Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates electronic communication among users. During operation, the system obtains financial data as a set of financial transactions. Upon receiving a request to transmit a message, the system obtains one or more recipient attributes from the request. Next, the system uses the financial transactions to identify a set of recipients that matches the one or more recipient attributes. The system then transmits the message to the set of recipients without revealing the PII for the set of recipients to a creator of the message.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to identifying a product or service in a store and offering to sell products and services that the customer can purchase in that store. Methods and apparatus consistent with the present disclosure allow retail stores to provide real-time information to their customers about products and/or services that may complement another product that a customer is interested in purchasing. A portable electronic device, such as a cell phone, may receive wirelessly transmitted communications from wireless transmitters that are associated with products and services that the customer approaches, touches, or scans.

Abstract: A method is provided. The method includes: displaying media information which is shared by a Social Networking Service (SNS) platform and released by a second client; displaying an entrance for giving free resources provided by the SNS platform; and in response to an operation for giving free resources triggered through the entrance, sending an instruction for giving free resources for the media information to the SNS platform which transfers a given-free resource from an account of the first client to an account of the second client according to the instruction.

Abstract: Methodologies, systems, and computer-readable media are provided for generating redeemable electronic fuel codes and validating fuel payments at a fuel point of sale terminal. An enterprise can be configured to receive an indication of fuel purchase request and can request authorization from a financial institution or account associated with at least one individual. If the payment is authorized, the enterprise can generate a purchase authorization for the amount of fuel requested and create an encrypted electronic fuel code that can be transmitted to the individual and used for redeeming fuel at a fuel point of sale terminal associated with the enterprise. An enterprise can be configured to sell fuel to at least one individual using a phone number and a unique security PIN at a fuel point of sale terminal, such that the at least one individual is billed for the fuel purchase via their phone service provider.

Abstract: A deal program life cycle system and method is disclosed. The deal program life cycle may oversee the issuance of deals from a deal program to consumers over the life cycle of the deal program. One or more aspects of the deal program may change during different periods of the life cycle of the deal program. For example, the deal program may include deal features, a number of units for deals, and relevance features for the deal program. The deal features, number of units of deals, and/or relevance features for the deal program may change during the different periods of the life cycle.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for issuing, evaluating, and monitoring offers and incentives linked to various consumer financial accounts. Financial service account providers, merchants, card-linked offer providers, and/or service providers may collect transaction information relating to the redemption of card-linked offers. From the data, informative metrics may be determined relating to the offer, its redemption rate, and the consumers who redeemed it. The metrics may be used to evaluate the relative success of the offer, and can trigger revenue sharing processes derived from the offer. In certain aspects, incentive offers may be modified based on the metrics. In further embodiments, the metrics may also be used to determine a metric score that provides further information about the card-linked offer campaign.

Abstract: Shared electronic resources can be allocated to customers by auction when there is contention among the customers for the resources. Each customer can receive a bid pool for a shared electronic resource. A customer may prioritize a request by withdrawing a bid amount from the customer's bid pool and submitting the bid amount with a request for the shared resource. A resource provider may assess the capacity of the shared resource to process requests and conduct an auction at various times, such as during periods of congestion, to determine the requests that the shared resource will process at a given time. Customers can demand a refunded bid amount when the auction price is less than the customer's bid amount, and the customer can issue a repudiation challenge if no auction was held or the customer did not receive access to the shared resource.

Abstract: A human resources management system includes an account information storage unit that stores balance information in multiple accounts in which money is pooled and a deposit and withdrawal history of each account. A deposit and withdrawal controlling part updates, on the basis of a reward amount of money to an operation determined between an ordering party and an order receiving party of the operation, information on the balances in an account of the ordering party and an account of the order receiving party and their deposit and withdrawal histories. Information on the balances and the deposit and withdrawal histories of the account is stored in the account information storage unit. An operational performance evaluation unit evaluates an operational performance of an owner of each account in a period on the basis of the deposit and withdrawal history.

