US 2003/0079221 A1 · Secure method for providing negotiable discount coupons to consumers using a distributed processing network

Abstract

A convenient and secure method is provided via a distributed processing network, such as the Internet, for allowing registered consumers to personally print on security paper available only from the provider of the on-line printing service, selected discount coupons, which have been preauthorized by a provider of goods or services, on a restricted basis, and in a manner which makes counterfeiting of such coupons extremely difficult. The invention also provides a method for tracking the use of the coupons with an on-line accessible and updatable database, so that their authenticity may be verified and the buying habits of the consumers may be ascertained. The providers of the goods and services are allowed access to the database and are able to enter data related to the use of tendered coupons and view accumulated data and statistical analyses of that data.

Claims45

Dependent claims

A method for providing discount coupons to consumers, said method comprising the steps of:

gathering discount offers from participating business entities selected from the group consisting of manufacturers, retailers and merchants, for the sale of goods or services to members of a group of subscribing consumers, at least some of the discount offers being subject to restrictions imposed by a participating business entity;
forming a group of individually identifiable subscribing consumers;
providing a searchable database of gathered discount offers accessible via a distributed processing network;
providing sheets of security paper to each of the subscribing consumers, each sheet having at least one coupon shell preprinted thereon;
providing for the downloading of data corresponding to a selected discount offer, from the searchable database, via the network;
and
providing for the printing, within a coupon shell, of the data downloaded from the database to create a negotiable discount coupon.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Secure method for providing negotiable discount coupons to consumers using a distributed processing network

Life of this patent

Secure method for providing negotiable discount coupons to consumers using a distributed processing network

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims45