Systems and methods to provide offers on mobile devices
Systems and methods to propagate and redeem offers via mobile communications. In one aspect, a system includes an interchange and a data storage facility storing a value in association with a first phone number. The interchange includes a common format processor and a plurality of converters to interface with a plurality of different controllers of mobile communications. The converters are configured to communicate with the common format processor in a common format and with the controllers in different formats. The common format processor is to re-associate the value with a second phone number and to use one converter of the converters to communicate a reference of the value to a telephonic apparatus at the second phone number, in response to a request from a telephonic apparatus at the first phone number, when the request includes the second phone number and a reference to the value.
1. A method, comprising:
receiving, in a computing device of an interchange, a coupon redeemable from a merchant for a discount;
storing, in the computing device, the coupon in the data storage facility;
receiving, in the computing device, an indication of payment from the merchant based on the discount as part of a purchase by the merchant;
storing a consumer account in the data storage facility, the consumer account having a phone number associated therewith;
associating the coupon with the consumer account;
storing a payment instrument in association with the consumer account;
transmitting, with the computing device, at least a reference to the coupon from the computing device to a mobile phone having the phone number after the coupon is associated with the consumer account;
receiving, with the computing device, at least an indication of a purchase by a customer for a purchase amount after transmitting the reference to the coupon from the computing device to the mobile phone the indication being received from a remote server of a merchant;
communicating, using the computing device, with the mobile phone to confirm the purchase by the customer;
in response to a confirmation of the purchase by the customer, applying, by the computing device, the discount as a portion of the purchase amount by the customer to determine a reduced amount and redeem the coupon;
charging, by the computing device, the payment instrument of the consumer account based on the reduced amount; and
marking, by the computing device, the coupon as invalid for use by the consumer account after it has been applied.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
charging the merchant the stored value in response to the generating of the coupon.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
charging the merchant the stored value in response to the communication for the applying of the discount.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the phone number of the mobile phone is a first phone number; and the transmitting is in response to a request from a second phone number, the request including the coupon and the first phone number.
5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising, in response to the request from the second phone number:
removing data associating the coupon and the second phone number; and
storing data associating the coupon and the first phone number.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the payment instrument is the phone number further comprising:
transmitting a premium message to a phone number of the mobile phone to collect at least a portion of funds for payment of the reduced amount.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing data representing a set of one or more conditions associated with the coupon;
wherein the coupon is redeemable when the set of one or more conditions is satisfied.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
determining whether the set of one or more conditions is satisfied after the indication of the purchase by the customer;
wherein the discount is applied toward the payment in response to a determination that the set of one or more conditions is satisfied.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the coupon is from a first merchant; and the set of one or more conditions includes a requirement for a purchase from the first merchant.
10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, the instructions causing a computer to perform a method, the method comprising:
receiving, in a computing device of an interchange, a coupon redeemable from a merchant for a discount;
storing, in the computing device, the coupon in the data storage facility;
receiving, in the computing device, an indication of payment from the merchant based on the discount as part of a purchase by the merchant;
storing a consumer account in the data storage facility, the consumer account having a phone number associated therewith;
associating the coupon with the consumer account;
storing a payment instrument in association with the consumer account;
transmitting, with the computing device, at least a reference to the coupon from the computing device to a mobile phone having the phone number after the coupon is associated with the consumer account;
receiving, with the computing device, at least an indication of a purchase by a customer for a purchase amount after transmitting the reference to the coupon from the computing device to the mobile phone the indication being received from a remote server of a merchant;
communicating, using the computing device, with the mobile phone to confirm the purchase by the customer;
in response to a confirmation of the purchase by the customer, applying, by the computing device, the discount as a portion of the purchase amount by the customer to determine a reduced amount and redeem the coupon;
charging, by the computing device, the payment instrument of the consumer account based on the reduced amount; and
marking, by the computing device, the coupon as invalid for use by the consumer account after it has been applied.