Automated approval of generated promotions

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed to improve the process of generating promotions. The method includes identifying a promotion structure for approval, the promotion structure defining a promotion to be displayed via a promotion and marketing service and determining whether the promotion structure satisfies automatic approval requirements, the automatic approval requirements including one or more parameters relating to the promotion structure. The method further includes in an instance in which the promotion structure satisfies the automatic approval requirements, automatically approving the promotion structure for display via the promotion and marketing service, and in an instance in which the promotion structure does not satisfy the automatic approval requirements, indicating that the promotion structure cannot be automatically approved. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also provided.

1 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A method comprising:
 providing a graphical user interface (GUI) configured to (i) present a sequence of windows providing selectable information and (ii) receive selections;   receiving, via the GUI from the merchant, a selection of one or more options and a descriptor associated respectively with each of the one or more options, the one or more options including at least one of a price, a value, or a margin, and the selection being indicative of a value of the one or more options including at least one of the price, the value, or the margin;   determining whether the selected one or more options and the value satisfies automatic approval requirements,   wherein determining whether the selected one or more options and the value satisfies automatic approval requirements comprises:   parsing previously offered promotions to identify and extract a plurality of promotion options;   ranking each of the plurality of promotion options;   identifying a predefined percentile of top-ranking previously offered promotion options;   determining, from the predefined percentile of the top-ranking previously offered promotion options, a highest value of a price, a value, and a discount;   determining, from the predefined percentile of the top-ranking previously offered promotion options, a lowest value of each of the price, the value, and the discount;   calculating each of a price band, a value band, and a discount band, each of the price band, the value band, and the discount band comprised of each of the highest value, the lowest value and an indication of additional values in between the highest value and the lowest value,   wherein the price band represents a range of prices that can be included in a promotion structure, a value band being a range of values associated with the promotion structure, and the margin band being a range of margins being associated with the promotion structure;   determining whether the selected one or more options and the value satisfies requirements of a corresponding band;   in an instance in which the selection satisfies the automatic approval requirements, automatically approving the selected one or more options and the value and providing a window within the GUI configured to display a message indicative of automatic approval; and   in an instance in which the selection does not satisfy the automatic approval requirements, providing a window within the GUI configured to display a message indicative of a lack of pre-approval.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein determining whether the selection satisfies requirements of the corresponding band comprises determining whether a selected price falls within, inclusive of the highest value and the lowest value, of the price band. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein determining whether the selection satisfies requirements of the corresponding band comprises determining whether a selected value falls within, inclusive of the highest value and the lowest value, of the value band. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein determining whether the selection satisfies requirements of the corresponding band comprises determining whether a selected margin falls within, inclusive of the highest value and the lowest value, of the margin band. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the determination, from the predefined percentile of the top-ranking previously offered promotion options, of the highest value of the price, the highest value of the value, the highest value of the discount, the lowest value of the price, the lowest value of the value, and the lowest value are determined from one or more particular peer groups. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the selection comprises an expiration date, and determining whether the selection satisfies requirements of the corresponding band comprises determining whether the selected expiration date falls within, inclusive of the highest value and the lowest value, of an expiration date band. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein in an instance in which the selection does not satisfy the automatic approval requirements, further providing an indication of one or more particular options that fails to satisfy the requirements of automatic approval. 
     
