| 摘要 |
<p>A redeemable merchandising coupon entitling its holder to a specified discount on a particular consumer item has printed thereon a Universal Product Code (UPC) symbol scannable at a point of sale to determine the value of the coupon and the product and manufacturer to which the coupon relates. A second coded symbol, similar to the Universal Product Code and containing additional information useful to the issuer of the coupon for evaluating the effectiveness of the coupon offer, is also printed on the coupon, and is scannable in conjunction with the Universal Product Code symbol at a clearing house or the like. The second coded symbol supplements the UPC symbol, and serves uniquely to identify each coupon, thereby permitting the coded coupons to be sorted automatically at the clearing house.</p> |
