Marketing system employing electronically generated discount coupons

Abstract

A marketing system which uses electronically generated coupons to track specific consumers for the purpose of identifying a consumer's purchasing tendencies. The system allows the consumer to enjoy discount purchases with a wide variety of service and retail providers while simultaneously allowing the retail and service providers to identify the purchasing tendencies of a number of different consumer demographics. The coupon is in the form of a “scratch-off” card which has a plurality of occluded areas thereon. Beneath each of the occluded areas is indicia indicating the percentage or value of the discount, in predetermined amounts and increments. Before the consumer can begin purchasing the coupons, he must first register with a central computer which stores demographic data associated with the consumer. This stored data is transmitted via, e.g., the Internet, to a plurality of coupon dispensing devices strategically located at high pedestrian traffic areas such as malls. In addition to the occluded areas the coupon will include a bar code allowing for data to be gathered when the coupon is redeemed.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.