System and method for managing and redeeming offers with a location-based service

Abstract

A location-based service is provided that may be integrated with venue systems, credit card processing systems, and/or loyalty systems for purposes of increasing the likelihood that offers will be accepted and sales of products and services will be made. Such a system according to various embodiments may leverage a social network of the user, and extend particular brand loyalties throughout the social network. That is, certain offers may be passed among users of the social network, permitting others to take advantage of offers thereby increasing the brand awareness and loyalty of particular venues. Further, according to certain embodiments, because an offer management and redemption system may be integrated with a location-based service, offers may be extended at or near the venue location. To this end, users may be provided one or more tools for accepting, purchasing and/or redeeming offers.

1 . A method for processing an offer, the method comprising acts of:
 receiving, by a distributed computer system of a location-based service, at least one offer;   determining a location of a mobile device associated with a user;   determining that the determined location is proximate to a venue at which the at least one offer is available;   presenting, to the user in a display of the mobile device associated with the user, an indication of the at least one offer responsive to the act of determining that the determined location is proximate to a venue at which the at least one offer is available; and   permitting the user to accept the offer.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , the method further comprising an act of storing, in a memory of the distributed computer system of the location-based service, the at least one offer. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising an act of associating the at least one offer with at least one of a group comprising a credit card program, a loyalty program, and a third party offeror. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising an act of targeting the at least one offer to the user responsive to the determined location. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the act of targeting the at least one offer to the user is further responsive to the one or more parameters associated with the user. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the one or more parameters comprise at least one user parameter relating to at least one of the group comprising demographic information of the user, behavioral information of the user, and psychographic information of the user. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the act of receiving the at least one offer includes an act of receiving the at least one offer from a source of offers separate from the location-based service. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising an act of presenting, in the display of the mobile device, a control that, when selected by the user, permits the user to accept the at least one offer. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the act of permitting the user to accept the offer further comprises an act of automatically accepting the offer without user intervention. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the act of determining that the determined location is proximate to the venue at which at which the at least one offer may be fulfilled by the user. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising an act of permitting the user to accept the at least one offer using the mobile device. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising an act of permitting the user to accept the at least one offer at the venue. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising an act of indicating to the user in the display of the mobile device an acceptance of the at least one offer. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising an act of permitting the user to fulfill the acceptance of the at least one offer at the venue responsive to the display of the acceptance of the at least one offer. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising acts of displaying information relating to the acceptance of the at least one offer and using, at the venue, the displayed information to fulfill the acceptance of the at least one offer. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising an act of permitting the user to execute a purchase associated with the at least one offer using the mobile device. 
     
     
         17 . A system for processing an offer, the system comprising:
 a location-based service including a distributed computer system having at least one processor and a memory;   a component adapted to receive, by the distributed computer system of the location-based service, at least one offer;   a component adapted to determine a location of a mobile device associated with a user;   a component adapted to determine that the determined location is proximate to a venue at which the at least one offer may be accepted;   a component adapted to present, to the user in a display of the mobile device associated with the user, an indication of the at least one offer responsive to the act of determining that the determined location is proximate to a venue at which the at least one offer may be accepted; and   a component adapted to permit the user to accept the offer.   
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 17 , further comprising a component adapted to store, in a memory of the distributed computer system of the location-based service, the at least one offer. 
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 17 , further comprising a component adapted to associate the at least one offer with at least one of a group comprising a credit card program, a loyalty program, and a third party offeror. 
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 17 , further comprising a component adapted to target the at least one offer to the user responsive to the determined location. 
     
     
         21 . The system according to  claim 7 , wherein the component adapted to target the at least one offer to the user is further responsive to the one or more parameters associated with the user. 
     
     
         22 . The system according to  claim 21 , wherein the one or more parameters comprise at least one user parameter relating to at least one of the group comprising demographic information of the user, behavioral information of the user, and psychographic information of the user. 
     
     
         23 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the component adapted to receive the at least one offer is further adapted to receive the at least one offer from a source of offers separate from the location-based service. 
     
     
         24 . The system according to  claim 17 , further comprising a component adapted to present, in the display of the mobile device, a control that, when selected by the user, permits the user to accept the at least one offer. 
     
     
         25 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the component that is adapted to permit the user to redeem the offer at the venue further comprises a component that automatically accepts the offer at the venue without user intervention.