Processing of Electronic Referral Hyperlinks
OwnerGeorge Cox Beighley, JR.inventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A computer-implemented method is performed at a computer of a merchant. A list of one or more items available for referral is displayed. Each item is a product offered by the merchant or associated with the merchant. A first message is received from a referring party indicating that the referring party desires to refer a selected item from the list. A referring party account is created at the computer of the merchant, for the referring party. A referral hyperlink is created for referral of the selected item. The referral hyperlink includes first data identifying the selected item.
Claims20
A computer-implemented method performed at a computer of a merchant, the method comprising:
- displaying a list of one or more items available for referral, wherein each item is a product offered by the merchant or associated with the merchant;
- receiving a first message from a referring party indicating that the referring party desires to refer a selected item from the list;
- creating a referring party account, at the computer of the merchant, for the referring party;
- creating a referral hyperlink for referral of the selected item, wherein the referral hyperlink includes first data identifying the selected item.
A method comprising:
- receiving a first electronic message from a first party who desires to obtain discounts from a merchant based on referrals of items offered by or associated with the merchant, the first message including first identification information for identifying the first party;
- creating, for the first party, a referred user account at a computer of the merchant, the referred user account including discount information;
- receiving a second electronic message upon activation of a referral hyperlink by the first party, the second message including:
- first data identifying a second party that sent the referral hyperlink to the first party,
- second data identifying one or more of the items, and
- third data specifying a discount;
- parsing the second message to determine the first, second, and third data;
- receiving a third electronic message associating the first party with the referred user account;
- and
- updating the referred user account to indicate that the discount is redeemable by the first party, that the referral hyperlink was sent by the second party, and that the items identified by the second data were referred to the first party.
A computer-implemented method performed at a computer of a merchant, the method comprising:
- receiving, from a central depository of information related to referrals, information associated with a first referred user account, wherein the first referred user account is stored at the central depository;
- creating at the computer of the merchant, based on the received information, a second referred user account including discount information associated with referral of one or more products offered by or associated with the merchant;
- receiving, from the central depository, a message after activation of a referral hyperlink by a referred user, the message including first data identifying the referred user and second data specifying a discount offered to the referred user for activation of the hyperlink;
- and
- updating the discount information of the second referred user account to indicate that the discount is redeemable by the referred user.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.