Abstract: According to one or more embodiments of the disclosure, a method is provided. The method may include receiving, by at least one server comprising one or more processors, from a user device, a request for a web page comprising product detail information associated with a focus product identifier. The method may also include receiving an advertisement request associated with the focus product identifier. Furthermore, the method may include determining, based at least in part on the focus product identifier, a product sample identifier associated with a product sample to offer with the product. Additionally, the method may include selecting, based at least in part on the product sample identifier, a product sample advertisement.

Abstract: A system may receive information representing a first item and an item price of the first item from a first user device operated by a buyer. The first item may be available for sale by a merchant of a brick-and-mortar store. A plurality of sellers may be identified, the plurality of sellers may list a second item as being available for sale at the calculated reduced item price in an item listing for the second item. Moreover, the second item may be similar to the first item. A reduced item price may be calculated based on the item price of the first item received from the user device, the reduced item price representing a price lower than the item price of the first item. The item listing for the second item available for sale may be presented to the first user device operated by the buyer.

Abstract: Example embodiments of systems and methods for data transmission system between transmitting and receiving devices are provided. In an embodiment, each of the transmitting and receiving devices can contain a master key. The transmitting device can generate a diversified key using the master key, protect a counter value and encrypt data prior to transmitting to the receiving device, which can generate the diversified key based on the master key and can decrypt the data and validate the protected counter value using the diversified key.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to identifying a product or service in a store and offering to sell products and services that the customer can purchase in that store. Methods and apparatus consistent with the present disclosure allow retail stores to provide real-time information to their customers about products and/or services that may complement another product that a customer is interested in purchasing. A portable electronic device, such as a cell phone, may receive wirelessly transmitted communications from wireless transmitters that are associated with products and services that the customer approaches, touches, or scans.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for marketing products. The method includes the steps of a first vendor contracting with a second vendor under a contract whereby the first vendor pays a commission to the second vendor in exchange for referrals of customers by the second vendor to the first vendor where the first vendor sells products that are complementary to products sold by the second vendor, the first vendor selling a product to a customer of the second vendor, a tracking program calculating a commission payable on the product and the first vendor paying the commission to the first vendor in accordance with the contract.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for determining a quantity of network location visitors that are likely generated or encouraged by specific offline events. A corresponding number of leads may then be attributed to and associated with those specific events. Ongoing conversion activity of those visitors may be tracked and associated with the offline events. Conversions of those visitors may be attributed entirely or partially to one or more specific offline events. The effectiveness of each offline may then be evaluated based on aggregate lead and conversion information.

Abstract: The system facilitates the transmission of account numbers between transaction account issuers, merchants, and consumers. A transaction account issuer may transmit a portion of an account number to a merchant. A consumer may transmit the remainder of the account number to the merchant. The merchant may combine the portion of the account number received from the transaction account issuer and the remainder received from the consumer. The transaction account issuer may transmit the full account number to the merchant in a usable format. The merchant may transmit an authorization request for a transaction to the transaction account issuer including the full account number.

Abstract: Systems and methods for a point of sale reward system are provided. The system notifies users proximate to a point of sale location of rewards available for redemption specific to that user at that specific point of sale location.

Abstract: A method of coupon distribution is used in connection with a demand response (DR) event. The method includes clustering DR customers into customer clusters based on energy use behaviors of the DR customers. Suggested coupons are received from merchants, each coupon including load serving entity (LSE) and merchant contributions. Based on energy price forecast, the suggested coupons, and customer information, a coupon distribution is found to maximizes a financial benefit to the LSE and includes an optimal number of the suggested coupons to be distributed to the customer clusters. The suggested coupons are distributed to the customer clusters per the coupon distribution and collecting responses to the suggested coupons indicating participation. Based on the customer responses, the method includes estimating energy curtailment contributions of the DR customers and an actual energy price for the DR event and communicating to an independent system operator an energy transaction bid based thereon.

