Abstract: A shopper reward server includes a communication module to receive purchase transaction data from a plurality of purchase interfaces of a retail enterprise, a database having stored therein a plurality of shopper purchase histories each including purchase transaction data for item purchases made over time by a different one of a corresponding plurality of shoppers, a transaction module to store purchase transaction data for each shopper in a corresponding shopper purchase history, and a shopper reward module to selectively generate for any of the shoppers at least one earn requirement, based on that shopper's purchase history, that must be satisfied by the shopper via at least one purchase made via any of the purchase interfaces in order to earn a corresponding discount reward redeemable against at least one specified item via any of the purchase interfaces.

Abstract: A service provider facilitates consumption of goods, brands, or services on an interactive network using characterizations of consumers, behavior, brands, consumable goods, advertisers, and advocates to determine a three-way match between a consumable good, a consumer, and an advocate. The matching method determines one or more advocates by maximizing the estimated contextual value of personalized advocacy. Further, the service provider captures the value of the personalized advocacy in each match, and distributes that value in the form of various marketing incentive.

Abstract: This document describes techniques and apparatuses that enable predictive shopping notifications. In some embodiments, the techniques determine a purchase pattern for a product based on a user's purchase history, provide this purchase pattern to potential sellers, receive discount offers for the product from those sellers, and notify the user of these offers through his or her mobile device. By so doing, the techniques enables users to pay less for a product that the techniques predict that the user will want to purchase. Also, in some embodiments, the techniques remind a user to purchase a product based on this purchase pattern, such as through a notification indicating that the user is likely running out of that product.

Abstract: A mobile device is configured with a mobile application to direct a user to a location of more interest to the user based on benefits of offers provided to the user. The mobile application may be configured to capture an image of an offer presented in an advertisement via a digital camera, identify the offer from the image, and store data associating the offer with one or more accounts of the user. The mobile application is configured to present information to suggest a direction of travel to the user for improved opportunities to take advantage of the offers.

Abstract: An offer delivery system provides a mechanism for coordinating presentation of offers to customers that may originate from multiple different sources and that may be delivered to the customers over different channels. The systems makes use of rules to prioritize, select, and time the delivery of offers to any particular customer, allocate limited resources in the channels to deliver offers to a set of customers, and provide mechanisms for users or their agents to limit the delivery of offers, for example, by their frequency or type.

Abstract: A system and method effective to provide content to a user. The system may include a sound device, a smart phone, and a processor. The sound device may modulate a code where a first set of frequencies represents a logic 0 and a second set of frequencies represents a logic 1. The smart phone may demodulate the modulated code to reproduce the code. The smart phone may send the code as a query to a processor. The processor may receive the query, determine content associated with the code, and send the content over the network to the smart phone. The smart phone may further receive the content and display the content on a display.

Abstract: A retail promotion management system presents a consumer with a set of retail promotions. The consumer selects a set of retail promotions to store in the consumer's account. When the consumer makes a purchase, the consumer provides the system with retail store receipt data, which will includes information indicating that the consumer has purchased the promoted product. The system verifies the transaction and then issues a reward to the consumer, based on the retail promotion. Sellers also may upload retail promotions to the system for presentation to the consumer as candidate promotions.

Abstract: A system and method for consumer control over card-based transactions and associated accounts. An interface is provided between a merchant or the merchant's bank and the bank or banks at which the consumer has accounts for card-based transactions. The interface acts as an intermediary, accessible to the consumer so that the consumer may place a variety of controls on card-based transactions. Multiple transaction cards may be linked to a single credit account with each card having a different credit limit, such that the controls comprise restricting each transaction card to a particular merchant, linking, by the consumer, several credit and/or debit accounts to a single transaction card, and pre-selectins a criteria to be utilized for directing charges for a particular transaction to be applied the different accounts. The consumer may access the interface via a web site or telephone for making changes and receiving account information.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing coupons, including targeted coupons associated with, for example, loyalty programs and the like from coin counting kiosks are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method for providing a coupon includes receiving coins from a consumer and counting the coins to determine a value. The method further includes providing a voucher to the consumer that is redeemable for cash and/or merchandise. The method can further include providing a coupon to the consumer that is based at least in part on prior purchase information associated with the consumer.

