Fuel dispensing system and method providing discounted prices to individually identified customers
A system and method for providing a price-per-unit (PPU) discount on fuel to a customer who purchases at least one cross-marketed product or service. A first PPU discount is awarded to the customer based on a purchase by the customer of a first cross-marketed product or service. A customer identification is assigned to the customer, the first discount amount is stored in a discounts issued database that associates the first discount amount with the customer identification. Additional PPU discounts may be added to the first discount if the customer purchases additional cross-marketed products or services. When the customer inputs the customer identification in a subsequent transaction, the PPU discount is retrieved from the database, and is used to reduce the PPU of the fuel.
1 - 25 . (canceled)
26 . A method by which a fuel retailer can maintain a posted street price for fuel while offering to identified customers, prices that are different from the posted street price, said method comprising the steps of:
posting the street price on a fuel dispenser;
inputting customer identification information through an input device;
associating with the customer identification information, a price-per-unit (PPU) difference from the posted street price of the fuel; and
applying the associated PPU difference to the posted street price to arrive at a discounted PPU for the customer.
27 . The method of claim 26 wherein the step of inputting customer identification information includes inputting customer identification information through an input device selected from the group consisting of:
a magnetic card reader;
a bar code reader;
a personal identification number (PIN) entry pad; and
a radio frequency identification (RFID) device.
28 . The method of claim 26 wherein the step of associating a PPU difference with the customer identification information includes associating a PPU difference earned through a customer loyalty program.
29 . The method of claim 26 wherein the step of associating a PPU difference with the customer identification information includes associating a PPU difference earned through a membership in a particular organization.
30 . The method of claim 26 wherein the step of associating the PPU difference with the customer identification information includes associating a unique PPU difference for each individual customer.
31 - 32 . (canceled)
33 . The method of claim 26 wherein the step of associating with the customer identification information, a price-per-unit (PPU) difference from the posted street price of the fuel includes associating a different PPU difference for each grade of fuel.
34 . A system for maintaining a posted street price for fuel by a fuel retailer while offering to an identified customer, prices that are different from the posted street price, said system comprising:
a fuel dispenser having a display for posting the street price;
an input device for inputting customer identification information;
a database that stores a plurality of predetermined prices-per-unit (PPUs) for the fuel; and
a processor that associates with the customer identification information, one of the predetermined PPUs from the database, and applies the associated predetermined PPU to a fuel sales transaction with the customer.
35 . The system of claim 34 wherein the processor also controls the display on the fuel dispenser to display a street price equal to the associated predetermined PPU during the fuel sales transaction with the customer.
36 - 39 . (canceled)
40 . A method of providing a discount on a desired product or service to a customer who purchases at least one cross-marketed product or service, said method comprising the steps of:
awarding a first discount amount on the desired product to the customer based on a purchase by the customer of a first cross-marketed product or service;
assigning a customer identification to the customer;
storing the first discount amount in a discounts issued database that associates the first discount amount with the customer identification;
inputting by the customer in a subsequent transaction, the customer identification;
retrieving the first discount amount from the discounts issued database; and
reducing the price of the desired product or service by the first discount amount.
41 . (canceled)
42 . The method of providing a discount on a desired product or service of claim 40 wherein the desired product or service is gasoline, and the first discount amount is a discount on the price-per-unit-volume of gasoline.