Abstract: Systems and computer-readable media are disclosed for utilizing one or more data sources to generate a customized user interface. A first set of services and operations may be generated. Each service and operation in the first set of services and operations may be ranked based on an analysis of user engagement data. A second set of services and operations may be generated based on the ranking of each service and operation in the first set. Client-side instructions to render the second set of services and operations may be transmitted to a user device.

Abstract: A method and system for providing geographic location notifications for targeted offers is disclosed. One embodiment of the invention is directed to a method including monitoring for an event to trigger a targeted offer. Upon detection of the event, the offer is generated. The offer is targeted to a consumer and is generated using payment data generated in response to transactions conducted by the consumer with a plurality of different merchants. A geographic location for redeeming the offer is determined. A notification message is generated about the offer. The notification message includes the offer and the geographic location for redeeming the offer. The notification message is sent to a notification device which is operated by the consumer. A graphical depiction of the offer is displayed on a map on the notification device.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for providing auto-replenishment of an inventory of promotions. Auto-replenishment amounts and dates may be determined based on a variety of factors including current inventory, outstanding promotions, redemption ratios and redemption rates. Redemption ratios and redemption rates may be characterized based on provider information, consumer information, and/or promotion information. Auto-replenishment may result in a smoothed redemption curve and optimal impact to the provider.

Abstract: An integrated purchase management apparatus includes a wish list collection unit for collecting a wish list including product information from at least one product selling apparatus, an integrated wish list generation unit for generating the integrated wish list of a corresponding user and storing the generated integrated wish list, an integrated wish list provision unit for obtaining additional payment means that belongs to additional payment means and transmitting integrated wish list information including the obtained additional payment means and the integrated wish list to the terminal device of the user, and a settlement processing unit for applying additional payment means corresponding to additional payment means selection information to a settlement request amount and performing settlement on the remaining amount using payment means, when a settlement request signal including the additional payment means selection information and the payment means is received.

Abstract: Systems and methods for determining location-based bid modifier suggestions include determining a content placement cost based in part on a likelihood of a user that has entered a physical establishment completing a transaction, an average transaction amount for the establishment, and an expected return on investment (ROI). A location-based bid modifier may be determined using the computed cost and a base bid amount. In some implementations, the location-based bid modifier may also be based on a probability model that models the probability of the user visiting the establishment.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for generating coupons is provided. The method comprises receiving a query for a coupon from a publisher for an ad unit; wherein said ad unit is designed by a third party designer and comprises certain visually perceptible elements; responsive to receiving the query determining if a coupon should be generated for the ad unit; if it is determined that a coupon should be generated for the ad unit, then: (A) retrieving stored data to corresponding to the ad unit; (B) using the stored data, to automatically generate a coupon for displaying together with the ad unit; wherein said coupon includes elements that visually correspond to the visually perceptible elements of the ad unit; and (C) transmitting said coupon to the publisher for displaying with the ad unit.

Abstract: In one aspect, an account identifier is associated with a deal purchased by a user from a deal site. The deal has a face value applicable to a transaction with a predetermined merchant, if the transaction satisfies one or more predetermined criteria. The user pays the deal site an amount smaller than the face value. When the account identifier is used at a transaction terminal to initiate a payment transaction, a transaction handler determines whether the payment transaction satisfies the one or more predetermined criteria; and if so, the transaction handler provides the transaction terminal with an authorization response identifying the remaining balance, which is determined by deducting the face value from the payment transaction. The account identifier may be a one-time account number generated specifically for the deal purchased by the user, or an account number of the user used to purchase the deal from the deal site.

Abstract: Systems and techniques for structuring and analyzing a fixed-income security are disclosed. The fixed-income security includes a coupon that provides at least a variable rate of interest payment over a time interval. The variable rate of interest payment may be based at least in part on a set of environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) goals defined for an issuer over the time interval. A set of ESG values associated with performance of the issuer and corresponding to the set of ESG goals may be reported, independently audited, and used to determine the variable rate of interest payment provided by the security.

