METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING AUTOMATED ON-SITE MERCHANT COUPONS
A method and system for providing automated on-site merchant coupons including determining a product of interest, determining if there is a coupon available for the product of interest and then generating and transmitting the coupon if one is available. The determination of whether a coupon is available may be based on a set of rules as designated by a merchant or may be based on a price-matching criteria.
1 . A method for providing an automated on-site merchant coupon comprising:
determining a product of interest;
determining if a coupon is available for the product of interest; and
generating the automated on-site merchant coupon if a coupon is available for the product of interest.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein determining a product of interest comprises:
receiving a search for the product of interest from a user communication device.
3 . The method of claim 1 wherein determining a product of interest comprises:
determining a user's location within a merchant store based on a location of a user communication device;
comparing the user's location with a map of the merchant store; and
determining the product of interest based on the user's location.
4 . The method of claim 3 wherein determining the product of interest based on the user's location comprises:
determining a department within the merchant store that the user is located based on the map of the merchant store; and
determining the product of interest based on the user's location within the department.
5 . The method of claim 1 wherein determining if a coupon is available comprises:
comparing the product of interest with a list of products; and
determining if the product of interest is on the list of products.
6 . The method of claim 5 wherein determining if a coupon is available further comprises:
after determining the product of interest is on the list of products, determining, via a set of predetermined rules, if a coupon is available for the product of interest.
7 . The method of claim 1 wherein determining if a coupon is available comprises:
comparing a price of the product of interest with prices of competing merchants;
determining if at least one of the prices of competing merchants is less than the price of the product of interest; and
if at least one of the at least one prices of competing merchants is less than the price of the product of interest, determining a coupon is available.
8 . The method of claim 7 wherein generating the automated on-site coupon comprises:
generating a price-matching coupon based on the lowest of the at least one prices that is lower than the price of the product of interest.
9 . The method of claim 8 further comprising:
transmitting the price-matching coupon as the automated on-site coupon to the user.
10 . The method of claim 1 wherein determining a product of interest comprises:
receiving product of interest information from a user communication device.
11 . A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions, that, if executed, cause a computer system to:
determine a product of interest;
determine if a coupon is available for the product of interest; and
generate the automated on-site merchant coupon if a coupon is available for the product of interest.
12 . The computer readable medium of claim 11 wherein determining a product of interest comprises:
receiving product of interest information from a user device.
13 . The computer readable medium of claim 12 further comprising computer readable instructions that, if executed, cause the computer system to:
compare the product of interest with a list of products; and
determine if the product of interest is on the list of products.
14 . The computer readable medium of claim 13 further comprising computer readable instructions that, if executed, cause the computer system to:
after determining the product of interest is on the list of products, determine, via a set of predetermined rules, if a deal is available for the product of interest.
15 . The computer readable medium of claim 14 further comprising computer readable instructions that, if executed, cause the computer system to:
compare a price of the product of interest with prices of competing merchants;
determine if at least one of the prices of competing merchants is less than the price of the product of interest; and
if at least one of the prices is less than the price of the product of interest, determine a deal is available.
16 . The computer readable medium of claim 15 further comprising computer readable instructions that, if executed, cause the computer system to:
generate a coupon for the user.
17 . The computer readable medium of claim 16 further comprising computer readable instructions that, if executed, cause the computer system to:
generate the coupon based on predetermined rules.
18 . The computer readable medium of claim 17 further comprising computer readable instructions that, if executed, cause the computer system to:
generate the coupon based on a lower of the at least one of the prices that is less than the price of the product of interest.