System and method for administering promotions

Abstract

A system for administering scan-based promotions involving manufacturers and retailers. The system records the terms of the promotion, ensures that the promotion is conducted in compliance with the agreed terms, settles the promotion and provides continual promotion progress for review by the retailers and the manufacturers.

1 . A method for enabling a retailer and a manufacturer involved in a plurality of trade promotions for a plurality of products to independently verify the terms of the trade promotions, said method comprising the steps of: 
 before a start of the trade promotions by the retailer, capturing the terms of the trade promotions at least including promoted product identification and at least one of (a) a predetermined payment value the manufacturer will owe the retailer for each promoted product sold by the retailer during the trade promotion, and (b) a predetermined payment value the manufacturer will owe the retailer for conducting the trade promotion in an independent system which operates independently from the retailer and the manufacturer;    before the start of the trade promotions by the retailer, storing the captured terms of the trade promotions in an electronic database of the independent system; and    before the start of the trade promotions by the retailer, enabling the retailer and the manufacturer to access the electronic database of the independent system to determine the stored terms of the trade promotions.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of enabling the retailer and manufacturer to access the electronic database of the independent system to determine the terms of the trade promotions includes enabling the retailer and manufacturer to access the electronic database of the independent system through the internet.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , which further includes the step of enabling the retailer to change the terms of the trade promotions stored in the electronic database of the independent system prior to the start of the trade promotions, capturing the changed terms of the trade promotions and storing the changed terms of the trade promotions in the electronic database of the independent system.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , which further includes the step of enabling the retailer and the manufacturer to access the terms of the trade promotions stored in the electronic database of the independent system to independently verify the terms of the trade promotions and to determine if the retailer changed any of the terms of any of the trade promotions.  
   
   
       5 . A method for enabling a retailer and a manufacturer involved in a plurality of trade promotions for a plurality of promoted products to independently verify terms of the trade promotions for the promoted products using an independent system, said method comprising the steps of: 
 before a start of the trade promotions by the retailer, capturing the terms of the trade promotions for the promoted products in an independent system which operates independently of the control of the retailer and the manufacturer, including retailer identification, manufacturer identification, trade promotion type, UPC Codes for the promoted products, at least one of (a) a predetermined payment value the manufacturer will owe the retailer for each promoted product sold by the retailer during the trade promotion, and (b) a predetermined payment value the manufacturer will owe the retailer for conducting the trade promotion, and link codes for associated discounts if any of the trade promotions are electronic discount trade promotions;    before the start of the trade promotions by the retailer, storing the captured terms of the trade promotions in an independent system database; and    before the start of the trade promotions by the retailer, enabling the retailer and the manufacturer to access the independent system database to determine the stored terms of the trade promotions.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the step of the independent system enabling the retailer and manufacturer to access the database to determine the terms of the trade promotions includes enabling the retailer and manufacturer to access the independent system database through an internet.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , which further includes the step of the independent system: enabling the retailer to change at least one of the captured terms of the trade promotions prior to the start of the trade promotions, capturing the changed terms of the trade promotions and storing the changed terms of the trade promotions in the independent system database.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , which further includes the step of the independent system enabling the retailer and the manufacturer to access each of the terms of the trade promotions stored in the independent system database to independently verify each of the terms of the trade promotions and to determine if the retailer changed any of the terms of the trade promotions.