System and method for offering and fulfilling situation-based, location specific rewards and offers to mobile-oriented consumers

Abstract

A system, method and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium are disclosed for advertising. A system configured to practice the method receives user situation information. Based on the situation information, the system transmits an advertisement to the user's mobile device, wherein the advertisement is associated with an identification card and a coupon and transmitted independent of any user solicitation for a communication and independent of a request for a product or a service. The system receives input from the user via the advertisement for purposes other than redeeming the coupon; and, and receives an indication of a purchase associated with the advertisement and completed at a point of sale device using the identification card, wherein the mobile device differs from the point of sale device and wherein the purchase is at full price and a rebate associated with the coupon and the identification card is provided to the user.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of processing a transaction associated with a coupon, the method comprising:
 transmitting an advertisement to a mobile device of a user, wherein the advertisement (1) is associated with an identification card of the user and the coupon and (2) is transmitted independent of any user solicitation for a communication and independent of a request for a product or a service;   receiving a confirmation at a first point of sale device that the identification card is associated with the coupon;   receiving an indication at a second point of sale device of a purchase using the identification card, wherein the mobile device is different from the first point of sale device and the second point of sale device; and   applying a discount to the purchase based on the confirmation.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the discount is applied to the purchase at the second point of sale device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the discount is applied to the purchase at the first point of sale device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first point of sale device is separate from the second point of sale device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the confirmation at the first point of sale device that the identification card is associated with the coupon is performed via at least one of a card swiper and a payment card processing application. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the situation information comprises at least one of a status of at least one computing device associated with a user, user location information, and environmental information. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting the advertisement to the mobile device of the user further comprises, in advance of transmitting, selecting the advertisement from a database of merchant offers. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting a receipt of the discount to the mobile device after applying the discount to the purchase. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identification card is one of a credit card and a debit card. 
     
     
         10 . A system for advertising processing a transaction associated with a coupon, the system comprising:
 a processor;   a first module configured to control the processor receive a confirmation at a first point of sale device that the identification card of a user is associated with a coupon, wherein a notice of the coupon was transmitted to a mobile device of the user, and wherein the notice (1) is associated with an identification card of the user and the coupon and (2) is transmitted independent of any user solicitation for a communication and independent of a request for a product or a service;   a second module configured to control the processor to receive an indication at a second point of sale device of a purchase using the identification card, wherein the mobile device is different from the first point of sale device and the second point of sale device; and   a fourth module configured to control the processor to apply a discount to the purchase based on the confirmation.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the discount is applied to the purchase at the second point of sale device. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first point of sale device is separate from the second point of sale device. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first module is further configured to control the processor to receive the confirmation via at least one of a card swiper and a payment card processing application. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the situation information comprises at least one of a status of at least one computing device associated with a user, user location information, and environmental information. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein transmitting the advertisement to the mobile device of the user further comprises, in advance of transmitting, selecting the advertisement from a database of merchant offers. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the situation information further comprises environmental information. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising a fifth module configured to transmit a receipt of the discount to the mobile device after applying the discount to the purchase. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the identification card is one of a credit card and a debit card. 
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to processing a transaction associated with a coupon, the instructions comprising:
 transmitting an advertisement to a mobile device of a user, wherein the advertisement (1) is associated with an identification card of the user and the coupon and (2) is transmitted independent of any user solicitation for a communication and independent of a request for a product or a service;   receiving a confirmation at a first point of sale device that the identification card is associated with the coupon;   receiving an indication at a second point of sale device of a purchase using the identification card, wherein the mobile device is different from the first point of sale device and the second point of sale device; and   applying a discount to the purchase based on the confirmation.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 19 , wherein the situation information comprises at least one of a status of at least one computing device associated with a user, user location information, and environmental information.