Devices, methods, and computer-readable media for redemption of merchant offers

Abstract

Devices, computer-implemented methods, and computer-readable media for the redemption of merchant offers, such as online coupons, are provided. In some embodiments, online coupons may be provided in a native application of a mobile user device. When a user selects to use an online coupon, a coupon code box having a coupon code associated with the selected coupon may visually move from a first location to a second location of the native application, and a merchant website may be displayed in the native application. Additionally, in some embodiments, a user may drag-and-drop a coupon code box to an input field of a merchant webpage. Movement of a visual copy of the coupon code box may be animated along the drag path. Upon a drop of the coupon code box, a value of the coupon code may be entered into the input field.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method performed by a processor of a user device while the processor is executing an application program, the method comprising:
 receiving from a server i) a plurality of website addresses of a plurality of merchants, respectively, and ii) a plurality of coupon codes from the plurality of merchants, respectively;   configuring a screen of the user device to display a list of merchant objects, each merchant object identifies a respective one of the merchants;   in response to detecting a user's selection on the screen of a user selected merchant object, from the list of merchant objects, sending a request to the website address of the merchant identified in the user selected merchant object;   receiving a webpage from the merchant identified in the user selected merchant object in response to having sent the request, and configuring the screen to display i) the webpage inside a window, simultaneously with ii) a coupon object initially outside of the window wherein the coupon object identifies the coupon code of the merchant identified in the user selected merchant object; and then   configuring the screen to display the coupon object being dragged on the screen under control of the user, from initially outside the window to inside the window and then to a coupon code entry location inside the window.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein configuring the screen to display the coupon object initially outside of the window comprises
 positioning the coupon object in a header portion of the application program, wherein the header portion is positioned above the window in which the webpage is displayed. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising
 receiving a checkout webpage from the merchant identified in the user selected merchant object, and configuring the screen to display the checkout webpage inside the window, the coupon code entry location being in the checkout webpage. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  further comprising
 in response to detecting that the user has dragged and then deselected the coupon object at the coupon code entry location, entering into a coupon code input field of the checkout page the coupon code of the merchant identified in the user selected merchant object and causing the coupon object to disappear from the screen. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the application program is a web browser rendering a webpage. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the application program is a native application. 
     
     
         7 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having executable computer code stored thereon, the executable computer code comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a processor in a user device to
 receive from a server i) a plurality of website addresses of a plurality of merchants, respectively, and ii) a plurality of coupon codes from the plurality of merchants, respectively,   configure a screen of the user device to display a list of merchant objects, each merchant object identifies a respective one of the merchants,   in response to detecting a user's selection on the screen of a user selected merchant object, from the list of merchant objects, send a request to the website address of the merchant identified in the user selected merchant object,   receive a webpage from the merchant identified in the user selected merchant object in response to having sent the request, and configure the screen to display i) the webpage inside a window, simultaneously with ii) a coupon object initially outside of the window wherein the coupon object identifies the coupon code of the merchant identified in the user selected merchant object, and then   configure the screen to display the coupon object being dragged on the screen under control of the user, from initially outside the window to inside the window and then to a coupon code entry location inside the window.   
     
     
         8 . The A non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 7  wherein the instructions configure the processor to position the coupon object initially in a header portion of the application program, wherein the header portion is positioned above the window in which the webpage is displayed. 
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 7  further comprising instructions that configure the processor to
 receive a checkout webpage from the merchant identified in the user selected merchant object, and configure the screen to display the checkout webpage inside the window, the coupon code entry location being in the checkout webpage. 
 
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 9  further comprising instructions that configure the processor to
 in response to detecting that the user has dragged and then deselected the coupon object at the coupon code entry location, enter into a coupon code input field of the checkout webpage the coupon code of the merchant identified in the user selected merchant object and cause the coupon object to disappear from the screen. 
 
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 7  wherein the application program is a web browser rendering a webpage. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 7  wherein the application program is a native application. 
     
     
         13 . An electronic user device comprising:
 a processor; and   memory having executable computer code stored thereon, the executable computer code comprising instructions that are executed by the processor to   receive from a server i) a plurality of website addresses of a plurality of merchants, respectively, and ii) a plurality of coupon codes from the plurality of merchants, respectively,   configure a screen of the user device to display a list of merchant objects, each merchant object identifies a respective one of the merchants,   in response to detecting a user's selection on the screen of a user selected merchant object, from the list of merchant objects, send a request to the website address of the merchant identified in the user selected merchant object,   receive a webpage from the merchant identified in the user selected merchant object in response to having sent the request, and configure the screen to display i) the webpage inside a window, simultaneously with ii) a coupon object initially outside of the window wherein the coupon object identifies the coupon code of the merchant identified in the user selected merchant object, and then   configure the screen to display the coupon object being dragged on the screen under control of the user, from initially outside the window to inside the window and then to a coupon code entry location inside the window.   
     
     
         14 . The electronic user device of  claim 13  wherein the instructions configure the processor to position the coupon object initially in a header portion of the application program, wherein the header portion is positioned above the window in which the webpage is displayed. 
     
     
         15 . The electronic user device of  claim 13  further comprising instructions stored in the memory that configure the processor to
 receive a checkout webpage from the merchant identified in the user selected merchant object, and configure the screen to display the checkout webpage inside the window, the coupon code entry location being in the checkout webpage. 
 
     
     
         16 . The electronic user device of  claim 15  further comprising instructions stored in the memory that configure the processor to
 in response to detecting that the user has dragged and then deselected the coupon object at the coupon code entry location, enter into a coupon code input field of the checkout webpage the coupon code of the merchant identified in the user selected merchant object and cause the coupon object to disappear from the screen. 
 
     
     
         17 . The electronic user device of  claim 13  wherein the application program is a web browser rendering a webpage. 
     
     
         18 . The electronic user device of  claim 13  wherein the application program is a native application.