Abstract: A computing apparatus is configured to store an offer provided to a plurality of users. The offer has a set of requirements to be met for a benefit, such as one or more purchase requirements, and a presence requirement formulated based on a time period, a geographic region, and a user limit. A user is determined to meet the presence requirement when the user is identified to be within the geographic region at a time during the time period before the current number of users who meet the presence requirement exceeds the user limit. The computing apparatus is configured to identify users who meet the presence requirement and monitor transactions in the financial payment accounts of such users to identify accounts that satisfy the purchase requirements, and configured to provide the benefit of the offer to the respective accounts that satisfy the set of requirements of the offer.

Abstract: A computer-based method of managing electronic transactions is described. A dynamic amount is dynamically determined based on historic transaction data of a plurality of first charge requests of a consumer account. A merchant offer is associated with the consumer account, including the dynamic amount. A transaction is then processed, including receiving a second charge request, and processing the second charge request based on the dynamic amount.

Abstract: Methods and systems for enabling multi-merchant coupon campaigns within an online publication system are described. In an example, a method can include generating an item listing, receiving information specifying a set of coupon criteria, detecting an event within a multi-merchant publication system, and present a coupon in response to detecting the event. The generating an item listing can be based on information received from a merchant-computer. If the set of coupon criteria is detected it can result in presenting a coupon for the item listing. The event can satisfy a particular coupon criteria from the set of coupon criteria.

Abstract: This invention discloses a novel system and method for distributing electronic ticketing such that the ticket is verified at the entrance to venues by means of an animation or other human perceptible verifying visual object that is selected by the venue for the specific event. This removes the need to use a bar-code scanner on an LCD display of a cell phone or other device and speeds up the rate at which human ticket takers can verify ticket holders. The system providing the service also can maintain a persistent communication channel with the user device in order to control the ticket verification process.

Abstract: Systems and methods of selecting advertising content are provided. A method of selecting advertising content includes analyzing first data associated with a first display element of the plurality of independent display elements. The plurality of independent display elements are associated with a representation of a three-dimensional object. The method also includes analyzing second data associated with a second display element of the plurality of independent display elements. The method further includes selecting, based at least partially on the first data and the second data, first advertisement content for display via an advertisement window separate from the first display element and the second display element.

Abstract: The execution of an image processing job is limited using a printing amount by an image processing job that has already been executed and a printing amount that is scheduled to be printed by an image processing job that has already been transmitted but not yet executed. To accomplish this, a multi-function peripheral manages a first printing amount that has already been printed by a executed print job and a second printing amount that is scheduled to be printed by a print job that has been transmitted from the multi-function peripheral to a printer and that has not yet been executed in association with a user ID, and determines, before transmitting the print job, whether or not the total of a third printing amount that is scheduled to be printed by the print job, the first printing amount and the second printing amount exceeds an upper limit amount.

Abstract: Due to increased competition in the financial services market for merchants, merchant acquiring banks, payment processors, and card-issuing banks, a method and system of payment for automatic generation of discount transactions is offered. Any actor in the purchasing process generates discounts automatically by receiving a purchase transaction dataset, comparing available discount datasets, and asynchronously generating a discount in a manner more accessible than coupons or reward cards.

Abstract: A method for outputting information about a person includes identifying the person utilizing a wireless system upon entry into a physical location, and also includes locating the person within the physical structure. An engagement plan is retrieved based on the identification of the person and output. The engagement plan has information useful for interacting with the person. The engagement plan is created based at least in part on personal information of the person, the preferences of the person, and the past transactions of the person. A system for outputting information about a person, such as a customer, includes an object carried by the person, which is capable of being identified by a wireless system. A wireless interface communicates with the object. A computing device correlates the identification of the object with the person. An output device outputs information relating to the person.

