Method and system for managing magazine portfolios

Abstract

A method and system for organizing magazine subscription information. The method including collecting subscription information from one or more fulfillment houses and organizing or associating the subscription information by household. In one embodiment, the subscription information organized by household is made available to a consumer of a particular household so that the consumer may make changes to all subscription information associated with the household. In one embodiment, the consumer associates a credit card or other account with the household subscription information; the account is charged as payment for the household subscriptions.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of consolidating subscriptions comprising: 
 receiving from one or more fulfillment houses subscription information corresponding to subscriptions; and    organizing the subscription information by consumer household.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 receiving consumer information from a consumer of a household; and  
 matching the consumer information with subscription information associated with the consumer's household.  
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the consumer information is a credit card number.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the consumer information is consumer name and address.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the consumer information includes a first credit card number and a second credit card number and wherein the subscription information is matched to the first credit card number.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising: 
 presenting to the consumer subscription information matching the received consumer information;  
 receiving from the consumer an indication of selected subscriptions; and  
 linking a number of the selected subscriptions to the received consumer information.  
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the received consumer information includes an identifier of an account and the number of subscriptions are linked to the account identifier, the method further comprising charging the account for the linked subscriptions.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising: 
 providing the consumer a number of add-on subscriptions based on the linked subscriptions.  
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the number of add-on subscriptions is based on the number of linked subscriptions.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the number of add-on subscriptions is based on an amount paid by the consumer for the linked subscriptions and half basic rates of linked subscriptions.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6  wherein all of the subscriptions corresponding to the selected subscription information are linked to the received consumer information.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising: 
 for individual linked subscriptions, calculating an individual subscription add-on value by subtracting the half basic rate from the amount paid; and  
 calculating a total add-on value by summing the individual add-on values of the linked subscriptions, 
 wherein providing the add-on subscriptions is based on the total add-on value.  
 
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the add-on subscriptions have associated half basic rates and the providing is based on the total of the half basic rates of the add-on subscriptions.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising billing the consumer for an add-on subscription based on the consumer failing to cancel that add-on subscription.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising: 
 transmitting renewal notices to the consumer and receiving consumer renewal responses; and  
 providing add-on subscriptions based on consumer renewal responses.  
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the subscription information includes subscription expiration date, the method further comprising: 
 linking the associated subscription information to an account; and  
 automatically billing the account for subscriptions corresponding to the linked subscription information based on the expiration date.  
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising: 
 receiving a consumer edit to the subscription information associated with the consumer's household; and  
 updating the subscription information associated with the consumer's household according to the consumer edits.  
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the consumer edit is applied to subscription information corresponding to multiple subscriptions.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein receiving the consumer edit includes receiving at least one of the following edits: cancellation, change of address, change of the credit card number, new purchase, and purchase of gift subscription.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising: 
 selectively preventing linking of a subscription.  
 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  wherein selectively preventing linking involves preventing linking of the subscription based on channel of sale of the subscription.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20  wherein selectively preventing linking involves preventing linking of the subscription based on time on file of the subscription.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the subscription information is received from two or more fulfillment houses and the associating includes associating subscription information received from different fulfillment houses with the same household.  
     
     
         24 . A system for consolidating subscriptions, comprising: 
 a storage device to store information relating to subscriptions, the information received from one or more fulfillment houses; and    one or more processors coupled to the storage device, the processors configured organize the subscription information by household.    
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24  wherein the processors are configured to associate information relating to subscriptions with a household of a consumer based on consumer information.  
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25  wherein the consumer information is received from the consumer.  
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 25  wherein the consumer information is part of the information received from the fulfillment houses.  
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 25  wherein the consumer information includes an identifier of an account and the processors are configured to initiate billing the consumer for subscriptions associated with the consumer's household by charging the account.  
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28  wherein the information relating to subscriptions includes subscription expiration date and the processors are configured to bill the consumer for the subscriptions based on the expiration dates.  
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 24  wherein the processors are configured to determine the availability of add-on subscriptions.  
     
     
         31 . A method of managing a magazine portfolio, the method comprising: 
 receiving subscription information relating to a plurality of subscriptions associated with a consumer of a household;    providing a consumer identifier; and    selecting at least a portion of the plurality of the subscriptions for linking to the consumer identifier.    
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the consumer identifier is an identifier of an account.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31  wherein selecting subscriptions for linking to the consumer identifier is an agreement to renew the selected subscriptions.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the consumer identifier is an identifier of an account and selecting subscriptions for linking to the consumer identifier is an agreement to have the account charged for the selected subscriptions.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33  wherein the selected subscriptions were purchased from different sources, the method her including receiving one or more add-on subscriptions based on the selected subscriptions.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 31  further comprising: 
 providing the consumer identifier a second time;  
 receiving the subscription information relating to the plurality of subscriptions associated with the consumer;  
 editing the subscription information, wherein the subscription information relates to subscriptions purchased from different sources.  
 
     
     
         37 . A method of consolidating subscription information, the method comprising: 
 receiving first subscription information representing a first plurality of subscriptions of a first consumer of a household;    receiving second subscription information representing a second plurality of subscriptions of a second consumer of the household;    receiving consumer information from the first consumer;    associating the first subscription information and the second subscription information together, as part of the household.    
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the first plurality of subscriptions includes subscriptions purchased from different sources.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the first subscription information includes information received from multiple fulfillment houses.  
     
     
         40 . An article of manufacture comprising computer readable code, the computer readable code including: 
 code for causing a computer system to store subscription information of a plurality of consumers; and    code for causing the computer system to organize stored consumer subscription information by household.    
     
     
         41 . The article of manufacture of  claim 40  wherein the computer readable code further includes code for linking subscriptions of a household to a payment account.  
     
     
         42 . A device for organizing subscriptions, the system comprising: 
 means for storing subscription information; and    means for organizing the subscription information by household, the means for organizing coupled to the means for storing.    
     
     
         43 . The device of  claim 42  wherein the means for organizing is further for linking subscription information associated with a household to a consumer identifier.  
     
     
         44 . The device of  claim 43  wherein the consumer identifier is an account identifier and the means for organizing is further configured to bill the account for subscriptions associated with the household.