System for Online Sales With Automatic Rebate and Coupon Redemption
An online sales/automatic rebate and coupon redemption system provides online customers automatic retrieval and redemption of all applicable rebates and coupons during purchase. Purchase orders from customers are selectively fulfilled and products are shipped to the customers either by the system for online sales with automatic rebate and coupon redemption or by other merchant or manufacturer environments. The system purchases from merchants using applicable coupons and rebates and then sells the products to the customers, passing the savings to them. The system makes it possible to automatically retrieve coupons and rebates for items in a shopping cart during the activity of an online purchase at an electronic mall or an online merchant site. The system provides coupons to potential customers via email, based on customer profile, geographical information, etc. Manufacturers and merchants can update coupon value and content based on ongoing sales and volume of customer activity.
1 . A promotion system that supports promotion services between a plurality of buyers and a plurality of sellers in a communication network, the promotion system comprising:
a promotion management system having a seller interface, the seller interface being used by both a first seller and a second seller respectively via a first seller's computer and a second seller's computer to correspondingly register a first promotion for a first item and a second promotion for a second item;
the promotion management system receiving from the first seller's computer, first information regarding one or both of the first seller and the first item;
the promotion management system receiving from the second seller's computer, second information regarding one or both of the second seller and the second item;
the promotion management system, based upon received buyer input, dispensing a promotion for an item to at least one buyer computer;
the promotion management system receiving information regarding the item from one or more of the first seller's computer and the second seller's computer;
the promotion management system altering the promotion respective to the item based upon the information.
2 . The promotion system of claim 1 , wherein the promotion management system comprises a promotional server that hosts postings of promotions from a plurality of sellers.
3 . The promotion system of claim 1 , wherein each promotion comprises a plurality of parameters.
4 . The promotion system of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of parameters comprises one or more of: an amount or value of a promotion, a quantity of a promotion, one or more goods and/or services associated with the promotion, one or more geographical regions to which the promotion applies and a time limit or expiration date of the promotion by a corresponding seller.
5 . The promotion system of claim 1 , wherein the promotion management system receiving information regarding the item from one or more of the first seller's computer and the second seller's computer comprises receiving information regarding:
a number of coupons offered for the item;
a number of rebates distributed for the item;
a number of coupons redeemed for the item;
a number rebates redeemed for the item;
current product inventory levels of the item; and
the shelf life of the item in inventory.
6 . The promotion system of claim 1 , wherein the promotion management system altering the promotion respective to the item based upon the information comprises one or more of:
increasing a value of a coupon for the item;
decreasing a value of a coupon for the item;
increasing a value of a rebate for the item;
decreasing a value of a rebate for the item;
altering a total quantity of coupons for the item;
altering a total quantity of rebates for the item;
altering terms of a coupon for the item;
altering terms of a rebate for the item;
altering a selection of items to which the promotion applies; and
altering a valid geography region for the promotion.
7 . The promotion system of claim 1 , wherein the promotion management system automatically alters the promotion respective to the item based upon adjustment parameters that are set up by one or more of a manufacturer, a retailer, a distributor, and a system administrator.
8 . The promotion system of clam 7 , wherein the promotion management system comprises a web browser interface operable to receive the adjustment parameters.
9 . The promotion system of claim 8 , wherein the web browser interface is operable to receive one or more of modify automatic adjustment parameters that change one or more of coupon or rebate parameters and withdraw a coupon or rebate.
10 . The promotion system of claim 1 , wherein a dispensing criterion comprises a buyer paying for the promotion.
11 . The promotion system of claim 1 , wherein the promotion management system us further operable to:
receive from a buyer of the plurality of buyers, a selection of one of the promotions associated with a good, service and/or a seller;
identify additional promotions related to the selection by the buyer; and
cause display on the buyer's computer, the additional promotion offers.
12 . The promotion system of claim 11 , wherein each promotion is limited to one or more geographical regions.
13 . The promotion system of claim 11 , where the promotion management system charges a buyer for dispensing the promotion.
14 . The promotion system of claim 1 , wherein the promotion management system validates the dispensed promotion further based upon a product/service code.
15 . The promotion system of claim 1 , wherein the promotion management system validates the dispensed promotion further based upon a geographic region code.
16 . The promotion system of claim 1 , wherein the promotion management system:
provides a bar code with the dispensed promotion; and
validates the dispensed promotion further based upon received bar code data.
17 . A method for supporting promotion services between a plurality of buyers and a plurality of sellers in a communication network, the method comprising:
receiving from a first seller's computer, first information regarding one or both of the first seller and a first promotion for a first item, the first information comprising a first dispensing criterion;
receiving from a second seller's computer, second information regarding one or both of the second seller and a second promotion for a second item, the second information comprising a second dispensing criterion;
based upon received buyer input, dispensing a promotion for an item to at least one buyer computer;
receiving information regarding the item from one or more of the first seller's computer and the second seller's computer;
altering the promotion respective to the item based upon the information.
18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising hosting postings of promotions from a plurality of sellers.
19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein each promotion comprises a plurality of parameters.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of parameters comprises one or more of: an amount or value of a promotion, a quantity of a promotion, one or more goods and/or services associated with the promotion, one or more geographical regions to which the promotion applies and a time limit or expiration date of the promotion by a corresponding seller.
21 . The method of claim 17 , wherein receiving information regarding the item from one or more of the first seller's computer and the second seller's computer comprises receiving information regarding:
a number of coupons offered for the item;
a number of rebates distributed for the item;
a number of coupons redeemed for the item;
a number rebates redeemed for the item;
current product inventory levels of the item; and
the shelf life of the item in inventory.
22 . The method of claim 17 , wherein altering the promotion respective to the item based upon the information comprises altering one or more of:
increasing a value of a coupon for the item;
decreasing a value of a coupon for the item;
increasing a value of a rebate for the item;
decreasing a value of a rebate for the item;
altering a total quantity of coupons for the item;
altering a total quantity of rebates for the item;
altering terms of a coupon for the item;
altering terms of a rebate for the item;
altering a selection of items to which the promotion applies; and
altering a valid geography region for the promotion.
23 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising automatically altering the promotion respective to the item based upon adjustment parameters that are set up by one or more of a manufacturer, a retailer, a distributor, and a system administrator.
24 . The method of claim 23 , further comprising receiving the adjustment parameters comprises via a web browser interface.
25 . The method of claim 24 , further comprising receiving adjustment parameters that change one or more of coupon or rebate parameters and withdraw a coupon or rebate.
26 . The method of claim 17 , wherein a dispensing criterion comprises a buyer paying for the promotion.
27 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
receiving from a buyer of the plurality of buyers, a selection of one of the promotions associated with a good, service and/or a seller;
identifying additional promotions related to the selection by the buyer; and
causing display on the buyer's computer, the additional promotion offers.
28 . The method of claim 27 , wherein each promotion is limited to one or more geographical regions.
29 . The method of claim 27 , further comprising charging a buyer for dispensing the promotion.
30 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising validating the dispensed promotion further based upon a product/service code.
31 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising validating the dispensed promotion further based upon a geographic region code.
32 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
providing a bar code with the dispensed promotion; and
validating the dispensed promotion further based upon received bar code data.