Coupon copy protection

Abstract

A data distribution system which includes business groups, a client system and a main database system is described. Coupons and coupon data may be exchanged between the business groups, the client system and the main database system. Each coupon being exchanged may include one or more fraud protection features that can neither be altered nor tampered by users, consumers or retailers.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 at a server in communication with a repository:
 prompting a user of a client system to manually submit personal information that is uniquely associated with the client system or the user; 
 after prompting the user, receiving, from the client system, a first response that includes the personal information; 
 generating, based on the first response that includes the personal information, a user record that includes the personal information and that is associated with the user of the client system; 
 storing the user record in the repository; 
 subsequent to storing the user record in the repository, receiving, from the client system, a request for a first coupon; 
 upon authenticating the user, generating a personalized coupon having a face and a border, including:
 generating the border on at least one side of the first coupon; 
 including, in the border, at least a first subset of the personal information that is associated with the user; and 
 transmitting the personalized coupon to the client system. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising including, on the face of the first coupon separate from the border, at least a second subset of the personal information that is associated with the user. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating, based on the first response that includes the personal information, a user record that includes the personal information and that is associated with the user of the client system comprises:
 generating a signature based on hashing the first response.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the personal information includes a unique user identifier that is associated with the user record. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: updating the user record, including storing, in the user record, an indication of one or more actions involving the user. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more actions include printing the personalized coupon. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the personal information comprises data that is retrieved from the user record. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the personal information includes a phone number that is associated with the client system. 
     
     
         9 . A system comprising:
 a memory comprising a set of instructions;   one or more processors coupled to the memory;   wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause performance of:
 prompting a user of a client system to manually submit personal information that is uniquely associated with the client system or the user; 
 after prompting the user, receiving, from the client system, a first response that includes the personal information; 
 generating, based on the first response that includes the personal information, a user record that includes the personal information and that is associated with the user of the client system; 
 storing the user record in the repository; 
 subsequent to storing the user record in the repository, receiving, from the client system, a request for a first coupon; 
 upon authenticating the user, generating a personalized coupon having a face and a border, including:
 generating the border on at least one side of the first coupon; 
 including, in the border, at least a first subset of the personal information that is associated with the user; and 
 
 transmitting the personalized coupon to the client system. 
   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the instructions further cause performance of including, on the face of the first coupon separate from the border, at least a second subset of the personal information that is associated with the user. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein generating, based on the first response that includes the personal information, a user record that includes the personal information and that is associated with the user of the client system comprises:
 generating a signature based on hashing the first response.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the personal information includes a unique user identifier that is associated with the user record. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the set of instructions further cause performance of updating the user record, including storing, in the user record, an indication of one or more actions involving the user. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more actions include printing the personalized coupon. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the personal information comprises data that is retrieved from the user record. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the personal information includes a phone number that is associated with the client system.