Multiple use rebate card

Abstract

Methods for using a rebate card and preventing the retention of rebate value when the product that prompted the rebate is returned are disclosed. Methods for using the rebate card may be limited for use at a particular retailer and/or for a particular manufacturer's goods or services. Methods for preventing the improper retention of rebate value may comprise: determining the amount the customer paid for the product; determining if a rebate value was provided for the product being returned; deducting the amount of the rebate from the amount the customer paid for the product; and providing the remaining amount the customer paid for the product being returned to the customer. In some embodiments of the present invention, the amount of the rebate value that was provided based on the purchase of the product being returned may be deducted from the customer's rebate account. Additionally, rebate cards may be RFID enabled.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention can be more fully understood by reading the following detailed description together with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference indicators are used to designate like elements.

FIG. 1 displays prior art for purchasing a product with a manufacturer's rebate.

FIG. 2 displays prior art for purchasing a product with a manufacturer's rebate and a retailer's rebate.

FIG. 3 displays a broad view of many factors of the present invention. Embodiments may comprise various combinations of some or all of these factors.

FIG. 4 displays some embodiments in accordance with the present invention where the final verification is performed by the central processor.

FIG. 5 displays some embodiments in accordance with the present invention where the manufacturer confirms the eligibility of the rebate before the card is activated.

FIGS. 6A and 6B depict a method for preventing the improper retention of rebate value in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for using a rebate card comprising: initiating a purchase transaction for one or more products at a point of sale;determining whether the purchase transaction qualifies for a rebate;determining a rebate value based on the purchase transaction and the rebate;activating a rebate value in a rebate card account associated with a rebate card based on the determining action;delivering the rebate card to a customer of the one or more products during the purchase transaction;receiving a request to apply funds from the rebate account to a second purchase transaction; andreducing a balance of the rebate card account by an amount applied to the second purchase transaction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the funds from the rebate account will only be applied to the second purchase transaction if the second purchase transaction take place at a particular retailer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the particular retailer is the retailer that delivered the rebate card to the customer during the first purchase transaction.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the funds from the rebate account will only be applied to the second purchase transaction if the second purchase transaction is from a particular manufacturer.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the particular manufacturer is the manufacturer that manufactured the product that qualified for the rebate in the first purchase transaction.

6. A method for using a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) enabled rebate card comprising: initiating a purchase transaction for one or more products at a point of sale;determining whether the purchase transaction qualifies for a rebate;determining a rebate value based on the purchase transaction and the rebate;activating a rebate value in a rebate card account associated with an RFID enabled rebate card based on the determining action; anddelivering the RFID enabled rebate card to a customer of the one or more products during the purchase transaction

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising: determining the rebate value based on the total value of products associated with a single manufacturer that are purchased during the purchase transaction, wherein the step of determining the rebate value based on the total value of products associated with a single manufacturer that are purchased during the purchase transaction is performed using RFID communications.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising: activating the RFID enabled rebate card by associating the rebate value with the rebate account, wherein the step of activating the RFID enabled rebate card by associating the rebate value with the rebate acount is performed using RFID communications.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising: associating purchase transaction information with the rebate account, wherein the step of associating purchase transaction information with the rebate account is performed using RFID communications.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising: receiving a request to apply funds from the rebate account to a second purchase transaction, wherein the step of receiving a request to apply funds from the rebate account to a second purchase transaction is performed using RFID communications; andreducing a balance of the RFID enabled rebate card account by an amount applied to the second purchase transaction, wherein the step of reducing a balance of the RFID enabled rebate card by an amount applied to the second purchase transaction is performed using RFID communications.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: associating information from the second purchase transaction with the previous purchase transaction information, wherein the step of associating information from the second purchase transaction with the previous purchase transaction is performed using RFID communications.

12. The method of claim 6, further comprising: initiating a second purchase transaction for one or more products at a point of sale;determining whether the second purchase transaction qualifies for a second purchase transaction rebate;determining a second purchase transaction rebate value based on the second purchase transaction and the second purchase transaction rebate; andadding the second purchase transaction rebate value into the rebate card account using RFID communications.

13. A method for preventing retention of a rebate value when a product that prompted the rebate is returned by a customer, comprising: determining the amount the customer paid for the product being returned;determining if a rebate value was provided based on the purchase of the product being returned;deducting the amount of the rebate value from the amount the customer paid for the product being returned; andproviding the remaining amount the customer paid for the product being returned to the customer.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the steps is performed using radio frequency identification (RFID) communications.

15. A method for preventing retention of a rebate value when a product that prompted the rebate is returned by a customer, comprising: determining if a rebate value was provided to the customer based on the purchase of the product being returned;deducting the amount of the rebate value that was provided based on the purchase of the product being returned from the customer's rebate account.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of determining if a rebate value was provided to the customer based on the purchase of the product being returned is performed using radio frequency identification (RFID) communications.