Fuel dispensing system and method providing discounted prices to individually identified customers

Abstract

A system and method for providing a price-per-unit (PPU) discount on fuel to a customer who purchases at least one cross-marketed product or service. A first PPU discount is awarded to the customer based on a purchase by the customer of a first cross-marketed product or service. A customer identification is assigned to the customer, the first discount amount is stored in a discounts issued database that associates the first discount amount with the customer identification. Additional PPU discounts may be added to the first discount if the customer purchases additional cross-marketed products or services. When the customer inputs the customer identification in a subsequent transaction, the PPU discount is retrieved from the database, and is used to reduce the PPU of the fuel.

1 - 25 . (canceled)  
     
     
         26 . A method by which a fuel retailer can maintain a posted street price for fuel while offering to identified customers, prices that are different from the posted street price, said method comprising the steps of: 
 posting the street price on a fuel dispenser;    inputting customer identification information through an input device;    associating with the customer identification information, a price-per-unit (PPU) difference from the posted street price of the fuel; and    applying the associated PPU difference to the posted street price to arrive at a discounted PPU for the customer.    
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  wherein the step of inputting customer identification information includes inputting customer identification information through an input device selected from the group consisting of: 
 a magnetic card reader;    a bar code reader;    a personal identification number (PIN) entry pad; and    a radio frequency identification (RFID) device.    
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26  wherein the step of associating a PPU difference with the customer identification information includes associating a PPU difference earned through a customer loyalty program.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26  wherein the step of associating a PPU difference with the customer identification information includes associating a PPU difference earned through a membership in a particular organization.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 26  wherein the step of associating the PPU difference with the customer identification information includes associating a unique PPU difference for each individual customer.  
     
     
         31 - 32 . (canceled)  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 26  wherein the step of associating with the customer identification information, a price-per-unit (PPU) difference from the posted street price of the fuel includes associating a different PPU difference for each grade of fuel.  
     
     
         34 . A system for maintaining a posted street price for fuel by a fuel retailer while offering to an identified customer, prices that are different from the posted street price, said system comprising: 
 a fuel dispenser having a display for posting the street price;    an input device for inputting customer identification information;    a database that stores a plurality of predetermined prices-per-unit (PPUs) for the fuel; and    a processor that associates with the customer identification information, one of the predetermined PPUs from the database, and applies the associated predetermined PPU to a fuel sales transaction with the customer.    
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 34  wherein the processor also controls the display on the fuel dispenser to display a street price equal to the associated predetermined PPU during the fuel sales transaction with the customer.  
     
     
         36 - 39 . (canceled)  
     
     
         40 . A method of providing a discount on a desired product or service to a customer who purchases at least one cross-marketed product or service, said method comprising the steps of: 
 awarding a first discount amount on the desired product to the customer based on a purchase by the customer of a first cross-marketed product or service;    assigning a customer identification to the customer;    storing the first discount amount in a discounts issued database that associates the first discount amount with the customer identification;    inputting by the customer in a subsequent transaction, the customer identification;    retrieving the first discount amount from the discounts issued database; and    reducing the price of the desired product or service by the first discount amount.    
     
     
         41 . (canceled)  
     
     
         42 . The method of providing a discount on a desired product or service of  claim 40  wherein the desired product or service is gasoline, and the first discount amount is a discount on the price-per-unit-volume of gasoline.