Authenticated electronic coupon issuing and redemption

A coupon issuing system for electronically presenting advertisements and generating coupons, said system comprising:

• at least one issuing station for generating electronic advertisements, electronic coupons and advertisement software programs according to predetermined criteria, digitally signing the electronic coupons, and transmitting the electronic advertisements, digitally signed electronic coupons and the advertisement software programs;
• at least one customer station, separate from the issuing station, to transmit from a user to the issuing station a request for an electronic coupon;
• at least one smart card for holding information including said electronic coupons;
• and
• at least one smart card reader/writer for communicating information held in said at least one smart card to said at least one customer station;
• wherein the issuing station includes means for receiving the request from the user for the electronic coupon, and for transmitting one of the electronic advertisements, one of the digitally signed electronic coupons, and one of the advertisement software programs to the customer station in response to receiving the request from the user for the electronic coupon;
• wherein, after receipt of the one of the electronic advertisements, the one of the digitally signed electronic coupons, and the one of the advertisement software programs, the customer station presents the one of the electronic advertisements and uses said one of the advertisement software programs to monitor interaction of the user with the presented advertisement and, when the advertisement software program detects a predefined criterion of said interaction, said at least one software program issues the one of the electronic coupon by transferring said one of the digitally signed electronic coupon to said smart card via said smart card reader/writer.