System and method for facilitating mobile commerce

Abstract

A system and method for facilitating the purchase of goods and/or services between the holder of a wireless communications device and a commerce system is disclosed. The system enables consumers who wish to participate in promotional sales offers to register with a mobile commerce system. Consumers may further define the types of items that they are interested in purchasing. Prior to the start of a promotion, the system sends a text message alert to registered consumers, giving them an opportunity to opt-in via text message from a wireless communications device. When the promotion is activated, the opted-in consumers are alerted via text message and are given an opportunity to send a text message back to the system indicative of a desire to purchase the promotional item. If defined conditions are met, the consumer's financial account is debited in the amount of the purchase and the consumer is instructed as to how to acquire their purchase.

1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 issuing, by a computer based system for facilitating a purchase of an item, pre-approval status to a user in response to receiving an account code associated with a transaction account and in response to pre-approval data, wherein said pre-approval data qualifies a user to be able to agree to purchase said item without a need to transmit payment information in response to a purchase;   receiving, by said computer based system, an agreement to purchase said item and to initiate a purchase transaction using loyalty points, in response to a notification of an offer for sale of said item;   transmitting, by said computer based system, a confirmation in response to acceptance of said agreement; and   processing, by said computer based system and in response to acceptance of said agreement, a payment for said item using loyalty points.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said account code is associated with a wireless device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said account code is associated with a wireless device on a transaction device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said receiving said agreement to purchase comprises receiving an indication to reserve said item for purchase at a later time. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving, from said user, an indication of interest to receive additional notifications in response to said item being offered for sale. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said receiving an agreement comprises receiving an agreement via at least one of: an email, text message and verbal request. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said receiving an agreement comprises a word, an account code, a personal identification number (PIN) and a code. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said notification of said offer for sale occurs at pre-defined times. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said account code is associated with a wireless device, and wherein said wireless device is at least one of: a telephone, a personal digital assistant, and an email device. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting said notification to said user. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said receiving an agreement to purchase comprises receiving a bid to purchase said item. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said notification comprises at least one of: an item descriptor, item price, date available for purchase, and time available for purchase. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said transmitting said confirmation comprises sending a confirmation via at least one of: text message, email message, telephone call, facsimile, and pager message. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said notification of said offer for sale of said item is based on receiving a selection of said item from a web site. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said notification of said offer for sale of said item is based on at least one of: a desired price, desired quantity, desired purchase date, desired purchase time, and an item availability alert mode. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising issuing loyalty points based on at least one of said transmitting a confirmation and a successful purchase. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising initiating a purchase transaction. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising initiating a purchase transaction by automatically populating web form. 
     
     
         19 . A system comprising:
 a processor for facilitating a purchase of an item,   a tangible, non-transitory memory configured to communicate with said processor,   the tangible, non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by said processor, cause said processor to perform operations comprising:
 issuing, by said processor, pre-approval status to a user in response to receiving an account code associated with a transaction account and in response to pre-approval data, wherein said pre-approval data qualifies a user to be able to agree to purchase said item without a need to transmit payment information in response to a purchase; 
 receiving, by said processor, an agreement to purchase said item and to initiate a purchase transaction using loyalty points, in response to a notification of an offer for sale of said item; 
 transmitting, by said processor, a confirmation in response to acceptance of said agreement; and 
 processing, by said processor and in response to acceptance of said agreement, a payment for said item using loyalty points. 
   
     
     
         20 . An article of manufacture including a non-transitory, tangible computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computer-based system for facilitating a purchase of an item, cause said computer-based system to perform operations comprising:
 issuing, by said computer based system, pre-approval status to a user in response to receiving an account code associated with a transaction account and in response to pre-approval data, wherein said pre-approval data qualifies a user to be able to agree to purchase said item without a need to transmit payment information in response to a purchase;   receiving, by said computer based system, an agreement to purchase said item and to initiate a purchase transaction using loyalty points, in response to a notification of an offer for sale of said item;   transmitting, by said computer based system, a confirmation in response to acceptance of said agreement; and   processing, by said computer based system and in response to acceptance of said agreement, a payment for said item using loyalty points.