ELECTRONIC TRANSACTION SYSTEM WITH ENTITLEMENT AND PROMOTION ENGINES

摘要

A system for selling and administering the redemption of travel site access and other privileges to consumers has a computer connected to the Internet that pushes and pulls data to and from a database including site and privilege data, such as, description, cost, purchases, access code, privilege redemption and promotion data. The consumer may purchase access to sites and goods over the Internet and are provided with an access code which can be presented to the consumer in a variety of forms in accordance with the consumer's preference. In one embodiment, the code is sent to a mobile phone or computer. Optionally, the mobile device can communicate with a point of sale device to allow access to a given site. The mobile device may also be used to send promotions, such as discounts, to the consumer, which may be programmatically selected and sent based upon logistical, empirical, timing and marketing criteria. Point of sale devices and human representatives may facilitate non-technical consumer use by conducting selected functions, such as the sale and redemption of privileges and the communication of promotions.

主权项

1. A method for selling site-related privileges over the Internet to consumers through consumer's digital devices connected to the Internet, comprising:
(A) storing data pertaining to a plurality of sites and associated available privileges, including privilege description and cost data, in a database in a digital data storage device accessible to a computer connected to the Internet; (B) programming the computer with a program that accesses the database and the Internet and is capable of performing steps (C) through (K) and (M) below; (C) querying the consumer via a consumer interface presented on the Internet and available to the consumer's digital device connected to the Internet to view data concerning sites of interest and related privileges; (D) retrieving data from the database related to privileges of interest to the consumer in response to consumer responses in step (C); (E) presenting the data retrieved in step (D) to the consumer; (F) querying the consumer to select privileges to purchase; (G) in the event that the consumer elects to purchase a privilege, presenting payment options to the consumer and recording responsive payment option information provided by the consumer in the database; (H) recording privilege purchase data pertaining to the privileges purchased by the consumer, in the database; (I) developing access data through which the consumer may access purchased privileges and storing the access data in the database in association with the privilege purchase data pertaining to one or more purchased privileges; (J) communicating the access data to the consumer to empower the consumer to redeem the purchased privileges; (K) when the consumer chooses to redeem the privileges purchased, receiving access data from the consumer and retrieving privilege purchase data from the database that is associated with the access data; (L) upon receiving valid access data, permitting the consumer to redeem purchased privileges by granting access to the privileges; and (M) recording redemption data in the database.