Computerized discount redemption system

Claim 1

The method of processing and applying merchandise discounts to a consumer's purchases by providing a computerized membership system, said membership including a plurality of consumer members, a plurality of point of purchase merchant members, a plurality of manufacturer members, and a centralized system provider, said membership system having: a point of purchase merchant member computer terminal and computer and a centralized provider's computer, said provider's computer having a database for the storage and retrieval of information, said database storing information regarding point of purchase merchant members, manufacturer members, and consumer members, in predetermined files, at least some of said information being entered into the system at the time of a member establishing membership in said system and communication means, said communications means providing real time communication between said member merchants' computer terminal and said provider's computer, comprising the steps of: a. providing consumer members with individual identification codes, said identification codes accessing said databases; b. storing said consumer member identification codes on said provider's computer in a consumer database; c. providing each consumer member with a membership ID, said membership ID having memory storage means, said memory storage means containing at least said consumer identification code; d. storing merchandise information provided by said manufacturer members in a manufacturer member database in said provider's computer, said merchandise information including at least a merchandise identification code and the discount on predetermined merchandise, e. displaying to consumers indicia, said indicia identifying point of purchase merchandise subject to a price discount, f. transporting, by said consumer, consumer selected discounted and non-discounted point of purchase merchandise to a purchase location at said merchant member to form a collection of transported merchandise, each of said transported merchandise having a merchandise identification code, g. scanning merchandise identification codes of each of said transported merchandise, at said communication means, h. scanning said consumer ID, i. uploading said scanned consumer identification code, from said merchant member, through said communication means to said provider's computer, j. comparing said consumer identification code with consumer identification codes stored in said provider's computer and verifying said consumer's membership, k. uploading said merchandise identification code for each of said scanned merchandise from said merchant member's computer, through said communication means to said provider's computer, l. comparing said uploaded merchandise identification codes with the identification codes of merchandise subject to a price discount, m. computing the discounts on said merchandise subject to a price discount, n. downloading to said merchant's computer through said merchant communication means, the discounts on said merchandise subject to a price discount, o. printing a sales slip for said member consumer including the discounts for said merchandise subject to a price discount, p. sorting and storing in said provider's databases said uploaded data on said consumer and said merchandise purchased by said consumer, q. storing merchant member sales data on said merchant member computer, wherein said provider maintains and processes, in real time, discounts provided by manufacturer members to member consumers without said member merchant being required to process said discounts or member consumers being required to present coupons or file rebates to obtain said discounts.

Claim 2

The method of processing and applying merchandise discounts to a consumer's purchases by providing a computerized membership system, said membership including a plurality of consumer members, a plurality of point of purchase merchant members, a plurality of manufacturer members, and a centralized system provider, said membership system having: a point of purchase merchant member computer terminal and computer and a centralized provider's computer, said provider's computer having a database for the storage and retrieval of information, said database storing information regarding point of purchase merchant members, manufacturer members, and consumer members, in predetermined files, at least some of said information being entered into the system at the time of a member establishing membership in said system and communication means, said communications means providing real time communication between said member merchants' computer terminal and said provider's computer, comprising the steps of: a. providing consumer members with individual identification codes, said identification codes accessing said databases; b. storing said consumer member identification codes on said provider's computer in a consumer database; c. providing each consumer member with a membership ID, said membership ID having memory storage means, said memory storage means containing at least said consumer identification code; d. storing merchandise information provided by said manufacturer members in a manufacturer member database in said provider's computer, said merchandise information including at least a merchandise identification code and the discount on predetermined merchandise, e. displaying to consumers indicia, said indicia identifying point of purchase merchandise subject to a price discount, f. transporting, by said consumer, consumer selected discounted and non-discounted point of purchase merchandise to a purchase location at said merchant member to form a collection of transported merchandise, each of said transported merchandise having a merchandise identification code, g. scanning merchandise identification codes of each of said transported merchandise, at said communication means, h. scanning said consumer ID, i. uploading said scanned consumer identification code, from said merchant member, through said communication means to said provider's computer, j. comparing said consumer identification code with consumer identification codes stored in said provider's computer and verifying said consumer's membership, k. uploading said merchandise identification code for each of said scanned merchandise from said merchant member's computer, through said communication means to said provider's computer, l. comparing said uploaded merchandise identification codes with the identification codes of merchandise subject to a price discount, m. computing the discounts on said merchandise subject to a price discount, n. downloading to said merchant's computer through said merchant communication means, the discounts on said merchandise subject to a price discount, o. printing a sales slip for said member consumer including the discounts for said merchandise subject to a price discount, p. sorting and storing in said provider's databases said uploaded data on said consumer and said merchandise purchased by said consumer, q. storing merchant member sales data on said merchant member computer, wherein said provider maintains and processes, in real time, discounts provided by manufacturer members to member consumers without said member merchant being required to process said discounts or member consumers being required to present coupons or file rebates to obtain said discounts.

