Rebate processing system and method offering selectable disbursement options
View Patent ↗A system is disclosed that provides computer-aided processing of a rebate on a product. The system includes a rebate processing center communicating over a network with a manufacturer, a distributor, and a consumer. The rebate processing center maintains a promotion table and a transaction table in order to facilitate processing of product rebates and to offer the consumer a choice of disbursement options.
1. An apparatus for rebate processing comprising:
a first memory operable to store promotion information describing a plurality of promotions, the promotion information comprising, for each of the promotions, a promotion identifier, at least two disbursement options, and promotion requirements comprising an authentication requirement, personal information requirement, and a date requirement;
a second memory operable to store transaction information indicating a plurality of rebate requests, each rebate request corresponding to a single transaction and the transaction information comprising, for each of the rebate requests, consumer information for a consumer associated with the rebate request, a rebate request status detailing current status of the rebate request, a date associated with the rebate request, and a promotion identifier matching to a selected one of the promotions; and
a processor operable to process the rebate requests by associating each rebate request with the corresponding one of the promotions using the promotion identifiers and determining whether selected transaction information for the rebate requests satisfies the promotion requirements for the promotions, wherein determining whether the selected transaction information for one of the rebate requests satisfies the promotion requirements for the corresponding one of the promotions comprises verifying that submitted authenticity information satisfies the authentication requirement, that the consumer information includes personal information sufficient to satisfy the personal information requirement, and that the date associated with the rebate request satisfies the date requirement.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second memory is further operable, for each of the rebate requests, to maintain a rebate transaction identifier assigned in response to an initial request for a rebate received from the consumer, and wherein for at least one of the promotions, the promotion requirements further comprise a requirement for receipt of a rebate request form indicating the rebate transaction identifier, and wherein determining whether the selected transaction information for one of the rebate requests satisfies the promotion requirements for the corresponding one of the promotions further comprises verifying receipt of a rebate request form indicating the rebate transaction identifier assigned for the rebate request.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein for at least one of the promotions, the authentication requirement indicates physical materials required for verification of the transaction indicated by the rebate request.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the personal information requirement comprises a requirement for address information for the consumer.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein for at least one of the promotions, the date requirement comprises a range of dates during which a qualifying product must have been purchased.
6. An apparatus for rebate processing comprising:
a first memory operable to store promotion information describing a plurality of promotions, the promotion information comprising, for each of the promotions, a promotion sponsor identifier, a promotion identifier, a product identifier, at least two disbursement options, promotion status information comprising a total number of rebate requests and a breakage rate for the promotion, and a plurality of promotion requirements;
a second memory operable to store transaction information indicating a plurality of rebate requests, each rebate request corresponding to a single transaction and the transaction information comprising, for each of the rebate requests, product purchase information, consumer information for a consumer associated with the purchase, a rebate transaction identifier assigned in response to a request for a rebate received from the consumer, and a promotion identifier matching to a selected one of the promotions; and
a processor operable to process the rebate requests by associating each rebate request with the corresponding one of the promotions using the promotion identifiers and determining whether selected transaction information for the rebate requests satisfies the promotion requirements for the promotions, wherein determining whether the selected transaction information for one of the rebate requests satisfies the promotion requirements for the corresponding one of the promotions comprises verifying that the transaction information satisfies the promotion requirements, the processor further operable to generate promotion reports, a promotion report comprising selected promotion information for at least one of the promotions having a particular promotion sponsor identifier, the promotion report comprising the number of rebate requests and the breakage rate for each promotion.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising an interface operable to communicate an authorization to a consumer upon approving a rebate request, the authorization having a plurality of selectable disbursement options.
8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the promotions comprises a plurality of disbursement options for receiving an authorized rebate, at least one of the plurality of disbursement options having a market value to a recipient different than another one of the plurality of disbursement options.
9. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the promotion requirements for at least one of the promotions comprise an authentication requirement, personal information requirement, and a date requirement, and wherein determining whether the selected transaction information for one of the rebate requests satisfies the promotion requirements for the corresponding one of the promotions comprises verifying that submitted authenticity information satisfies the authentication requirement, that the consumer information includes personal information sufficient to satisfy the personal information requirement, and that a date associated with the rebate request satisfies the date requirement.
10. An apparatus for rebate processing comprising:
a first memory operable to store promotion information describing a plurality of promotions, the promotion information comprising, for each of the promotions, a promotion identifier, at least two disbursement options, and promotion requirements;
a second memory operable to store transaction information indicating a plurality of rebate requests, each rebate request corresponding to a single transaction and the transaction information comprising, for each of the rebate requests, a consumer identifier, a rebate request status indicating one of three or more predetermined states, and a promotion identifier matching to a selected one of the promotions; and
a processor operable to process the rebate requests by associating each rebate request with the corresponding one of the promotions using the promotion identifiers and determining whether selected transaction information for the rebate requests satisfies the promotion requirements for the promotions, the processor further operable to provide rebate status updates to the consumers using the rebate request statuses.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein:
the transaction information further comprises, for each of the rebate requests, a rebate transaction identifier assigned in response to an initial request for a rebate;
the apparatus further comprises an interface operable to receive transaction information entered from a physical rebate request form received at a processing center, the transaction information comprising an identifier; and
the processor is further operable to identify one of the rebate requests matching to the rebate request form by identifying the rebate request having a rebate transaction identifier matching to the identifier from the rebate request form and to authorize the matching rebate request if the transaction information from the rebate request form satisfies the promotion requirements.
12. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising an interface to communicate an authorization to a consumer upon approving a rebate request, the authorization having a plurality of selectable disbursement options.
13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein at least one promotion comprises a plurality of disbursement options for receiving an authorized rebate, at least one of the plurality of disbursement options having a market value to a recipient different than another one of the plurality of disbursement options.
14. A method for rebate processing comprising:
storing promotion information describing a plurality of promotions, the promotion information comprising, for each of the promotions, a promotion identifier, at least two disbursement options, and promotion requirements comprising an authentication requirement, personal information requirement, and a date requirement;
storing transaction information indicating a plurality of rebate requests, each rebate request corresponding to a single transaction and the transaction information comprising, for each of the rebate requests, consumer information for a consumer associated with the rebate request, a rebate request status detailing current status of the rebate request, a date associated with the rebate request, and a promotion identifier matching to a selected one of the promotions; and
using a processor to process rebate requests by associating each rebate request with the corresponding one of the promotions using the promotion identifiers and determining whether selected transaction information for the rebate requests satisfies the promotion requirements for the promotions, wherein determining whether the selected transaction information for one of the rebate requests satisfies the promotion requirements for the corresponding one of the promotions comprises verifying that submitted authenticity information satisfies the authentication requirement, that the consumer information includes personal information sufficient to satisfy the personal information requirement, and that the date associated with the rebate request satisfies the date requirement.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
storing, for each of the rebate requests, a rebate transaction identifier assigned in response to an initial request for a rebate;
receiving transaction information entered from a physical rebate request form received at a processing center, wherein the transaction information includes an identifier;
identifying one of the rebate requests with a rebate transaction identifier matching to the identifier on the rebate request form; and
updating information for the identified rebate request.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein for at least one of the promotions, the authentication requirement indicates physical materials required for verification of the transaction indicated by the rebate request.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the personal information requirement comprises a requirement for address information for the consumer.
18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
approving one of the rebate requests;
communicating an authorization to the consumer identified in the consumer information for the approved rebate request, the authorization having a plurality of disbursement options; and
receiving a selection of the disbursement options.
19. The method of claim 14 , wherein at least one promotion comprises a plurality of disbursement options for receiving an authorized rebate, at least one of the plurality of disbursement options having a market value to a recipient different than another one of the plurality of disbursement options.