Abstract: Multiple service servers can store identification tags, which identify each user, after associating the identification tags with the identification tags of other users; and can also store identification data, which uniquely identifies users across multiple service servers, after associating the identification data with an encryption key for each identification datum. A management server device stores as identification data the user address data encrypted by means of an encryption key that has been generated for each identification datum. A gateway server device receives the identification tags from a first service server, receives the other identification tags associated with the first identification tags, receives the encryption keys associated with the other identification tags, and obtains the encrypted data from the management server. The gateway server device then decodes the encrypted information, and commands delivery that uses the obtained address data.

Abstract: A method is provided for rewarding purchasers of prepaid debit cards and card reload packs by providing incentives based on the purchasers' buying history and user profile.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems, methods and computer program products for online marketing, scheduling and booking of service appointments. In one example, the system for scheduling and booking of service appointments includes an inventory database containing schedules of booked and available service appointments associated with a plurality of service providers. The system further includes a calendar-based service provider interface for creating a schedule of services provided by the service provider and storing the schedule in the inventory database. The system further includes a calendar-based service user interface for displaying schedules of available service appointments and booking one or more service appointments.

Abstract: A computerized system and method of calculating a discount index value for a supplier can include receiving information related to a plurality of discount leverage factors for the supplier, calculating a discount index value for the supplier based on the information related to the discount leverage factors, receiving information related to an actual discount event for the supplier, recalculating the discount index value for the supplier based on the discount leverage factors and the information related to actual discount events, and displaying the discount index value for the supplier. The system and method can also include placing the discount index value on a discount index scale, defining a plurality of discount leverage regions on the discount index scale, and attributing a leverage value to the supplier based on the proximity of the discount index value to one of the discount leverage regions.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to, among other things, systems, methods, and computer-readable media for rewarding a purchaser for increasing their purchase volume with at least one participating merchant. Embodiments may comprise offering an incentive for the purchaser to increase their purchase volume with the participating merchant. Embodiments may further comprise obtaining a first set of electronic transactions between the purchaser and the participating merchant. Embodiments may further comprise determining a merchant baseline for the purchaser based on the first set of electronic transactions. Embodiments may further comprise obtaining a second set of electronic transactions between the purchaser and the participating merchant. Embodiments may further comprise comparing the second set of electronic transactions to the merchant baseline. Embodiments may further comprise providing the reward to the purchaser based on the comparison.

Abstract: Meal planning and coupon dispensing are provided. An electronic-shopping list is created. Store-specific data is procured from third-party store websites. The store-specific data is added to the electronic-shopping list. Recipes from third-party websites are saved. The third-party recipes are parsing for ingredients. The ingredients are added to the electronic-shopping list. Manufacturer and/or coupon publisher websites are analyzed for coupons. Items on the electronic-shopping list are analyzed to maximize savings through the use of manufacturer coupons. Recipe ingredients are analyzed to maximize savings through the use of manufacturer coupons and store sales items. Recipes are ranked by the number of discounted ingredients they contain. An in-store navigation map includes an in-store application interface. Thus, an integrated approach for shopping list, coupon, and recipe management is provided.

Abstract: A computer implemented method markets a particular product in an e-commerce system. A web page server receives a request for a current web page that displays a particular product. The request is accompanied by an authorization indicium to retrieve a content of a previous web page that offered the particular product at a previous price. A current price for the particular product is dynamically adjusted based on the previous price offered on the previous web page, and is then presented on the current web page.

Abstract: An order receiving device (100) includes: a receiver (101) configured to receive information regarding a product a user has shown intent to purchase; a bonus information acquirer (104) configured to acquire information regarding a bonus, the bonus being offered to the user on the condition of an order completion of the product whose information regarding the product was received; a confirmer (102) configured to require the user to confirm information necessary for an order at different stages by the time of the order completion; a selector (106) configured to select any of the stages on the basis of the history regarding a product with an incompletion order of one or more products the user had shown intent to purchase in the past; and a presenter (107) configured to present acquired information regarding the bonus at the selected stage.

