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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of substantiating product purchases during promotion redemption comprising:
 a) at a server system, transmitting a first list of approved products to a first retail store system, the list of approved products containing identifiers for products for which promotions are currently active;   b) at the server system, receiving from the first retail store system a first list of purchased products that has been filtered by the first retail store system according to the first list of approved products previously sent by the server system to the first retail store system;   c) at the server system, receiving from the first retail store system a first user identifier associated with the first list of purchased products;   d) at the server system, determining available promotions available for the first user identifier;   e) at the server system, calculating discounts for the first list of purchased products based on the available promotions;   f) at the server system, transmitting the calculated discounts to the first retail store system.