Dual redemption path with shared benefits system and method

Abstract

A system and method is presented for product substantiation and promotion redemption. A purchased product list is transmitted from a retail store system to a promotion analysis server along with a user identifier. The promotion analysis server identifies promotions available to the user, and then considers whether the benefits under the promotions are still available to the user. Discounts for available promotions related to the purchased product list are calculated and transmitted to the retail store system for deduction from the transactions. A promotion product filter can be provided that filters the purchased product list before transmittal. The promotion product filter can include promotions from a plurality of programs.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 a) at a server system, defining in a computerized database:
 i) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) stored value benefits for a plurality of users, and 
 ii) enhanced SNAP benefits for the plurality of users; 
   b) providing a first point of sale system with a first promotion product filter (PPF) list, wherein the first PPF list indicates items eligible for the enhanced SNAP benefits in order to allowed filtered reporting of purchased products from the first point of sale system;   c) at the server system, receiving from the first point of sale system information concerning a first purchase transaction, the information comprising:
 i) a filtered list of purchased items that were purchased during the first purchase transaction, the filtered list of purchased items having been created by the first point of sale system by filtering all items purchased during the first purchase transaction against the PPF, 
 ii) a first SNAP eligible purchase total, the first SNAP eligible purchase total indicating the total value of purchased SNAP eligible items in the first purchase transaction, wherein the SNAP eligible items consists of those items that are eligible for the SNAP stored value benefits, and 
 iii) a first identifier for a first user; 
   d) at the server system, determining enhanced SNAP benefits for the first purchase transaction by:
 i) identifying, in the computerized database, the enhanced SNAP benefits available for the first user using the first identifier, 
 ii) comparing the filtered list of purchased items against the identified enhanced SNAP benefits to determine available enhanced SNAP benefits for the first purchase transaction, 
 iii) calculating an enhanced SNAP discount for the first purchase transaction based on the available enhanced SNAP benefits, and 
 iv) recording the enhanced SNAP discount in the computerized database to adjust the enhanced SNAP benefits remaining for the first user; and 
   e) at the server system, determining SNAP stored value benefits for the first purchase transaction by:
 i) identifying, in the computerized database, the SNAP stored value benefits for the first user, 
 ii) calculating a first SNAP discount for the first purchase transaction based on the identified SNAP stored value benefits and the first SNAP eligible purchase total, and 
 iii) recording the first SNAP discount in the computerized database to adjust the SNAP stored value benefits remaining for the first user. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 e) at the server system, reporting the calculated discounts to the first point of sale system for application to the first purchase transaction.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the filtered list of purchased items was created by the first point of sale system by further filtering all items purchased during the first purchase transaction against a list of all SNAP eligible items, and further wherein the list of purchased SNAP eligible items is stored by the server system in the computerized database. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the enhanced SNAP benefits comprise an additional stored value benefit on a subset of SNAP eligible items. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the enhanced SNAP benefits apply to fresh fruits and vegetables. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the enhanced SNAP benefits further comprise a percentage discount on the subset of SNAP eligible items that is provided after the additional stored value benefit has been consumed. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of periodically transmitting the first PPF list from the server system to the first point of sale system. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising the step of sending a plurality of different PPF lists from the server system to the first point of sale system along with the first PPF list. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , where each of the PPF lists indicate items eligible for the enhanced SNAP benefits in different states, wherein each PPF list is used for users receiving benefits from a different state. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the server system defines in the computerized database third-party sponsored benefits for the plurality of users, wherein the filtered list of purchased items was created by the first point of sale system by further filtering all items purchased during the first purchase transaction against a list of items relating to the third-party sponsored benefits, and further wherein the server system determines third-party sponsored benefits for the first purchase transaction by comparing the filtered list of purchased items to the third-party sponsored benefits available for the first user. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein third-party sponsored benefits for the first purchase transaction are determined first, wherein enhanced SNAP benefits are determined for the first purchase transaction after applying the third-party sponsored discounts, and wherein the SNAP stored value benefits are determined for the first purchase transaction after applying the enhanced SNAP benefits. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein enhanced SNAP benefits for the first purchase transaction are determined first, and wherein the SNAP stored value benefits are determined for the first purchase transaction after applying the enhanced SNAP benefits. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 e) at the server system, receiving from a second point of sale system information concerning a second purchase transaction comprising:
 i) a second SNAP eligible purchase total, the second SNAP eligible purchase total indicating the total value of purchased SNAP eligible items in the second purchase transaction, and 
 ii) a second identifier for the first user; and 
   f) at the server system, determining SNAP stored value benefits for the second purchase transaction by:
 i) identifying, in the computerized database, the SNAP stored value benefits for the first user using the second identifier, 
 ii) calculating a second SNAP discount for the second purchase transaction based on the identified SNAP stored value benefits and the second SNAP eligible purchase total, and 
 iii) recording the second SNAP discount in the computerized database to adjust the SNAP stored value benefits remaining for the first user; 
   wherein the second point of sale system is incapable of generating any filtered list of purchased items, and further wherein the first SNAP discount and the second SNAP discount are both recorded against the same SNAP stored value benefit tracked by the computerized database for the first user.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the second point of sale system is located in a different state than the first point of sale system. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first identifier for the first user is the same as the second identifier for the first user. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first identifier is provided to the first point of sale system through a mobile device app and further wherein the second identifier is provided to the second point of sale system via a standard SNAP card. 
     
     
         17 . A method comprising:
 a) at a point of sale system, receiving a promotion product filter (PPF) list from a server computer system indicating products available for enhanced SNAP benefits;   b) at the point of sale system, identifying products purchased in a first purchase transaction;   c) at the point of sale system, receiving a first identifier from a first user associated with the first purchase transaction;   d) at the point of sale system, filtering the products purchased in the first purchase transaction against the PPF list to determine a filtered list of purchased items;   e) at the point of sale system, determining a first SNAP eligible purchase total, the first SNAP eligible purchase total indicating the total value of purchased SNAP eligible items in the first purchase transaction;   f) at the point of sale system, transmitting to the server computer system the first identifier, the first SNAP eligible purchase total, and the filtered list of purchased items;   g) at the point of sale system, receiving from the server computer system a first discount reflecting SNAP benefits and enhanced SNAP benefits for the first purchase transaction; and   h) at the point of sale system, applying the first discount to the first purchase transaction.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the point of sale system receives a plurality of PPF lists from the server computer, wherein the point of sale system selects a particular PPF list for determining the filtered list of purchased items based on the identifier received from the user. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein each of the plurality of PPF lists is associated with a different state providing enhanced SNAP benefits, and further wherein the identifier received from the user is associated with a single state providing benefits to the user. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 i) at the point of sale system, identifying products purchased in a second purchase transaction;   j) at the point of sale system, receiving a second identifier from a second user associated with the second purchase transaction;   k) at the point of sale system, recognizing that the second identifier is not eligible for enhanced SNAP benefits;   l) at the point of sale system, determining a second SNAP eligible purchase total, the second SNAP eligible purchase total indicating the total value of purchased SNAP eligible items in the second purchase transaction;   m) at the point of sale system, transmitting to the server computer system the second identifier and the second SNAP eligible purchase total;   n) at the point of sale system, receiving from the server computer system a second discount reflecting SNAP benefits for the second purchase transaction; and   o) at the point of sale system, applying the second discount to the second purchase transaction.