     
         32 . An apparatus, the apparatus comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing computer program code that, when executed by the processor, causes the apparatus to:
 provide a graphical user interface (GUI) configured to (i) present a sequence of windows providing selectable information and (ii) receive selections;   receive, via the GUI from the merchant, a selection of one or more options and a descriptor associated respectively with each of the one or more options, the one or more options including at least one of a price, a value, or a margin, and the selection being indicative of a value of the one or more options including at least one of the price, the value, or the margin;   determine whether the selected one or more options and the value satisfies automatic approval requirements,   wherein determining whether the selected one or more options and the value satisfies automatic approval requirements comprises:   parse previously offered promotions to identify and extract a plurality of promotion options;   rank each of the plurality of promotion options;   identify a predefined percentile of top-ranking previously offered promotion options;   determine, from the predefined percentile of the top-ranking previously offered promotion options, a highest value of a price, a value, and a discount;   determine, from the predefined percentile of the top-ranking previously offered promotion options, a lowest value of each of the price, the value, and the discount;   calculate each of a price band, a value band, and a discount band, each of the price band, the value band, and the discount band comprised of each of the highest value, the lowest value and an indication of additional values in between the highest value and the lowest value,   wherein the price band represents a range of prices that can be included in a promotion structure, a value band being a range of values associated with the promotion structure, and the margin band being a range of margins being associated with the promotion structure;   determine whether the selected one or more options and the value satisfies requirements of a corresponding band;   in an instance in which the selected one or more options and the value satisfies the automatic approval requirements, automatically approve the promotion structure and provide a window within the GUI configured to display a message indicative of automatic approval; and   in an instance in which the selection does not satisfy the automatic approval requirements, provide a window within the GUI configured to display a message indicative of a lack of pre-approval.   
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 32 , wherein determining whether the selection satisfies requirements of the corresponding band comprises determining whether a selected price falls within, inclusive of the highest value and the lowest value, of the price band. 
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 32 , wherein determining whether the selection satisfies requirements of the corresponding band comprises determining whether a selected value falls within, inclusive of the highest value and the lowest value, of the value band. 
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 32 , wherein determining whether the selection satisfies requirements of the corresponding band comprises determining whether a selected margin falls within, inclusive of the highest value and the lowest value, of the margin band. 
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 32 , wherein the determination, from the predefined percentile of the top-ranking previously offered promotion options, of the highest value of the price, the highest value of the value, the highest value of the discount, the lowest value of the price, the lowest value of the value, and the lowest value are determined from one or more particular peer groups. 
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 32 , wherein the selection comprises an expiration date, and determining whether the selection satisfies requirements of the corresponding band comprises determining whether the selected expiration date falls within, inclusive of the highest value and the lowest value, of an expiration date band. 
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 32 , wherein in an instance in which the selection does not satisfy the automatic approval requirements, further providing an indication of one or more particular options that fails to satisfy the requirements of automatic approval. 
     
     
         39 . A computer program product, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer program code that, when executed by an apparatus, causes the apparatus to:
 provide a graphical user interface (GUI) configured to (i) present a sequence of windows providing selectable information and (ii) receive selections;   receive, via the GUI from the merchant, a selection of one or more options and a descriptor associated respectively with each of the one or more options, the one or more options including at least one of a price, a value, or a margin, and the selection being indicative of a value of the one or more options including at least one of the price, the value, or the margin;   determine whether the selected one or more options and the value satisfies automatic approval requirements,   wherein determining whether the selected one or more options and the value satisfies automatic approval requirements comprises:   parsing previously offered promotions to identify and extract a plurality of promotion options;   rank each of the plurality of promotion options;   identify a predefined percentile of top-ranking previously offered promotion options;   determine, from the predefined percentile of the top-ranking previously offered promotion options, a highest value of a price, a value, and a discount;   determine, from the predefined percentile of the top-ranking previously offered promotion options, a lowest value of each of the price, the value, and the discount;   calculate each of a price band, a value band, and a discount band, each of the price band, the value band, and the discount band comprised of each of the highest value, the lowest value and an indication of additional values in between the highest value and the lowest value,   wherein the price band represents a range of prices that can be included in a promotion structure, a value band being a range of values associated with the promotion structure, and the margin band being a range of margins being associated with the promotion structure;   determine whether the selected one or more options and the value satisfies requirements of the corresponding band;   in an instance in which the selected one or more options and the value satisfies the automatic approval requirements, automatically approve the promotion structure and provide a window within the GUI configured to display a message indicative of automatic approval; and   in an instance in which the selected one or more options and the value does not satisfy the automatic approval requirements, provide a window within the GUI configured to display a message indicative of a lack of pre-approval and one or more particular options that fails to satisfy the requirements of automatic approval.   
     
     
         40 . The computer program product of  claim 39 , wherein determining whether the selection satisfies requirements of the corresponding band comprises determining whether a selected price falls within, inclusive of the highest value and the lowest value, of the price band. 
     
     
         41 . The computer program product of  claim 39 , wherein determining whether the selection satisfies requirements of the corresponding band comprises determining whether a selected value falls within, inclusive of the highest value and the lowest value, of the value band. 
     
     
         42 . The computer program product of  claim 39 , wherein determining whether the selection satisfies requirements of the corresponding band comprises determining whether a selected margin falls within, inclusive of the highest value and the lowest value, of the margin band. 
     
     
         43 . The computer program product of  claim 39 , wherein the determination, from the predefined percentile of the top-ranking previously offered promotion options, of the highest value of the price, the highest value of the value, the highest value of the discount, the lowest value of the price, the lowest value of the value, and the lowest value are determined from one or more particular peer groups. 
     
     
         44 . The computer program product of  claim 39 , wherein the selection comprises an expiration date, and determining whether the selection satisfies requirements of the corresponding band comprises determining whether the selected expiration date falls within, inclusive of the highest value and the lowest value, of an expiration date band. 
     
     
         45 . The computer program product of  claim 39 , wherein in an instance in which the selection does not satisfy the automatic approval requirements, further providing an indication of one or more particular options that fails to satisfy the requirements of automatic approval.