Server-Based Product Substantiation with Local Filtering 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. An approved product list can be provided that filters the purchased product list before transmittal. The approved product list can include promotions from a plurality of programs.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method for providing benefits during a purchase transaction comprising:
 a) at a server system, tracking in a computerized database:
 i) a plurality of member records; 
 ii) a plurality of product records each containing an identifier, wherein a first portion of the product records contain a product identifier and a second portion of the product records contain a department identifier; 
 iii) a plurality of promotion records each being associated with at least one product record, wherein a first promotion record is associated with a first set of product records and a second promotion record is associated with a second set of product records; 
 iv) a plurality of benefit records defining benefits available for the promotions, each benefit record being associated with a single promotion record and at least one member record, wherein a first benefit record is associated with the first promotion record and a first member record, and further wherein a second benefit record is associated with the second promotion record and the first member record; 
   b) at the server system, generating a promoted products list comprising the identifiers contained in the product records associated with the plurality of promotion records;   c) at the server system, transmitting the promoted products list to a retail store system;   d) at the server system, receiving a member identifier associated with the first member record and a filtered list of purchased products from the retail store system, wherein the filtered list of purchased products has been created by filtering all products purchased in the purchase transaction against the promoted products list, further wherein the filtered list of purchased products includes purchase totals for the identifiers in the promoted products list that match the products purchased in the purchase transaction;   e) at the server system, processing transactions for the first promotion record in the purchase transaction by:
 i) identifying a first set of purchase totals in the filtered list of purchase products associated with the identifiers of the first set of product records, 
 ii) comparing the first set of purchase totals against the first benefit record to determine a first discount amount, and 
 iii) modifying the first benefit record to reflect the first discount amount; 
   f) at the server system, processing transactions for the second promotion record in the purchase transaction by:
 i) identifying a second set of purchase totals in the filtered list of purchase products associated with the identifiers of the second set of product records, 
 ii) comparing the second set of purchase totals against the second benefit record to determine a second discount amount, and 
 iii) modifying the second benefit record to reflect the second discount amount; and 
   g) at the server system, transmitting the first and second discount amounts to the retail store system for application to the purchase transaction.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first set of product records contain at least one product identifier. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the second set of product records contains at least one department identifier. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the first set of product records contains a plurality of product identifiers. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the second set of product records contains a plurality of department identifiers. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the second set of product records contains a plurality of department identifiers. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the first set of product records further contains at least one department identifier. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the second set of product records further contains at least one product identifier. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the server system performs all of steps a) through g) on the same physical computer system. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first benefit record tracks a first stored value benefit usable only on products identified by the first set of product records, and further wherein the second benefit record tracks a second stored value benefit usable only on products identified by the second set of product records. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first benefit record is renewed to a set stored value amount monthly. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first promotion provides the first stored value benefit for a first department identifier, further wherein the second promotion provides the second stored value benefit for a plurality of product identifiers. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first promotion provides the first stored value benefit for a second department identifier as well as the first department identifier. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein household records are tracked in the computerized database, wherein each household record is associated with at least one member record, wherein the benefit records are associated with the at least one member record through association with the household records. 
     
     
         16 . A method for providing benefits during a purchase transaction comprising:
 a) at a server system, tracking in a computerized database:
 i) a plurality of members, 
 ii) a plurality of promotions, each promotion associated with at least product, wherein the associated products are identified by product identifiers or department identifiers, and 
 iii) a plurality of benefits, wherein benefits are tracked for each promotion for each member; 
   b) at the server system, transmitting a promoted products list to a retail store system, the promoted products list comprising the product and department identifiers that identify the associated products for the promotions;   c) at the server system, receiving a member identifier associated with a first member and a filtered list of purchased products from the retail store system, wherein the filtered list of purchased products has been created by filtering all products purchased in the purchase transaction against the promoted products list;   d) at the server system, processing a first promotion for the purchase transaction by:
 i) identifying a first purchase total in the filtered list of purchase products associated with a first department identifier that is associated with the first promotion; 
 ii) comparing the first purchase total against a first benefit, the first benefit being associated with the first promotion and the first member, to determine a first discount amount for the first promotion, and 
 iii) modifying the first benefit in the computerized database to reflect the first discount amount; 
   e) at the server system, processing a second promotion for the purchase transaction by:
 i) identifying a plurality of product purchase totals in the filtered list of purchase products associated with a plurality of product identifiers that are associated with the second promotion; 
 ii) comparing the plurality of product purchase totals against a second benefit, the second benefit being associated with the second promotion and the first member, to determine a second discount amount for the second promotion, and 
 iii) modifying the second benefit in the computerized database to reflect the second discount amount; 
   f) at the server system, transmitting the first and second discount amounts to the retail store system for applying the discounts to the purchase transaction.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the processing of the first promotion identifies a first set of purchase totals in the filtered list of purchase products associated with the first promotion, wherein the first set of purchase totals are compared against the first benefit to determine the first discount amount. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the promoted product list comprises records with an identifier field in each record, wherein a first set of records contain product identifiers in the identifier field and a second set of records contain department identifiers in the identifier field. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first promotion provides a first stored value benefit and the second promotion provides a second stored value benefit. 
     
     
         20 . A method for providing benefits during a purchase transaction comprising:
 a) at a server system, tracking in a computerized database:
 i) a plurality of members, 
 ii) a plurality of promotions, each promotion associated with at least product, wherein the associated products are identified by product identifiers or department identifiers, and 
 iii) a plurality of benefits, wherein benefits are tracked for each promotion for each member; 
   b) at the server system, transmitting a promoted products list to a retail store system, the promoted products list comprising the product and department identifiers that identify the associated products for the promotions;   c) at the server system, receiving a member identifier associated with a first member and a filtered list of purchased products from the retail store system, wherein the filtered list of purchased products has been created by filtering all products purchased in the purchase transaction against the promoted products list;   d) at the server system, processing a first promotion for the purchase transaction by:
 i) identifying a plurality of department purchase totals in the filtered list of purchase products associated with a plurality of department identifiers that are associated with the first promotion; 
 ii) comparing the plurality of department purchase totals against a first benefit, the first benefit being associated with the first promotion and the first member, to determine a first discount amount for the first promotion, and 
 iii) modifying the first benefit in the computerized database to reflect the first discount amount; 
   e) at the server system, processing a second promotion for the purchase transaction by:
 i) identifying a particular product purchase total in the filtered list of purchase products associated with a particular product identifier that is associated with the second promotion; 
 ii) comparing the particular product purchase total against a second benefit, the second benefit being associated with the second promotion and the first member, to determine a second discount amount for the second promotion, and 
 iii) modifying the second benefit in the computerized database to reflect the second discount amount; 
   f) at the server system, transmitting the first and second discount amounts to the retail store system for applying the discounts to the purchase transaction.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the first promotion provides a first stored value benefit and the second promotion provides a second stored value benefit.