Abstract: A gift exchange platform assigns gifts to individuals in a network of businesses. Each of the businesses offers a set of gifts available for assigning by other businesses or individuals. The gift assignment system receives the set of offered gifts and gift transaction data describing the gifts in a time interval. A fairness score for each business is calculated based on the comparison of the inbound and outbound scores of the business reflecting the value provided by the business and received by the business of gifts. A request is received from a business, individual or an automated gift system to assign a gift to an individual. A gift and a gift offering business are assigned to an individual based on the fairness score of the assigned business. The gift assignment further accounts for an expected value of an individual to the business on redemption of the gift by the individual.

Abstract: Systems and methods conduct one or more real-time auctions during a live event at a venue, wherein the one or more real-time auctions comprise at least one auction item and/or service. The system and methods comprises digital mobile application software downloaded to a first digital mobile device, at least one positioning system configured to determine when the first digital mobile device is located within or near the venue and a computer server in digital communication with the at least one positioned system and the first digital mobile device. The computer server transmits information indicative of a real-time auction to the first digital mobile device when the first digital mobile device is located within or near the venue during the live event, wherein the computer server receives data indicative of at least one first auction bid for the at least one auction item and/or service from the first digital mobile device via the digital mobile application software executed by the first digital mobile device.

Abstract: In one aspect, a computing apparatus is configured to facilitate the redemption of loyalty currency in a payment transaction via facilitating awareness of the payment transaction, managing the consumer segmentation and offering promotions, validating available points currency, managing a currency value exchange rate, applying deductions to consumer currency balance, facilitating consumer reimbursement, invoicing for currency exchange, and/or providing consumer engagement.

Abstract: Systems and methods for a point of sale reward system are provided. The system notifies users proximate to a point of sale location of rewards available for redemption specific to that user at that specific point of sale location.

Abstract: A system and method in accordance with example embodiments may include automated receipt and bill collection, aggregation, and processing. Additionally, a system and method in accordance with example embodiments may a customer opt-in, scan one or more electronic messages including receipts and bills, retrieve transaction information from one or more electronic messages, associate retrieved transaction data with existing database data, and utilize the associated data to provide contextual information to a user.

Abstract: The present disclosure involves a system. The system includes a computer memory storage module configured to store executable computer programming code. The system includes a computer processor module operatively coupled to the computer memory storage module. The computer processor module is configured to execute the computer programming code to perform the following operations: associating a digital identifier with a merchandise item; receiving notification that the merchandise item has been sent to a buyer; thereafter detecting a submission of the digital identifier from the buyer; and initiating, in response to the detecting, a reorder of the merchandise item for the buyer.

Abstract: Systems and methods for a point of sale reward system are provided. The system notifies users proximate to a point of sale location of rewards available for redemption specific to that user at that specific point of sale location.

Abstract: Product vendors are provided with a system for performing a marketing campaign to mobile communication device users, providing offers as instruments, such as digital coupons, to a selected group of users of the mobile communication devices and validating the integrity of the instruments. The invention has two phases: the selection of the components of the instrument from a menu provided by a social networking organization; and validating the instrument upon redemption from the product vendor. In the first phase, the product vendor selects elements from the menu relevant to the campaign, such as timing, nature of the offer, targeting of the recipients, etc. In the second phase, the instrument is encoded as to the marketing campaign and an arbitrary designation which initiates a pattern as the instrument is redeemed. The product vendor inspects the instrument to ensure that the encoding is correct during the redemption process.

