System and methods for discount retailing

Abstract

A system and methods to mutually satisfy a consumer with a discount and a vendor with a minimum number of sales by establishing a tipping point associated with an offer for a good or service. If the tipping point is met, the sale of the good or service is executed and the consumer is charged and receives an indication of the discounted sale, such as a certificate. If the tipping point is not met, the discount offer is abandoned and the consumer is not charged. Once the tipping point is established, the vendor receives a payment, even before the consumer uses the certificate. The system and methods also include a reward or loyalty program, an exchange or secondary market for the purchased deals, and a matching algorithm that matches customers to relevant goods or services.

1 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing computer code that, when executed by the processor, causes the apparatus to:
 select, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, a merchant and a good or service offered by the merchant for presenting to one or more consumers, via one or more consumer devices associated with the one or more consumers, for purchase, via a global communication network;   determine, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, a discount offer associated with the good or service for presenting to the one or more consumer devices via the global communication network;   identify, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, a first set of consumer devices to receive the discount offer based on consumer information associated with each consumer device of the first set of consumer devices;   generate, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, an electronic communication, the electronic communication comprising information indicative of the discount offer and configured to be provided, via the global communication network, to each of the first set of consumer devices;   electronically transmit, via the global communication network, the discount offer to the first set of consumer devices;   electronically receive, via the global communication network, a plurality of responses from a subset of consumer devices from the first set of consumer devices, wherein a subset of the plurality of responses comprise information indicative of a consumer acceptance, wherein the information indicative of a consumer acceptance is an indication of an agreement to purchase the discount offer;   determine, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, and in real-time with electronically receiving, via the global communication network, the plurality of responses from the first set of consumer devices, that a total number of electronically received consumer acceptances exceeds a predetermined threshold, the predetermined threshold being a minimum quantity of offers of a particular good or service to be accepted in order to execute a second offering of the particular good or service to a second set of consumer devices; and   subsequent to the real-time determination, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, that the total number of electronically received consumer acceptances from the first set of consumer devices exceeds the predetermined threshold, electronically transmit, via the global communication network, the electronic communication comprising the discount offer to the second set of consumer devices, wherein the second set of consumer devices is larger than the first set of consumer devices and not inclusive of the first set of consumer devices.   
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the computer code is further configured, when executed by the processor, to cause the apparatus to:
 determine, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, a tipping point at which the discount offer becomes valid, the tipping point being a minimum quantity of acceptances of a particular offer of a particular good or service in order to execute a sale of the particular good or service to each of the consumers that accepted the particular offer of the particular offer of the particular good or service;   electronically receive, via the global communication network, consumer acceptances in response to transmission of the discount offer;   determine, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, whether the consumer acceptances received in response to transmission of the discount offer to the larger set of consumers satisfy the tipping point; and   electronically receive, via the global communication network, consumer charges upon a determination that the consumer acceptances received in response to transmission of the discount offer to the larger set of consumers satisfy the tipping point.   
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the consumer information comprises historical consumer action information. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the consumer information comprises consumer demographic information. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the consumer information comprises consumer likes or dislikes. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the consumer information comprises acceptable price range information received from consumers. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the consumer information comprises deal enjoyment information received from consumers. 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the computer code is further configured, when executed by the processor, to cause the apparatus to:
 determine, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, based on the consumer information, a second set of consumer devices to receive a second discount offer; and   electronically transmit, via the global communication network, the second discount offer to the second set of consumer devices;   electronically receive, via the global communication network, consumer acceptances associated with the second discount offer;   determine, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, that a total number of received consumer acceptances associated with the second discount offer exceeds a second predetermined threshold indicating viability of the second discount offer; and   in response to determining, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, that the received consumer acceptances associated with the second discount offer exceeds the second predetermined threshold, electronically transmit, via the global communication network, the second discount offer to a second larger set of consumers via the global communication network.   
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the computer code is further configured, when executed by the apparatus, to cause the apparatus to:
 determine, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, a discount offer duration,
 wherein the step of determining, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, that the received consumer acceptances satisfy the tipping point occurs following a termination of the discount offer duration. 
   
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the computer code is further configured, when executed by the apparatus, to cause the apparatus to:
 store, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, consumer information to a customer profile based on the received consumer acceptances.   
     
