Methods and systems for distributing information via mobile devices and enabling its use at a point of transaction

A method for utilizing promotion data accessible via a mobile device and minimizing an amount of unnecessary transmissions to the mobile device, the method comprising:

• receiving, at an incentive management server, a first transmission from a mobile device, the first transmission including an electronic request for promotion data, wherein the electronic request includes one or more keywords and wherein the incentive management server is remote from a product-provider location;
• capturing, by the incentive management server, a device identifier identifying the mobile device;
• retrieving, by the incentive management server, one or more personalization criterion associated with the device identifier;
• selecting, by the incentive management server, promotion data, the promotion data being selected from an aggregation of data provided by one or more product providers and being selected based upon the one or more keywords and the one or more personalization criterion associated with the device identifier;
• associating, by the incentive management server, the promotion data with an incentive account associated with the device identifier, wherein the incentive account is identifiable by authentication data;
• transmitting, by the incentive management server, a second transmission comprising the promotion data to the mobile device identified by the device identifier;
• receiving, at an incentive usage controller in communication with the incentive management server and in communication with a product-provider point-of-sale system at the product-provider location, a third transmission comprising transaction data associated with a transaction being conducted via the product-provider point-of sale system, wherein the transaction data includes product information and authentication data identifying the incentive account;
• receiving, at the incentive management server, a fourth transmission from an incentive usage controller that comprises the authentication data;
• using, by the incentive management server, the authentication data to identify the incentive account identifiable by the authentication data and the promotion data associated with the incentive account;
• transmitting, by the incentive management server, a fifth transmission to the incentive usage controller that comprises the promotion data associated with the incentive account;
• determining, by the incentive usage controller, whether the promotion data is applicable to the product information included in the transaction data associated with the transaction being conducted via the product-provider point-of-sale system at the product-provider location;
• receiving, by the incentive management server, a sixth transmission comprising result data from the incentive usage controller, wherein the result data indicates which elements of the promotion data were applied during the transaction conducted via the product-provider point-of-sale system at the product-provider location;
• analyzing, by the incentive management server, the received result data, wherein analyzing comprises determining whether the received result data includes information associated with the transmitted promotion data;
• and
• storing, by the incentive management server, data indicative of the presence of information associated with the transmitted promotion data.

A system to facilitate the distribution of promotion data to individuals via mobile devices while minimizing the amount of unnecessary transmissions and the use of the promotion data, the system comprising:

• an incentive management server that is remote from a product-provider location, the incentive management server configured to:
• store product-provider information,
• relay promotion data to a mobile server,
• transmit promotion data to an incentive usage controller,
• associate promotion data with individuals based upon an analysis of product-provider information stored by a product provider,
• store the promotion data associated with the individuals based upon the analysis of product-provider information stored by the product provider;
• and
• store device information associated with the individuals;
• a mobile server configured to:
• receive transmissions from mobile devices,
• format promotion data per the capabilities of particular mobile devices, and
• transmit the promotion data to mobile devices;
• and
• an incentive usage controller in communication with a product-provider point-of-sale system at a product-provider location, the incentive usage controller comprising a processing device and a memory, the memory configured to store one or more instructions that, when executed, cause the processing device to:
• determine whether promotion data received from the incentive management server is applicable to product information included in transaction data associated with transactions being conducted for individuals via the product-provider point-of-sale system, and
• transmit a processing result record associated with the use of the promotion data to the incentive management server.