Abstract: A system and method for generating purchasing interest values in relation to purchasing a product or service, by category, brand, make, or model. The method includes associating a user identity with recordations of activity in requesting information from assets accessible by addressing universal resource locators, such as applying a web browser to render web pages addressable by registered domain names of the World Wide Web; additional information such as purchasing history, residence address and income level; and estimations of proximity and ease of travel between a geographic location associated with the user identity and a point of sales or services of a product or service type, category, brand, make, or model. The product or service may be related to or comprise an automobile. A map is rendered that separately associates geographic locations with individual user identities. Marketing communications are sent to electronic and/or postal addresses associated with user identities.

Abstract: A computing device includes memory for storing commercial metadata and offer metadata harvested from within an offer distribution network. A processor compares the commercial metadata related to a broadcast commercial to be streamed to a client media device with the offer metadata related to available offers from offer providers, to generate a comparison. The processor then selects an offer from the available offers based on the comparison; determines when and over what video stream the broadcast commercial is to be streamed; detects that a screen device is paired to the client media device; and delivers the offer to a display of the screen device during streaming of the broadcast commercial over the video stream to the client media device. When a user of the screen device selects an indicia of the offer, the offer is collected into a virtual wallet from which the offer can be redeemed in various ways.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for issuing, evaluating, and monitoring offers and incentives linked to various consumer financial accounts. Financial service account providers, merchants, card-linked offer providers, and/or service providers may collect transaction information relating to the redemption of card-linked offers. From the data, informative metrics may be determined relating to the offer, its redemption rate, and the consumers who redeemed it. The metrics may be used to evaluate the relative success of the offer, and can trigger revenue sharing processes derived from the offer. In certain aspects, incentive offers may be modified based on the metrics. In further embodiments, the metrics may also be used to determine a metric score that provides further information about the card-linked offer campaign.

Abstract: A network device can be placed in a central location to detect and disseminate mobile device data via a wireless network. The network device actions can be determined by an end-user device that receives subscription-based data. The end-user can determine parameters for communication between the network, network device, and the mobile device and determine actions based on the communication.

Abstract: It is made possible for a user to set whether to download data used by a program without waiting for the acceptance of a download permission or download the data in response to the acceptance of the download permission via a screen that allows for making the setting for a plurality of programs. An input/output control section (90) accepts, from the user, a setting as to whether to select an automatic download state or a manual download state via a screen that allows for doing so for a plurality of programs. If the setting of selecting the automatic download state is accepted, an item management section (96) downloads the data from a server without waiting for the acceptance of the download permission from the user when a predetermined condition is satisfied. If the setting of selecting the manual download state is accepted, the item management section (96) downloads the data from the server in response to the acceptance of the download permission from the user when the predetermined condition is satisfied.

Abstract: A digital targeting system is configured to access data to determine users that satisfy content factors, such as pre-validation criteria, based on user information stored in a database having restrictions on sharing of user data, such as government regulations on sharing of the user information. The digital targeting system may then generate a pre-validated user ID list indicating those users that match the content factors. Users on the pre-validated user ID list may then be matched to users in other databases, such as a digital ID database, to identify digital IDs for the users that are usable by a digital display entity.

Abstract: System architecture and methods for enabling a client-side real-time auction of advertising inventory that works in conjunction with ad serving technologies. The method according to some embodiments of the present invention comprise: (i) an end-user visiting a web page wherein multiple advertisements are displayed, (ii) for each ad unit on the page, multiple parallel requests are sent from the end-user's browser client to multiple real-time bidders who respond with a bid & advertisement for each unit, (iii) the bids are compared within the end-user's browser and the winning bid is sent to an ad serving system to be compared with other statically priced advertisements and exchange demand to determine the winning advertisements that will be displayed to the end-user and (iv) data is aggregated for each bid and price limits are set based on the aggregations.

Abstract: Provided is a process, including: obtaining a coupon issued by a merchant, the coupon being redeemable both on-line, at the merchant's website, and in-store, at a physical location of the merchant; sending the coupon to publishers for presentation to consumers by the publishers on user devices of the consumers; and receiving indications from the user devices of the consumers that the consumers interacted with the coupon, the indications indicating a consumer selection of an in-store redemption option or an on-line redemption option.

Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a system includes a map store, a map server, and a content server. The map server identifies a set of content items in which each content item is associated with a geographic location that is presented in a portion of a map, determines, for a given content item, an adjusted value of a given content item based at least in part on a base value for the content given item and a set of adjustment factors for one or more other content items in the set of content items, selects content items from the set of content items based on the adjusted values, and provides data that present the selected content items on the portion of the map presented at the device.

Abstract: Systems and methods of allocating transactions among business objects are described. The systems and methods include storing transaction data characterizing the plurality of transactions, producing a plurality of generated allocation rules, using relationships between nodes of a data structure, and executing a plurality of queries on the stored transaction data, using the plurality of generated allocation rules.

Abstract: Software that uses machine logic to generate novel work products by combining known work product constituents to create constituent combinations, by performing the following steps: (i) maintaining a constituent data store, the constituent data store including identifying information for a plurality of constituents used to make combination products; (ii) receiving a set of combination preferences relating to a desired type of combination product; and (iii) applying a set of eliminational rules to the set of combination preferences and the plurality of constituents to define a raw set of proposed combination product(s), where each combination product of the raw set of proposed combination product(s) meets all the eliminational rules.

Abstract: The present teaching relates to generating a card based on intent. In one example, a request is received for generating a card to be provided to a user. Intent of the user with respect to the card is obtained. One or more modules are selected to be put into the card based on the intent. The card is generated based on the selected one or more modules.

Abstract: Systems and methods for a point of sale reward system are provided. The system notifies users proximate to a point of sale location of rewards available for redemption specific to that user at that specific point of sale location.

Abstract: A computer system creates, stores, transmits, modifies, and enables users to exchange units of social currency, referred to as “social currency events” (SCEs). Each SCE represents social approval and/or disapproval of a behavior of one or more users by the same user or one or more other users. The users who send and receive an SCE may each assign their own distinct values to it. The computer system may generate various metrics based on one or more SCEs. For example, the computer system may generate a single SCE score for a user based on variables such as the number and value of SCEs the user has sent and received. SCEs may be used to recognize positive and/or negative social behaviors by users of the system, to encourage such users to engage in additional positive social behaviors, and to discourage such users from engaging in additional negative social behaviors.

Abstract: A data management method and system. The method includes retrieving by a computing system, first identification data associated with a buyer of a product. The computing system retrieves product data associated with the product. The product data is compared to campaign data associated with a campaign. The campaign is associated with an entity associated with the product. The computing system determines that the product is associated with the campaign. The computing system generates second identification data comprising the first identification data, an identification code for the product, a campaign code indicating that the product is associated with the campaign, and a date of purchase for the product. The computing system generates encrypted data comprising the second identification data in an encrypted format. The encrypted data is transmitted to a secure database system.

Abstract: According to one described embodiment, a method is provided in which transaction information is determined. The transaction information is associated with (i) a buyer who has arranged to purchase a product from a central controller at a first price established between the buyer and the central controller and (ii) a merchant that offers the product for sale at a second price, different from the first price, without offering the product for sale to buyers at the first price. Information is transmitted that facilitates the acquisition of the product by the buyer, in exchange for payment provided by the buyer to the central controller. An amount based on the second price is provided to the merchant.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention enable users to manage codes which may be redeemed for value. For example, some embodiments provide systems and methods for automatically identifying a code communicated to a user which is redeemable for value, and adding the code to an inventory maintained for the user. When the user later shops at a site which allows a code to be redeemed for value, some embodiments of the invention may automatically detect when the user has navigated to a page on the site which allows redemption of the code, and may make the user aware that the code may be redeemed on the page. If the user opts to redeem the code, the field on the page into which the code is to be input may be automatically identified, and the code may be automatically input into that field.