METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR GENERATING CERTIFICATES HAVING UNIQUE ID DATA
A method and system for the electronic distribution of product redemption coupons to remote personal computers located at users' homes are disclosed. A centrally located repository, such as an online service provider or web site on the Internet, stores packages of coupon data for downloading on demand to the user's computer. A coupon generated by the system and method of the present invention comprises an encoded area that consists essentially of a unique Coupon Id. The unique Coupon Id is also recorded in a database comprising a plurality of data tables. At least one of the data tables associates each Coupon Id with one or more of a Promotion Id and a Consumer Id. Preferably, the Print Id is also associated in a data table with a Session Id and information regarding the date/time of printing. The Ids other than the Coupon Id may not be printed on the coupon.
1 . A system for printing promotions for users comprising:
means for inputting a request for a promotion to be printed;
means for printing a promotion with a Unique ID encoded on the printed promotion, wherein the Unique ID is associated with least a Promotion ID and Consumer ID, wherein the Promotion ID and Consumer ID are not printed on the printed promotion.
2 . The system of claim 1 wherein the promotion is a coupon.
3 . The system of claim 2 wherein the Promotion ID comprises information about the promotion including one or more of an item description, incentive description and issuer description.
4 . The system of claim 2 wherein the Consumer ID comprises information about a consumer including information about the consumer's demographic data.
5 . The system of claim 2 wherein the Promotion ID comprises information about the promotion including on e or more of an item description, incentive description and issuer description and the Consumer ID comprises information about a consumer including information about the consumer's demographic data.
6 . The system of claim 1 wherein the Unique ID is associated with a Session ID.
7 . The system of claim 1 wherein the Unique ID is associated with a Date/Time ID.
8 . The system of claim 1 wherein the Session ID comprises information regarding the session during which the promotion was requested.
9 . The system of claim 7 wherein the Date/Time ID comprises information regarding the date and time when the promotion was generated or printed.
10 . The system of claim 1 further comprising redemption receipt means for receiving information regarding the redemption of the promotion and storing that information into the database in association with the Unique ID.
11 . The system of claim 1 further comprising means for determining if the coupon is valid.
12 . The system of claim 11 wherein the means for determining receives a request from a point of service and generates validity information to the point of service.
13 . The system of claim 12 wherein the request is received over the Internet and provided to the point of service over the Internet.
14 . The system of claim 11 wherein the means for determining receives a request from redemption facility and generates validity information to the redemption facility.
15 . The system of claim 14 wherein the request is received over the Internet and provided to the redemption facility over the Internet.
16 . The system of claim 11 wherein the means for determining receives a request from a web site at which the promotion is being offered and generates validity information to the web site.
17 . The system of claim 13 wherein the request and validity information are transferred over the Internet.