Abstract: A method for conducting a payment transaction using a smart wallet is proposed. The smart wallet accepts financial account information input by a consumer. The smart wallet stores the financial account information and transmits the financial account information to a smart wallet management server. When the consumer shops at a store, the smart wallet displays a list of merchandise purchased at the store and a total payment amount of the purchased merchandise. The smart wallet also provides a recommendation for making the payment amount. Finally, the smart wallet transmits a payment request to the smart wallet management server such that the payment is authorized and the payment transaction is completed. In one embodiment, the smart wallet can be used as a key to access shared mailboxes, resulting in significant improvement on package delivery operations for both couriers and consumers.

Abstract: Merchants within close proximity to each other are “affiliated” with other by distance. A consumer making a first purchase at a first affiliated merchant is provided coupons or other incentives to make a second purchase with one or more other affiliated merchants. The consumer may pre-pay for the second purchase at the first affiliated merchant. A payment provider may debit an account of the first affiliated merchant the amount of the second purchase minus any amount due to the first affiliated merchant as a result of the second purchase. An account of the second affiliated merchant offering the incentive may be credited accordingly. The consumer and/or the affiliated merchant offering the incentive may be notified so that the consumer can simply go to the affiliated merchant to pick up the purchase, such as by showing proof of purchase or an identifier.

Abstract: Methods, systems, computer readable media, and apparatuses for managing electronic mail are presented. In one arrangement, a plurality of incoming emails from a first user's inbox may be displayed. An option to designate an email as a series publication may also be displayed. In response to receiving a selection of the option while at least one email is selected, a new email folder dedicated to a series publication contained in the at least one email may be automatically created. Subsequently, subsequent emails containing future issues of the series publication may be redirected to the new email folder.

Abstract: A method for distributing a location aware mobile coupon (LAMC) based on a current location of a consumer using a mobile device. The method includes: receiving the current location of the mobile device from a location aware service (LAS) provider; comparing the current location of the mobile device to a retail location of a merchant to determine that the consumer is in proximity to the retail location of the merchant; obtaining pre-generated LAMC terms of the merchant specifying a maximum price discount of an item offered by the merchant; determining, in response to determining that the consumer is in proximity to the retail location, a price discount of the LAMC using a pre-determined formula based on the maximum price discount and a distance of the consumer to the retail location; and sending the LAMC including the price discount to the mobile device used by the consumer.

Abstract: A data processing system is disclosed that provides an efficient market for financial products in which statistics regarding a plurality of stored data records containing financial product underwriting standards are calculated, stored in a data storage device, then made available to a data processing system participant at a price which is reduced for fees obtained from transactions associated with the data processing system participant in accordance with a predetermined netbacking schedule stored in a netbacking database, and/or based on the data processing system participant providing one or more financial product data records.

Abstract: A member profile website that acknowledges and/or identifies owners of verified as authentic designer goods; and whose registered members are verified owners of authentic designer handbags, apparel, jewelry, and/or accessories—for the purpose of negatively impacting the counterfeit goods industry and identifying and acknowledging buyers of authentic designer goods, thus exposing buyers of counterfeit designer goods.

Abstract: A method and a system to publish a promotion at a point-of-sale are provided. For example, a preliminary selection associated with a purchase from a user may be received. A promotion may be published to the user at a point-of-sale associated with the purchase after the user makes the preliminary selection and before the user finalizes the purchase. The promotion may be based on at least one attribute of past transactions and the preliminary selection.

Abstract: A method and system for making payment of a transacted price to which a discount is applied using a mobile terminal for receiving geographical location information for establishing a discount to be applied to a purchase from at least one discount medium available within the area of the location of the mobile terminal with the user of the mobile terminal selecting a discount from the available discount medium and with the method and system using temporary card numbers generated from a temporary card number issue device for paying the transacted price less discount. An issued temporary card number includes the discount selected by the user and includes temporary card number issue information which is transmitted to the mobile terminal.

