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.

1 .- 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . An apparatus comprising at least one processor, a communications interface, and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing computer code that, when executed by the at least one 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 a plurality of consumer devices for purchase, via a global communication network;   receive, via the communications interface of the apparatus, from vendor's server, a tipping point, wherein the tipping point is a minimum number of consumer acceptances necessary to validate a discount offer and execute charge processing of the good or service;   determine, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, the discount offer of the good or service for presenting to the plurality of consumer devices via the global communication network, the discount offer comprising (i) a preset period of time in which the number of the received consumer acceptances must be received and (ii) the tipping point;   transmit, via the communications interface of the apparatus, the discount offer to the plurality of consumer devices, via the global communication network;   calculate, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, on a rolling basis, the number of the received consumer acceptances;   determine, at an expiration of the preset period of time via the at least one processor, whether a number of the received consumer acceptances satisfy the tipping point; and   validate, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, the discount offer upon determination that the number of the received consumer acceptances, received via the global communication network, satisfy the tipping point before an expiration of preset time period.   
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the computer code, when executed by the processor, further causes the apparatus to:
 receive, from one or more of the plurality of consumer devices, at the communications interface of the apparatus via global communication network, input of consumer information, wherein the consumer information comprises at least electronic payment data; and   store, in a mass storage device of the apparatus, the received consumer information associated with the consumer account.   
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the computer code, when executed by the processor, further causes the apparatus to:
 set up, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, a consumer account associated with the received consumer information.   
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the computer code, when executed by the processor, further causes the apparatus to:
 receive, from one or more of the plurality of consumer devices, at the communications interface of the apparatus via global communication network, input indicative of an acceptance of the discount offer;   
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the computer code, when executed by the processor, further causes the apparatus to:
 track, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, the number of the received consumer acceptances;   
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the computer code, when executed by the processor, further causes the apparatus to:
 display, at a website associated with the discount offer, the number of the received consumer acceptances at a current time.   
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the computer code, when executed by the processor, further causes the apparatus to:
 subsequent to the determination of that the number of the received consumer acceptances, received via the global communication network, satisfy the tipping point before the expiration of preset time period, perform charge processing of the electronic payment data provided by each of the one or more consumer devices that accepted the discount offer.   
     
     
         38 . A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions comprising program code instructions for:
 selecting, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, a merchant and a good or service offered by the merchant for presenting to a plurality of consumer devices for purchase, via a global communication network;   receiving, via the communications interface of the apparatus, from vendor's server, a tipping point, wherein the tipping point is a minimum number of consumer acceptances necessary to validate a discount offer and execute charge processing of the good or service;   determining, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, the discount offer of the good or service for presenting to the plurality of consumer devices via the global communication network, the discount offer comprising (i) a preset period of time in which the number of the received consumer acceptances must be received and (ii) the tipping point;   transmitting, via the communications interface of the apparatus, the discount offer to the plurality of consumer devices, via the global communication network;   calculating, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, on a rolling basis, the number of the received consumer acceptances;   determine, at an expiration of the preset period of time via the at least one processor, whether a number of the received consumer acceptances satisfy the tipping point; and   validating, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, the discount offer upon determination that the number of the received consumer acceptances, received via the global communication network, satisfy the tipping point before an expiration of preset time period.   
     
     
         39 . The computer program product of  claim 38 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions for:
 receiving, from one or more of the plurality of consumer devices, at the communications interface of the apparatus via global communication network, input of consumer information, wherein the consumer information comprises at least electronic payment data; and   storing, in a mass storage device of the apparatus, the received consumer information associated with the consumer account.   
     
     
         40 . The computer program product of  claim 38 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions for:
 setting up, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, a consumer account associated with the received consumer information.   
     
     
         41 . The computer program product of  claim 38 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions for:
 receiving, from one or more of the plurality of consumer devices, at the communications interface of the apparatus via global communication network, input indicative of an acceptance of the discount offer;   
     
     
         42 . The computer program product of  claim 38 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions for:
 tracking, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, the number of the received consumer acceptances;   
     
     
         43 . The computer program product of  claim 38 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions for:
 displaying, at a website associated with the discount offer, the number of the received consumer acceptances at a current time.   
     
     
         44 . The computer program product of  claim 38 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions for:
 subsequent to the determination of that the number of the received consumer acceptances, received via the global communication network, satisfy the tipping point before the expiration of preset time period, performing a charge processing of the electronic payment data provided by each of the one or more consumer devices that accepted the discount offer.   
     
     
         45 . A method comprising:
 selecting, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, a merchant and a good or service offered by the merchant for presenting to a plurality of consumer devices for purchase, via a global communication network;   receiving, via the communications interface of the apparatus, from vendor's server, a tipping point, wherein the tipping point is a minimum number of consumer acceptances necessary to validate a discount offer and execute charge processing of the good or service;   determining, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, the discount offer of the good or service for presenting to the plurality of consumer devices via the global communication network, the discount offer comprising (i) a preset period of time in which the number of the received consumer acceptances must be received and (ii) the tipping point;   transmitting, via the communications interface of the apparatus, the discount offer to the plurality of consumer devices, via the global communication network;   calculating, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, on a rolling basis, the number of the received consumer acceptances;   determine, at an expiration of the preset period of time via the at least one processor, whether a number of the received consumer acceptances satisfy the tipping point; and   validating, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, the discount offer upon determination that the number of the received consumer acceptances, received via the global communication network, satisfy the tipping point before an expiration of preset time period.   
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , further comprising:
 receiving, from one or more of the plurality of consumer devices, at the communications interface of the apparatus via global communication network, input of consumer information, wherein the consumer information comprises at least electronic payment data; and   storing, in a mass storage device of the apparatus, the received consumer information associated with the consumer account.   
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 45 , further comprising:
 setting up, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, a consumer account associated with the received consumer information.   
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 45 , further comprising:
 receiving, from one or more of the plurality of consumer devices, at the communications interface of the apparatus via global communication network, input indicative of an acceptance of the discount offer;   
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 45 , further comprising:
 tracking, by the at least one processor of the apparatus, the number of the received consumer acceptances;   
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 45 , further comprising:
 displaying, at a website associated with the discount offer, the number of the received consumer acceptances at a current time.   
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 45 , further comprising:
 subsequent to the determination of that the number of the received consumer acceptances, received via the global communication network, satisfy the tipping point before the expiration of preset time period, performing a charge processing of the electronic payment data provided by each of the one or more consumer devices that accepted the discount offer.