Method and apparatus for coupon management and redemption

Abstract

The present invention provides a system for the electronic management and redemption of coupons. The system incudes an integrated coupon card comprising a microprocessor, a random access memory means, a scanner, and a communications port. The coupon card is capable of scanning coupon bar codes from paper coupons and receiving redemption requirement data from a periphery device. The coupon card will allow bar codes and redemption requirement data to be transferred to a periphery device and will store what bar codes were redeemed because they corresponded to purchase data received from a cash register memory. The system further incudes one or more periphery devices having a microprocessor, a first communications port for communicating with said coupon card, and a second communications port for communicating with a cash register. The periphery devices receive purchase data from a cash register memory and compare said purchase data to coupon bar codes received from a coupon card in order to determine which coupons are redeemable. The system also incudes a server computer which will be connected to the periphery devices. The server computer will collect redeemed coupon information from the periphery devices and also provide the periphery devices with information such redemption requirement data or coupons which may be loaded onto a coupon card. A clearing house will collect coupon redemption information from all servers in the system to create redemption reports. The clearing house allows redemption requirement data and other information to be transferred through the servers to individual periphery devices and/or coupon cards.

1 - 25 . (canceled)  
     
     
         16 . A method for a point-of-sale acceptance of a rebate offer comprising the steps of: 
 a. providing a periphery device which may receive purchase data from a cash register at a point-of-sale;    b. transferring data on rebate offers to said periphery device from a database located remotely from a store wherein said periphery is located;    c. comparing in said periphery device data on rebate offers to purchase data to determine if any purchased items have corresponding rebates;    d. providing a means for a customer to indicate acceptance of said rebate offer;    e. calculating the monetary value of said rebate offers which correspond to said purchase data;    f. providing said periphery device with information from which the identity of a customer accepting the rebates may be determined; and    g. providing said remotely located database with notice of said customer's acceptance.    
     
     
         27 . A method according to claim  1 , wherein said bar code is contained in a coupon record and said coupon record contains a marker identifying the origin of said coupon bar code.  
     
     
         28 . A system according to claim  9 , wherein said selective manipulation of individual coupons includes accepting for redemption coupons that are not otherwise redeemable and placing an electronic marker in a record of said coupons not otherwise redeemable to indicate said coupons have been misredeemed.  
     
     
         29 . A system according to claim  9 , wherein said selective manipulation of individual coupons includes searching for coupons which said periphery device does not indicate are redeemable.  
     
     
         30 . A system according to claim  19 , wherein said selective manipulation of individual coupons includes placing a marker in a coupon record indicating said coupon may be redeemed after an expiration date of said coupon.  
     
     
         31 . A system according to claim  9 , wherein said periphery device includes two display screens, one of said display screens viewable by shoppers and the other of said display screens viewable by a cashier.  
     
     
         32 . A system according to claim  24 , wherein said second bar code is received from a remote database.  
     
     
         33 . In a system for the electronic storage and redemption of coupons having a data card electronically storing first and second coupons, a method for altering the value of said second coupon comprising the steps of: 
 a. redeeming said first coupon;    b. determining whether said second coupon has been redeemed;    c. altering the value represented by said second coupon if said second coupon has not been redeemed.    
     
     
         34 . A method according to  claim 39 , wherein said step of altering the value represented by said second coupon comprises replacing said second coupon with a third coupon.  
     
     
         35 . A method according to  claim 40 , wherein said third coupon is transferred to said data card from a periphery device.  
     
     
         36 . A method according to claim  6 , wherein said updated redemption requirement data corresponds to coupon bar codes not yet scanned into said data card.  
     
     
         37 . A method according to claim  6 , wherein said updated redemption requirement data corresponds to coupon bar codes residing on said data card which have no previous redemption requirement data.  
     
     
         38 . A method according to claim  6 , wherein said updated redemption requirement data corresponds to coupon bar codes which are to be altered.  
     
     
         39 . An integrated data card according to claim  1 , wherein coupon data is stored in said data card with a date marker indicating the date on which said coupon data was entered onto said data card.  
     
     
         40 . An integrated data card according to claim  1 , wherein a marker is placed in a coupon record indicating said coupon may be redeemed after an expiration date of said coupon.  
     
     
         41 . A method for a point-of-sale acceptance of a rebate offer comprising the steps of: 
 a. providing purchase data from a cash register at a cashier stand;    b. transferring data on rebate offers to said cashier stand from a database located remotely from a store wherein said cashier stand is located;    c. comparing in said data on rebate offers to purchase data to determine if any purchased items have corresponding rebates;    d. providing a means for a customer to indicate acceptance of said rebate offer;    e. calculating the monetary value of said rebate offers which correspond to said purchase data;    f. providing said cashier stand with information from which the identity of a customer accepting the rebates may be determined; and    g. providing said remotely located database with notice of said customer's acceptance.