Abstract: Targeted customer loyalty promotions are managed by an application through a point of sale contact. The application recognizes a customer visiting a store through communication (e.g. near field communication) with a customer device. The application receives a customer identifier (ID) from the customer device. Using the customer ID, the application retrieves a customer record matching the customer ID from a local data store of the point of sale, a networked data store, or a social network data store. The application determines customer loyalty promotions associated with the customer record and transmits the customer loyalty promotions to the customer.

Abstract: An advertising system is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes an advertising station configured to output advertising content to a potential customer and a data processing system including a processor and a memory having application instructions for execution by the processor. The application instructions may include an identification engine to identify the potential customer, a tracking engine to track encounters between the potential customer and the advertising station, and a content engine to select the advertising content to be output to the potential customer based on the tracked encounters between the potential customer and the advertising station. Additional methods, systems, and articles of manufacture are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for the electronic transmission of receipts to a central database and use of the contents thereof. The use of the contents of the receipts by the consumer and at the option of the consumer to receive coupons, discounts, information and other items from manufacturers, retailers or anyone else. The invention relates to commerce, the internet, record keeping, retail purchases, credit card charges, banking, accounts payable and receivables, marketing, purchase incentives, coupons, etc. The receipts may be transmitted at points of sale or by companies or institutions to: a website, an e-mail account, a portable wireless device, a portable device that has a wire for input, a tablet computer, a portable computer, a memory card, stick or other device. The receipt is preserved and a copy is retrievable by the consumer.

Abstract: A method for providing recommendations to a user based on user activity. A plurality of activity data tracking a plurality of activities of a user is obtained. The activity data may be obtained over a wide area network such as the internet or downloaded from a data card which stores activity data whenever the user participates in an activity. The activity data is either stored on the data card or transmitted over the network whenever the user uses a card when participating in any activity such as when making a purchase of goods, paying for services, watching television, etc. The activity data is processed to identify a plurality of user patterns. The user patterns are used to form a user profile and may include user habit data. Recommendations specific to the user based on the user patterns are then created for and provided to the user. The recommendations are provided to a user when the user logs onto a computer network such as the internet.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for estimating demographic compositions of television audiences from audience similarities. In an aspect, pairwise cosine similarities of segment of viewers of rated and unrated television programs are determined, demographic information of rated programs is attributed to the unrated programs from the cosine similarity measures and demographic information for the rated programs.

Abstract: Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for providing, storing, redeeming, and managing promotions. A promotion service can be called to save, manage, or redeem promotions. The promotion service can be called to generate or provide promotions based upon contextual information. The promotion service also can be accessed to save promotions as well as to view or redeem saved promotions. In some implementations, the promotions can be stored in a promotion locker or other data storage device that is accessible to the promotion service. Promotions can be redeemed at a point of sale such as a web site or a physical retailer. In one contemplated embodiment, a user accesses the promotion service via a smart phone, and a bar code or other information associated with the promotion is displayed on the smart phone in response to a user request.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system for making payment with discounted prices using temporary card numbers and temporary card number issue information including at least the discount location selected by a user, discount medium and payment medium. The user's mobile terminal transmits the temporary card number issue information to a temporary card number issue device for generating a temporary card number with the temporary card number information and transmitting the selected temporary card number to the mobile terminal for transmitting the generated temporary card number and temporary card number issue information to a credit authorization terminal (CAT) to request transaction authorization to approve payment of the transacted price less a calculated discount based on the temporary card issue information subject to the proviso that the payment authorization is requested within a predetermined time following the issuance of the temporary card as the temporary card is voided.

Abstract: An exemplary method for distributing an offer to a mobile device includes identifying a location of a first mobile device, identifying offer preferences for a user of the first mobile device, and distributing the offer to the first mobile device. The offer is an offer for the purchase of goods or services, the offer meets the offer preferences of the user of the first mobile device, and the offer is encoded with a first offer identifier corresponding to the user of the first mobile device.

Abstract: Mechanisms are provided to facilitate buying and selling products utilizing social pricing. Sellers initiate sale of a product with volume discounts for a limited time. In other words, the more people that buy a product, the lower the price for the group. Buyers have a real incentive to become prosumers that not only purchase a product but also promote purchase by others. A social pricing system brokers interaction between sellers and buyer groups, and provisions mechanisms to aid promotion of products by consumers utilizing social networks and other online activities.