Claim 12

The method of processing and applying merchandise discounts to a consumer's purchases by providing a computerized membership system, said membership including a plurality of consumer members, a plurality of point of purchase merchant members, a plurality of manufacturer members, and a centralized system provider, said membership system having: a point of purchase merchant member computer terminal and computer and a centralized provider's computer, said provider's computer having a database for the storage and retrieval of information, said database storing information regarding point of purchase merchant members, manufacturer members, and consumer members, in predetermined files, at least some of said information being entered into the system at the time of a member establishing membership in said system and communication means, said communications means providing real time communication between said member merchant's computer terminals and said provider's computer, comprising the steps of: a. providing consumer members with individual identification codes, said identification codes accessing said databases; b. storing said consumer member identification codes on said provider's computer in a consumer database; c. providing each consumer member with a membership ID, said membership ID having memory storage means, said memory storage means containing at least said consumer identification code; d. storing merchandise information provided by a manufacturer member in a manufacturer member database in said provider's, said merchandise information including at least a merchandise identification code and the discount on predetermined merchandise, e. displaying to consumers indicia, said indicia identifying point of purchase merchandise subject to a price discount, f. transporting, by said consumer, consumer selected discounted and non-discounted merchandise a purchase location at said merchant member to form a collection of transported merchandise, each of said transported merchandise having a merchandise identification code, g. scanning merchandise identification codes of each of said transported merchandise, at said communication means, h. scanning said consumer ID, i. uploading said scanned consumer identification code, from said merchant member, through said communication means to said provider's computer, j. comparing said consumer identification code with consumer identification codes stored in said provider's computer and verifying said consumer's membership, k. uploading said merchandise identification code for each of said scanned merchandise to said merchant member's computer, l. comparing at said merchant's computer, said merchandise identification code for consumer selected merchandise with the identification codes of said discounted merchandise, m. computing the discounts on said merchandise subject to a price discount, n. uploading to said provider's computer merchandise codes for merchandise subject to a price discount, o. downloading from said provider's computer to said merchant's computer through said merchant communication means, discounts on said merchandise subject to a price discount, p. printing at said merchant member's computer terminal a sales slip for said member consumer including the discounts for said merchandise subject to a price discount, q. sorting and storing in said provider's databases said downloaded data on said consumer and said merchandise purchased by said a member consumer from a member merchant, and r. storing merchant member sales data on said merchant member computer, wherein said provider maintains and processes, in real time, discounts provided by manufacturer members to member consumers without said member merchant being required to process said discounts or member consumers being required to present coupons or file rebates to obtain said discounts.

Claim 13

The method of processing and applying merchandise discounts to a consumer's purchases by providing a computerized membership system, said membership including a plurality of consumer members, a plurality of point of purchase merchant members, a plurality of manufacturer members, and a centralized system provider, said membership system having: a point of purchase merchant member computer terminal and computer and a centralized provider's computer, said provider's computer having a database for the storage and retrieval of information, said database storing information regarding point of purchase merchant members, manufacturer members, and consumer members, in predetermined files, at least some of said information being entered into the system at the time of a member establishing membership in said system and communication means, said communications means providing real time communication between said member merchant's computer terminals and said provider's computer, comprising the steps of: a. providing consumer members with individual identification codes, said identification codes accessing said databases; b. storing said consumer member identification codes on said provider's computer in a consumer database; c. providing each consumer member with a membership ID, said membership ID having memory storage means, said memory storage means containing at least said consumer identification code; d. storing merchandise information provided by a manufacturer member in a manufacturer member database in said provider's, said merchandise information including at least a merchandise identification code and the discount on predetermined merchandise, e. displaying to consumers indicia, said indicia identifying point of purchase merchandise subject to a price discount, f. transporting, by said consumer, consumer selected discounted and non-discounted merchandise a purchase location at said merchant member to form a collection of transported merchandise, each of said transported merchandise having a merchandise identification code, g. scanning merchandise identification codes of each of said transported merchandise, at said communication means, h. scanning said consumer ID, i. uploading said scanned consumer identification code, from said merchant member, through said communication means to said provider's computer, j. comparing said consumer identification code with consumer identification codes stored in said provider's computer and verifying said consumer's membership, k. uploading said merchandise identification code for each of said scanned merchandise to said merchant member's computer, l. comparing at said merchant's computer, said merchandise identification code for consumer selected merchandise with the identification codes of said discounted merchandise, m. computing the discounts on said merchandise subject to a price discount, n. uploading to said provider's computer merchandise codes for merchandise subject to a price discount, o. downloading from said provider's computer to said merchant's computer through said merchant communication means, discounts on said merchandise subject to a price discount, p. printing at said merchant member's computer terminal a sales slip for said member consumer including the discounts for said merchandise subject to a price discount, q. sorting and storing in said provider's databases said downloaded data on said consumer and said merchandise purchased by said a member consumer from a member merchant, and r. storing merchant member sales data on said merchant member computer, wherein said provider maintains and processes, in real time, discounts provided by manufacturer members to member consumers without said member merchant being required to process said discounts or member consumers being required to present coupons or file rebates to obtain said discounts.