Fully integrated, on-line interactive frequency and award redemption program

A method for providing an on-line shopping and frequency award program comprising the steps of:

• maintaining a frequency database for storing award points in award accounts corresponding to subscribed users;
• providing an on-line access to a product catalog;
• providing a means for browsing said product catalog including products available for purchase;
• providing an on-line purchase order form, said on-line purchase order form including at least a register for a credit account number of a credit card and a register for a product identifier;
• allowing a user to electronically send entries for said purchase order form;
• establishing an on-line link to a credit computer and verifying availability of funds for said user;
• establishing an on-line link to a computer of a seller of a product identified in said product identifier and electronically communicating said purchase order form together with said entries to said seller;
• calculating award points by a predetermined formula taking into account a price of said product, and updating an award account of said user in said frequency database;
• providing an on-line access to an award catalog having a plurality of files corresponding to various award articles;
• providing a means for browsing said award catalog including awards available for redemption;
• providing an on-line award redeem form;
• receiving electronic entries corresponding to queries in said award redeem form to allow said user to electronically redeem award points towards a chosen award from said award catalog;
• and
• subtracting from said award account of said user a number of points corresponding to the award points of said chosen award.

A computer readable substrate having a computer program saved thereupon, said computer program comprising the steps of:

• providing a user with an on-line access to a product homepage and an award program homepage, said product homepage linking to a searchable product database of products available for purchase, and said award program homepage linking to a searchable awards catalog of awards available for redemption;
• providing said user with a means for browsing through said product database of products and said awards catalog of awards;
• providing said user with an on-line order form for ordering a product for purchase, said order form being susceptible to electronic entries;
• receiving said electronic entries and striping predetermined entries corresponding to predetermined queries of said order form;
• and
• establishing an on-line link to a predesignated computer and sending said predetermined entries to said predesignated computer via said on-line link to verify available credit.