Method and apparatus for controlling offers that are provided at a point-of-sale terminal

Abstract

A POS terminal or other computing device provides a plurality of offers to customers, and then measures a performance rate of each offer. For example, the acceptance rate or the profit rate of the offers may be measured. Based on the performance rates, a subset of offers is selected. In one embodiment, the highest performing offers are selected. In another embodiment, those offers having performance rates above a predetermined threshold are selected. The selected subset of offers is then provided, while the remaining, less desirable offers are discontinued.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for controlling offers that are provided at a point-of-sale terminal, comprising: 
 providing a plurality of offers at a point-of-sale terminal;    measuring a performance rate of each offer, thereby defining a plurality of performance rates;    selecting a subset of offers based on at least one of the plurality of performance rates; and    providing the subset of offers at a point-of-sale terminal.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the step of providing a plurality of offers is performed during a first time period; and in which the step of providing the subset of offers is performed during a second time period which is subsequent to the first time period.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the step of providing a plurality of offers comprises: 
 providing an offer of the plurality of offers at each of a plurality of terminals.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 measuring a performance rate of the subset; and    if the performance rate of the subset is less than a predetermined threshold, 
 providing the plurality of offers after the step of providing the subset of offers.  
   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the step of selecting a subset of offers comprises: 
 selecting offers that have at least a predetermined performance rate.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the step of selecting a subset of offers comprises: 
 selecting a predetermined number of highest-performing offers.    
     
     
         7 . An apparatus for controlling offers that are provided at a point-of-sale terminal, comprising: 
 a storage device; and    a processor connected to the storage device,    the storage device storing a program for controlling the processor; and    the processor operative with the program to: 
 provide a plurality of offers at a point-of-sale terminal;  
 measure a performance rate of each offer, thereby defining a plurality of performance rates;  
 select a subset of offers based on at least one of the plurality of performance rates; and  
 provide the subset of offers at a point-of-sale terminal.  
   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , in which the processor is further operative with the program to: 
 provide a plurality of offers during a first time period; and    provide the subset of offers during a second time period which is subsequent to the first time period.    
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , in which the processor is further operative with the program to provide an offer of the plurality of offers at each of a plurality of terminals.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , in which the processor is further operative with the program to: 
 measure a performance rate of the subset; and    if the performance rate of the subset is less than a predetermined threshold, 
 provide the plurality of offers after a provision of the subset of offers.  
   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , in which the processor is further operative with the program to select offers that have at least a predetermined performance rate.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , in which the processor is further operative with the program to select a predetermined number of highest-performing offers.  
     
     
         13 . A method for controlling offers that are provided at a point-of-sale terminal, comprising: 
 providing a first offer at a point-of-sale terminal;    measuring a performance rate of the first offer; and    if the performance rate of the first offer is below a predetermined threshold, 
 providing a second offer at a point-of-sale terminal.  
   
     
     
         14 . An apparatus for controlling offers that are provided at a point-of-sale terminal, comprising: 
 a storage device; and    a processor connected to the storage device,    the storage device storing a program for controlling the processor; and    the processor operative with the program to: 
 provide a first offer at a point-of-sale terminal;  
 measure a performance rate of the first offer; and  
   if the performance rate of the first offer is below a predetermined threshold, 
 provide a second offer at a point-of-sale terminal.  
   
     
     
         15 . A method for controlling offers that are provided at a point-of-sale terminal, comprising: 
 providing a first offer at a first point-of-sale terminal;    providing a second offer at a second point-of-sale terminal;    measuring a performance rate of the first offer;    measuring a performance rate of the second offer; and    if the performance rate of the second offer is less than the performance rate of the first offer, 
 providing the first offer at the second point-of-sale terminal.  
   
     
     
         16 . An apparatus for controlling offers that are provided at a point-of-sale terminal, comprising: 
 a storage device; and    a processor connected to the storage device,    the storage device storing a program for controlling the processor; and    the processor operative with the program to: 
 provide a first offer at a first point-of-sale terminal;  
 provide a second offer at a second point-of-sale terminal;  
 measure a performance rate of the first offer;  
 measure a performance rate of the second offer; and  
   if the performance rate of the second offer is less than the performance rate of the first offer, 
 provide the first offer at the second point-of-sale terminal.  
   
     
     
         17 . A method for controlling offers that are provided at a point-of-sale terminal, comprising: 
 for each of a plurality of purchases, 
 determining an upsell in dependence on the purchase,  
 determining an upsell price, each upsell price being based on a purchase, and  
 offering to exchange the upsell price for the upsell;  
   measuring a performance rate of each upsell, thereby defining a plurality of performance rates;    selecting a subset of upsells based on at least one of the plurality of performance rates; and    providing the subset of upsells at a point-of-sale terminal.    
     
     
         18 . An apparatus for controlling offers that are provided at a point-of-sale terminal, comprising: 
 a storage device; and    a processor connected to the storage device,    the storage device storing a program for controlling the processor; and    the processor operative with the program to, for each of a plurality of purchases: 
 determine an upsell in dependence on the purchase,  
 determine an upsell price, each upsell price being based on a purchase, and  
 offer to exchange the upsell price for the upsell;  
 measure a performance rate of each upsell, thereby defining a plurality of performance rates;  
 select a subset of upsells based on at least one of the plurality of performance rates; and  
 provide the subset of upsells at a point-of-sale terminal.