Mobile coupon method and system

Abstract

A system and a method for using a portable consumer device such as a mobile phone are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method according to the present invention comprises referencing data regarding an individual consumer stored as part of a payment processing network to generate an electronic coupon targeted to the individual consumer. The electronic coupon is transmitted to a mobile device of the individual consumer over a communications network, and purchase transaction utilizing the electronic coupon is processed over the payment processing network. In certain embodiments, the electronic coupon may be generated based upon temporal and/or geographic information of a prior purchase transaction conducted using the payment processing network.

1 .- 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A method comprising:
 interacting, by a portable consumer device in the form of mobile phone, with an access device in a transaction, wherein the access device receives payment information, and generates an authorization request message which is transmitted to a server computer, which (i) detects purchase activity associated with an individual consumer using an account at an issuer, (ii) stores the purchase activity as consumer transaction data associated with the individual consumer, (iii) references the consumer transaction data associated with the individual consumer to generate an electronic coupon targeted to the individual consumer, (iv) determines from the consumer transaction data associated with the individual consumer, a location of a prior transaction conducted by the individual consumer, (v) determines, from the consumer transaction data associated with the individual consumer a time of the prior transaction conducted by the individual consumer, (vi) generates an electronic coupon based on the location of the prior transaction and within a predetermined time of less than one hour, and (vii) transmits the electronic coupon within the predetermined time of less than one hour from the time of the prior transaction to the portable consumer device of the individual consumer over a communications network;   receiving, by the portable consumer device, the electronic coupon from the server computer; and   providing, by the portable consumer device, the electronic coupon to another access terminal in another transaction.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the server computer is in a payment processing network. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein providing the electronic coupon to the another terminal uses RFID. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the location is determined using a GPS element. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the electronic coupon is in the form of a bar code. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 26  wherein the access terminal is a point of sale terminal. 
     
     
         31 . A method comprising:
 detecting, by a server computer, purchase activity associated with an individual consumer using an account at an issuer;   storing, by the server computer, the purchase activity as consumer transaction data associated with the individual consumer;   referencing, by the server computer, the consumer transaction data associated with the individual consumer to generate an electronic coupon targeted to the individual consumer;   determining, by the server computer, from the consumer transaction data associated with the individual consumer, a location of a prior transaction conducted by the individual consumer;   determining, by the server computer, from the consumer transaction data associated with the individual consumer, a time of the prior transaction conducted by the individual consumer;   generating by the server computer, an electronic coupon based on the location of the prior transaction and within a predetermined time of less than one hour from the time of the prior transaction;   transmitting by the server computer, the electronic coupon within the predetermined time of less than one hour from the time of the prior transaction, to a mobile device of the individual consumer over a communications network; and   processing, using the server computer, a purchase transaction utilizing the electronic coupon.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31  further comprising determining the location of the prior transaction from a location based services (LBS) approach based upon the prior transaction. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32  further comprising:
 determining the location of the prior transaction from a merchant identification number in the prior transaction. 
 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31  further comprising:
 determining a geographic location of the individual consumer from a global positioning system (GPS) element in the mobile device. 
 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 31  further comprising:
 determining a geographic location of the individual consumer from the mobile device communicating through the communications network. 
 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the electronic coupon is transmitted in encrypted form. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the electronic coupon is in the form of a bar code. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the consumer transaction data includes information submitted by the individual consumer. 
     
     
         39 . A server for a mobile coupon program, the server comprising:
 a processor; and   a computer readable storage medium in electronic communication with the processor, the computer readable storage medium having stored thereon, program code, when executed, that causes the processor to perform the steps of:   detecting purchase activity associated with an individual consumer using an account at an issuer;   storing the purchase activity as consumer transaction data associated with the individual consumer;   referencing the consumer transaction data associated with the individual consumer to generate an electronic coupon targeted to the individual consumer;   determining from the consumer transaction data associated with the individual consumer, a location of a prior transaction conducted by the individual consumer;   determining from the consumer transaction data associated with the individual consumer, a time of the prior transaction conducted by the individual consumer;   generating an electronic coupon based on the location of the prior transaction and within a predetermined time of less than one hour from the time of the prior transaction;   transmitting the electronic coupon within the predetermined time of less than one hour from the time of the prior transaction, to a mobile device of the individual consumer over a communications network; and   processing a purchase transaction utilizing the electronic coupon.   
     
     
         40 . The server of  claim 39  wherein the steps further include generating the electronic coupon based upon a geographic location of the individual consumer. 
     
     
         41 . The server of  claim 40  wherein the steps further include determining the geographic location of the individual consumer from a location based services (LBS) approach based upon the prior transaction conducted. 
     
     
         42 . The server of  claim 39  wherein the steps further include determining the geographic location of the consumer from a merchant identification number in the prior transaction. 
     
     
         43 . The server of  claim 39  wherein the steps further include determining the geographic location of the individual consumer from a global positioning system (GPS) element in the mobile device. 
     
     
         44 . The server of  claim 39  wherein the steps further include determining the geographic location of the individual consumer from the mobile device communicating through the communications network.