Digital promotion system including NFC tag based loyalty program joining and related methods

A digital promotions server comprising:

• a processor and an associated memory configured to
• cooperate with a shopper device associated with a given shopper to obtain a near field communication (NFC) tag identifier encoding an NFC tag associated with a given product for purchase at a given retailer, the shopper device comprising a display, an NFC tag reader, and a controller coupled to the display and the NFC tag reader, the controller configured to operate a retailer application embodying a loyalty program associated with a given retailer when the retailer application is stored on the shopper device, store login credentials for the loyalty program associated with the given retailer, operate the NFC tag reader in a passive mode to wirelessly obtain the NFC tag identifier so that upon the shopper device being adjacent the NFC tag, the shopper device generates a carrier field that modulates the NFC tag to generate an electromagnetic (EM) field that supplies power to the NFC tag to enable the NFC tag identifier to be read from the NFC tag by the NFC tag reader, upon obtaining the NFC tag identifier via the NFC tag reader, communicate the NFC tag identifier to the digital promotions server, upon communication of the NFC tag identifier to digital promotions server, determine whether the stored login credentials exists, and when the stored login credentials exist, communicate the login credentials to the digital promotions server, and determine whether the retailer application is stored on the shopper device, and when the retailer application is stored on the shopper device, communicate a result of the determination to the digital promotions server,
• determine a digital promotion associated with the NFC tag identifier encoded NFC tag, and
• determine whether the given shopper is associated with the loyalty program based upon the receipt of login credentials and the result of the determination of the retailer application being indicative that the retailer application is stored on the shopper device, and when not, cooperate with the shopper device to prompt, via the display, the given shopper to join the loyalty program, and upon joining the loyalty program save the digital promotion to a digital wallet associated with the given shopper, otherwise when the given shopper is associated with the loyalty program, save the digital promotion to the digital wallet without prompting the given shopper so that the digital promotion is stored to the digital wallet without more than the shopper device being adjacent the NFC tag.

A method of processing a digital promotion comprising:

• using a digital promotions server to
• cooperate with a shopper device associated with a given shopper to obtain a near field communication (NFC) tag identifier encoding an NFC tag associated with a given product for purchase at a given retailer, the shopper device comprising a display, an NFC tag reader, and a controller coupled to the display and the NFC tag reader, the controller configured to operate a retailer application embodying a loyalty program associated with a given retailer when the retailer application is stored on the shopper device, store login credentials for the loyalty program associated with the given retailer, operate the NFC tag reader in a passive mode to wirelessly obtain the NFC tag identifier so that upon the shopper device being adjacent the NFC tag, the shopper device generates a carrier field that modulates the NFC tag to generate an electromagnetic (EM) field that supplies power to the NFC tag to enable the NFC tag identifier to be read from the NFC tag by the NFC tag reader, upon obtaining the NFC tag identifier, communicate the NFC tag identifier to the digital promotions server, upon communication of the NFC tag identifier to the digital promotions server, determine whether the stored login credentials exist, and when the stored login credentials exist, communicate the login credentials to the digital promotions server, and determine whether the retailer application is stored on the shopper device, and when the retailer application is stored on the shopper device, communicate a result of the determination to the digital promotions server,
• determine the digital promotion associated with the NFC tag identifier encoded NFC tag, and
• determine whether the given shopper is associated with the loyalty program based upon the receipt of the login credentials and the result of the determination of the retailer application being indicative that the retailer application is stored on the shopper device, and when not, cooperate with the shopper device to prompt, via the display, the given shopper to join the loyalty program, and upon joining the loyalty program save the digital promotion to a digital wallet associated with the given shopper, otherwise when the given shopper is associated with the loyalty program, save the digital promotion to the digital wallet without prompting the given shopper so that the digital promotion is stored to the digital wallet without more than the shopper device being adjacent the NFC tag.

A non-transitory computer readable medium for processing a digital promotion, the non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

• cooperating with a shopper device associated with a given shopper to obtain a near field communication (NFC) tag identifier encoding an NFC tag associated with a given product for purchase at a given retailer, the shopper device comprising a display, an NFC tag reader, and a controller coupled to the display and the NFC tag reader, the controller configured to operate a retailer application embodying a loyalty program associated with a given retailer when the retailer application is stored on the shopper device, store login credentials for the loyalty program associated with the given retailer, operate the NFC tag reader in a passive mode to wirelessly obtain the NFC tag identifier so that upon the shopper device being adjacent the NFC tag, the shopper device generates a carrier field that modulates the NFC tag to generate an electromagnetic (EM) field that supplies power to the NFC tag to enable the NFC tag identifier to be read from the NFC tag by the NFC tag reader, upon obtaining the NFC tag identifier via the NFC tag reader, communicate the NFC tag identifier to the digital promotions server, upon communication of the NFC tag identifier to the digital promotions server, determine whether the stored login credentials exist, and when the stored login credentials exist, communicate the login credentials to the digital promotions server, and determine whether the retailer application is stored on the shopper device, and when the retailer application is stored on the shopper device, communicate a result of the determination to the digital promotions server;
• determining the digital promotion associated with the NFC tag identifier encoded NFC tag;
• and
• determining whether the given shopper is associated with the loyalty program based upon the receipt of the login credentials and the result of the determination of the retailer application being indicative that the retailer application is stored on the shopper device, and when not, cooperating with the shopper device to prompt, via the display, the given shopper to join the loyalty program, and upon joining the loyalty program save the digital promotion to a digital wallet associated with the given shopper so that the digital promotion is stored to the digital wallet without more than the shopper device being adjacent the NFC tag.