System and Method for Managing Promotional Savings Using a Communications Platform

Abstract

A system and method for processing promotional savings using existing communications platforms. A plurality of promotional codes are assigned and stored in a promotions database. These promotional codes are positioned by marketers on products, packaging, or the like, along with instructions informing consumers to transmit the promotional code to a predefined destination address, such as a phone number, a short code text number, or an email address. After a message containing the promotional code is received from the consumer, the received code is parsed from the message, validated, and a promotional savings value associated with the code is identified. That amount is communicated to an operator of at least one account associated the consumer, and applied as a savings to the operator's billing statement.

1 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A system comprising:
 a communication network interface coupled to a network;   a database; and   a messaging platform communicatively coupled to the communication network interface and the database, wherein the messaging platform is configured to:
 receive a discount request message from a consumer device communicated via the network, wherein the discount request message comprises a promotional code associated with marketing of a product or service; 
 access the database to determine a promotional value associated with the promotional code; and 
 generate a transaction message including information useable for identifying the consumer device or a user of the consumer device, and instruction to cause crediting of an account of the user with the determined promotional value. 
   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the information comprises a phone number associated with the consumer device. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the information comprises an identifier of the account. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 14 , further comprising an accounting system configured to reconcile a financial account of a marketer of the product or service based on the determined promotional value. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein reconciling of the financial account occurs based on discounts applied within a predetermined time period. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the messaging platform is further configured to check the promotional code against information stored in the database to authenticate validity of the promotional code. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the messaging platform determines the promotional value associated with the promotional code by determining a destination to which the promotional code was transmitted and identifying a value associated with the destination. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the destination is a phone number, a short code text number, a text address, or an email address. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the determined promotional value corresponds to a discount or a rebate. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the interface is configured to receive the discount request message via one of email, instant messaging, a voice activated communication, and a website. 
     
     
         24 . A method comprising:
 processing, by a promotional system, a discount request message received from a consumer device, wherein the discount request message comprises a promotional code associated with marketing of a product or service and information useable for identifying an account associated with a user of the consumer device;   accessing, by the promotional system, a database to determine a promotional value associated with the promotional code; and   causing, by the promotional system, crediting of the account with the determined promotional value.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the information comprises a phone number associated with the consumer device. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the information comprises an identifier of the account. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising reconciling a financial account of a marketer of the product or service based on the determined promotional value. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein reconciling of the financial account occurs based on discounts applied within a predetermined time period. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising checking the promotional code against information stored in the database to authenticate validity of the promotional code. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein determining of the promotional value associated with the promotional code comprises determining a destination to which the promotional code was transmitted and identifying a value associated with the destination. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the destination is a phone number, a short code text number, a text address, or an email address. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the determined promotional value corresponds to a discount or a rebate. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the discount request message is received via one of email, instant messaging, a voice activated communication, and a website.