System and method for promotional item distribution and redemption tracking

A method for distributing and redeeming promotional materials, comprising:

• receiving, at a computing device, promotional campaign information comprising rules for distributing and tracking a plurality of offers including at least one promotional item;
• storing the at least one promotional item and promotional campaign information comprising rules for distributing and tracking the plurality of offers at the computing device;
• obtaining one promotional item and providing one offer comprising one code with one promotional item and transmitting the offer;
• obtaining one from a group consisting of the code and an action from a user at a point of sale, thereby triggering a redemption indication for the promotional item;
• transmitting the redemption indication from the point of sale to the computing device for confirmation of redemption of the offer without the point of sale indicating approved redemption of the offer;
• receiving, at the computing device, the redemption indication for the promotional item;
• transmitting an approval or denial of redemption of the offer to the collecting module based on a current status of the offer;
• and
• limiting further use of the promotional item according to established rules maintained at the computing device.

A promotional computing device comprising:

• a receiver configured to receive a promotional item and promotional campaign information comprising rules for distributing and tracking a plurality of offers including at least one promotional item;
• a storage device configured to store the promotional item and promotional campaign information;
• a processing apparatus comprising a transmission module configured to obtain one promotional item from the storage device and provide one offer comprising one validation element with one promotional item and transmit the offer;
• and
• a collecting module configured to obtain the validation element provided from a user computing device at a point of sale, thereby triggering a redemption indication for the promotional item associated with the validation element and transmit the redemption indication to the processing apparatus for confirmation of redemption of the offer without the collecting module providing an indication of approved redemption of the offer to selectively [[and]] enable the user to obtain a benefit at the point of sale;
• wherein the processing apparatus further comprises a tracking module configured to receive the redemption indication for the promotional item, transmit an approval or denial of redemption of the offer to the collecting module based on a current status of the offer, and limit further use of the promotional item according to established rules.

A method for distributing an offer to a customer and enabling the customer to redeem the offer at a point of sale, comprising:

• transmitting from a computing device one offer comprising a redemption indication to a customer device;
• obtaining the redemption indication transmitted to the customer device at the point of sale, thereby triggering a redemption indication approval request for the promotional item associated with the redemption indication;
• transmitting the redemption indication approval request from the point of sale to the computing device;
• transmitting an approval from the computing device to the point of sale when the one offer is approved by the computing device as valid;
• and
• limiting further use of the promotional item according to established rules when the one offer is approved and when the one offer is disallowed maintained.