     
         34 . A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable program code instructions that, when executed by a computing apparatus, cause the computing apparatus to:
 select, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, a merchant and a good or service offered by the merchant for presenting to one or more consumers, via one or more consumer devices associated with the one or more consumers, for purchase, via a global communication network;   determine, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, a discount offer associated with the good or service for presenting to the one or more consumer devices via the global communication network;   identify, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, a first set of consumer devices to receive the discount offer based on consumer information associated with each consumer device of the first set of consumer devices;   generate, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, an electronic communication, the electronic communication comprising information indicative of the discount offer and configured to be provided, via the global communication network, to each of the first set of consumer devices;   electronically transmit, via the global communication network, the discount offer to the first set of consumer devices;   electronically receive, via the global communication network, a plurality of responses from a subset of consumer devices from the first set of consumer devices, wherein a subset of the plurality of responses comprise information indicative of a consumer acceptance, wherein the information indicative of a consumer acceptance is an indication of an agreement to purchase the discount offer;   determine, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, and in real-time with electronically receiving, via the global communication network, the plurality of responses from the first set of consumer devices, that a total number of electronically received consumer acceptances exceeds a predetermined threshold, the predetermined threshold being a minimum quantity of offers of a particular good or service to be accepted in order to execute a second offering of the particular good or service to a second set of consumer devices; and   subsequent to the real-time determination, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, that the total number of electronically received consumer acceptances from the first set of consumer devices exceeds the predetermined threshold, electronically transmit, via the global communication network, the electronic communication comprising the discount offer to the second set of consumer devices, wherein the second set of consumer devices is larger than the first set of consumer devices and not inclusive of the first set of consumer devices.   
     
     
         35 . The computer program product according to  claim 34 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions that, when executed by a computing apparatus, cause the computing apparatus to:
 determine, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, a tipping point at which the discount offer becomes valid, the tipping point being a minimum quantity of acceptances of a particular offer of a particular good or service in order to execute a sale of the particular good or service to each of the consumers that accepted the particular offer of the particular offer of the particular good or service;   electronically receive, via the global communication network, consumer acceptances in response to transmission of the discount offer;   determine, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, whether the consumer acceptances received in response to transmission of the discount offer to the larger set of consumers satisfy the tipping point; and   electronically receive, via the global communication network, consumer charges upon a determination that the consumer acceptances received in response to transmission of the discount offer to the larger set of consumers satisfy the tipping point.   
     
     
         36 . The computer program product according to  claim 34 , wherein the consumer information comprises historical consumer action information. 
     
     
         37 . The computer program product according to  claim 34 , wherein the consumer information comprises consumer demographic information. 
     
     
         38 . The computer program product according to  claim 34 , wherein the consumer information comprises consumer likes or dislikes. 
     
     
         39 . The computer program product according to  claim 34 , wherein the consumer information comprises acceptable price range information received from consumers. 
     
     
         40 . The computer program product according to  claim 34 , wherein the consumer information comprises deal enjoyment information received from consumers. 
     
     
         41 . The computer program product according to  claim 34 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions that, when executed by a computing apparatus, cause the computing apparatus to:
 determine, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, based on the consumer information, a second set of consumer devices to receive a second discount offer; and   electronically transmit, via the global communication network, the second discount offer to the second set of consumer devices;   electronically receive, via the global communication network, consumer acceptances associated with the second discount offer;   determine, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, that a total number of received consumer acceptances associated with the second discount offer exceeds a second predetermined threshold indicating viability of the second discount offer; and   in response to determining, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, that the received consumer acceptances associated with the second discount offer exceeds the second predetermined threshold, electronically transmit, via the global communication network, the second discount offer to a second larger set of consumers via the global communication network.   
     
     
         42 . The computer program product according to  claim 34 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions that, when executed by a computing apparatus, cause the computing apparatus to:
 determine, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, a discount offer duration,   wherein the step of determining, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, that the received consumer acceptances satisfy the tipping point occurs following a termination of the discount offer duration.   
     
     
         43 . The computer program product according to  claim 34 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions that, when executed by a computing apparatus, cause the computing apparatus to:
 store, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, consumer information to a customer profile based on the received consumer acceptances.   
     
     
         44 . A method comprising:
 selecting, by at least one processor of an apparatus, a merchant and a good or service offered by the merchant for presenting to one or more consumers, via one or more consumer devices associated with the one or more consumers, for purchase, via a global communication network;   determining, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, a discount offer associated with the good or service for presenting to the one or more consumer devices via the global communication network;   identifying, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, a first set of consumer devices to receive the discount offer based on consumer information associated with each consumer device of the first set of consumer devices;   generating, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, an electronic communication, the electronic communication comprising information indicative of the discount offer and configured to be provided, via the global communication network, to each of the first set of consumer devices;   electronically transmitting, via the global communication network, the discount offer to the first set of consumer devices;   electronically receiving, via the global communication network, a plurality of responses from a subset of consumer devices from the first set of consumer devices, wherein a subset of the plurality of responses comprise information indicative of a consumer acceptance, wherein the information indicative of a consumer acceptance is an indication of an agreement to purchase the discount offer;   determining, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, and in real-time with electronically receiving, via the global communication network, the plurality of responses from the first set of consumer devices, that a total number of electronically received consumer acceptances exceeds a predetermined threshold, the predetermined threshold being a minimum quantity of offers of a particular good or service to be accepted in order to execute a second offering of the particular good or service to a second set of consumer devices; and   subsequent to the real-time determination, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, that the total number of electronically received consumer acceptances from the first set of consumer devices exceeds the predetermined threshold, electronically transmitting, via the global communication network, the electronic communication comprising the discount offer to the second set of consumer devices, wherein the second set of consumer devices is larger than the first set of consumer devices and not inclusive of the first set of consumer devices.