Method and apparatus for defining routing of customers between merchants
AssigneeWalker Digital, LLC
InventorsJay Walker, Andrew Luchene, Daniel Tedesco, Magdalena Mik, James Jorasch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A server or Internet service provider computer selects a soliciting merchant and an outputting merchant based on various factors. In one embodiment, the soliciting merchant is selected is its activity rate (e.g. sales rate) is low. The outputting merchant provides offers for bonuses to customers on behalf of the soliciting merchant. The bonus is provided to the customer in exchange for consummating a transaction with the soliciting merchant. Thus, the soliciting merchant benefits from the increased patronage such offers encourage.
Claims22
1-77. (canceled)
A method for facilitating an offer for a bonus, comprising:
- determining a soliciting merchant, the soliciting merchant comprising a merchant participating in a system for providing an offer for a bonus;
- determining an outputting merchant, the outputting merchant also comprising a merchant participating in a system for providing an offer for a bonus;
- determining that the soliciting merchant is experiencing a period of low activity;
- and
- creating an entry upon determining that the soliciting merchant is experiencing a period of low activity, the entry usable for outputting an offer to a customer of the outputting merchant and including an indication of the soliciting merchant and the outputting merchant.
The method of claim 1 in which the step of determining a soliciting merchant comprises:
- measuring an activity rate of the soliciting merchant;
- selecting the soliciting merchant if the activity rate is less than a predetermined threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.