasing decision based in part on a discount coupon only to discover upon checkout that the discount coupon has expired.

[0020]Stores will no longer need to face the challenges associated with the physical management of redeemed printed discount coupons of differing sizes or materials because the incentives generated are electronic in nature. The redemption and reconciliation process is completed without physical coupons but rather through the wireless transmission of data. Reimbursement from the product supplier or other parties will also be accomplished electronically thereby minimizing errors and allowing funds from redeemed incentives to be processed and deposited in the store's accounts more rapidly thereby improving cash flow for the store. The elimination of the traditional physical coupon, in all of its varieties, also eliminates the expenses associated with coupon clearinghouses and their services.

[0021]Each redeemed inventive is recorded in a database and enables the linking of a specific user, store, POS register, date and time of purchase together. This data chain allows most critical aspects of the transaction to be audited thereby enabling suppliers to detect fraudulent incentive redemption and reduce the costs related to this type of fraud. With the present invention, suppliers would also have the ultimate real-time control of the incentives being offered and near immediate feedback regarding their effectiveness. The incentives have a limited lifetime measured in hours instead of days or months, so current over-redemption problems frequently associated with traditional coupons are completely negated. This precise degree of control removes the risks associated with estimating the total redemption for printed coupons and eliminates costly coupon-redemption insurance frequently purchased by suppliers to offset their risks.

[0022]The present invention further addresses the problems presented to the store in prior art references. Many prior art and patented solutions require that stores purchase expensive hardware or install apparatus that takes up valuable floor space. These existing systems often require costly integration with store's POS system and may require additional technical staff to maintain it. In the preferred embodiment, the present invention only requires that a small bar code sticker be placed on or near each POS system in the store. The preferred embodiment of the present invention requires no additional store-based hardware, uses no additional floor space, integrates seamlessly with existing POS systems common in the industry, and incurs no additional maintenance costs for the store.

Problems solved by technology

There are some significant disadvantages to the existing process that the prior art has not been able to successfully overcome.

The costs incurred by suppliers to print and distribute discount coupons are substantial.

Individualized mailings that are designed to distribute printed discount coupons only to shoppers in specific demographics who are likely to purchase the suppliers' goods can be very expensive, and prohibitively so for some types of goods.

This distribution method is far less expensive than individualized mailings on a per coupon basis, but it results in a large amount of waste.

Another reason for the waste associated with printed discount coupons is that some shoppers are simply not willing to expend the effort necessary to collect, collate, manage, and redeem printed discount coupons.

Although most, if not all, shoppers like to receive price discounts on the products they purchase, some are simply not willing to search for, collect, and collate discount coupons and then carry them throughout the seller's premises in an effort to use them.

Other shoppers find the collection and use of printed discount coupons to be embarrassing.

From the perspective of sellers, printed discount coupons also present many problems.

The physical management of printed discount coupons redeemed by shoppers is difficult at least in part because discount coupons are often of differing sizes and are printed on a variety of materials such as paper, paperboard, plastic, and foil.

Moreover, some shoppers simply tear the discount coupons out of printed advertisements leaving ragged or jagged edges, which makes them difficult to sort and physically process.

This process is tedious, expensive, time consuming, and prone to error.

Accordingly, sellers frequently employ special coupon clearinghouses for this purpose, which adds to the cost.

From the perspective of suppliers, discount coupons also present certain problems.

This problem can be compounded if the supplier has issued discount coupons relating to a variety of different goods.

In addition, suppliers frequently have a difficult time estimating the percentage of printed discount coupons that will ultimately be redeemed by recipients and are often required to purchase insurance to cover excessive redemption costs in the event that a coupon is being redeemed at an unexpectedly high rate.

Thus, it is difficult for suppliers to accurately gauge how many discount coupons to distribute, and how much of a discount to offer.

Widespread acceptance of these Internet-based distribution channels has not yet been accomplished.

Moreover, Internet-based coupon distribution systems still present the same problems discussed above pertaining to the physical management of redeemed printed coupons.

The need for large volumes of hardware and installation imposes a significant cost to the seller and / or supplier.

This type of approach requires substantial floor space and introduces a significant cost to the store to install and integrate into their existing POS systems.

With this type of system the stores must incur the cost to maintain and manage the hand-held wireless devices in the event they are broken, lost or stolen.

Additionally, there is the added complexity of having to replicate massive databases to each in-store system with product data and a static set of available incentives.

Again, one of the downfalls of this type of system is that it still involves the use of printed discount coupons, which must be physically managed when redeemed.

Thus, this approach does not provide an active way for suppliers or other interested parties to influence the buying decisions of consumers at the very moment they are contemplating a purchase.

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