Abstract: A community of members with a set of global goals and a set of individual member goals is established. The community of members provides a set of services. Further, an analysis is performed on one or more attributes of a first plurality of customers. In addition, a set of incentives is provided to at least one a second plurality of customers to interact with at least a subset of the community of members based upon the analysis to maximize the set of global goals and the set of individual member goals.

Abstract: A data processing system is disclosed that provides an efficient market for: (1) the provision of insurance and reinsurance between insurers and those seeking insurance and reinsurance, and (2) the sale of insurance between reinsurers. The data processing system provides an efficient market for the provisioning of insurance and reinsurance that not only invites insurers, insurance seekers, and reinsurers to patronize the system, but whose conventions induce them to patronize the system. An embodiment comprises: receiving at a data processing system an underwriting standard from each of a plurality of insurers; compiling a first set of statistics in the data processing system based on the underwriting standards from each of the plurality of insurers; and outputting from the data processing system the first set of statistics to a selected insurer at a price that is based on a measure of fees earned with respect to the selected insurer.

Abstract: A method for reducing an amount of power consumed includes reading loads from meters of customers, predicting a future total load from the read loads, determining whether the future total load exceeds a threshold value, sending a request message including terms to at least one of the customers when the future total load exceeds the threshold value, and adjusting an electric bill of a corresponding one of the customers for a period of time based on whether the customer adhered to the terms.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to a system, method, or computer program product for matching available promotional offers to products identified by a user. Embodiments of the invention allow a user to receive offers for products based on the user's identification of a product that he/she would like to receive an offer for. The user may provide identification of a product by providing an image, a video, keywords, or the code associated with the product of interest to the system. In this way, the system may find and provide the user with offers for products that he/she are interested in purchasing, instead of having to find offers he/she is interested in by searching the offers available to him/her. Furthermore, the user may receive one or more available offers for a product that he/she identifies as a product he/she wishes to receive an offer for.

Abstract: A campaign offers and rewards system has an offer serving engine coupled to one or more network servers. A receipt intelligence engine includes a processor and receipt processing. The receipt processing extracts information from a receipt, including information about items purchased based on a receipt from at least one of a shopping trip and an electronic receipt from an online or offline transaction. An output outputs information. An analytics engine is coupled to the receipt intelligence engine. The analytics engine includes a predictive model function using information from the receipt processing. The analytics engine determines values representing statistical correlations from the receipt processing.

Abstract: A social networking system leverages information obtained regarding user interactions with applications hosted through the social networking system as well as information obtained regarding purchases of application-related digital items and digital currencies to provide insight into user behavior. The social networking system can use these insights to enhance the user's experience of the applications, purchases, and the social networking system generally. For example, the social networking system can customize transaction flows, provide credit referrals, and provide users with aggregated yet personally tailored sales information.

Abstract: A device is configured to receive, from a first mobile device of a first user of a group of users, information identifying a first location of the first mobile device and to receive, from a second mobile device of a second user of the group, a second location of the second mobile device. The device is further configured to determine a geographic area of a venue associated with a coupon. The device is also configured to match the coupon to the group when the first location and the second location are within the geographic area, and transmit information associated with the matched coupon to the first mobile device and the second mobile device. The group is organized by the first user or the second user for a plurality of users to receive coupons for a particular type of service associated with the matched coupon.

Abstract: This document describes techniques and apparatuses that enable predictive shopping notifications. In some embodiments, the techniques determine a purchase pattern for a product based on a user's purchase history, provide this purchase pattern to potential sellers, receive discount offers for the product from those sellers, and notify the user of these offers through his or her mobile device. By so doing, the techniques enables users to pay less for a product that the techniques predict that the user will want to purchase. Also, in some embodiments, the techniques remind a user to purchase a product based on this purchase pattern, such as through a notification indicating that the user is likely running out of that product.