Patent ID: 8521582
Filing Date: 2013-08-27
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method for collaborative affinity marketing including a processor, a plurality of aggregators, a participant, and a plurality of merchants, the method comprising: receiving by a collaborative affinity marketing computer system enrollment information from the plurality of aggregators, the participant, and the plurality of merchants; assigning a participant identification code to the participant by said computer system, wherein the participant identification code keeps identity of the participant anonymous; storing the enrollment information of the plurality of aggregators, the participant, and the plurality of merchants in a database, wherein no merchant is yet selected by the participant; selecting by the participant a selected aggregator from the plurality of aggregators using a participant computer terminal; providing the participant identification code to any of the plurality of merchants, when the participant initiates a purchase transaction with said any of the plurality of merchants; storing information about the participant identification code and an amount for the purchase transaction in one or more storage media, by said any of the plurality of merchants; receiving the stored participant identification code, the amount for the purchase transaction, and funds corresponding to a portion of the amount for the purchase transaction by the processor using said collaborative affinity marketing computer system; verifying the received funds against the received amount for the purchase transaction by the processor; and sending a portion of the funds received by the processor to the selected aggregator, wherein each of the processor, selected aggregator, participant, and merchant has a respective access right for accessing the stored information in the database and different portions of the stored information are accessible by the processor, selected aggregator, participant, and merchant based on the respective access rights, and wherein the collaborative affinity marketing system is capable of enrolling the participant while maintaining participant's anonymity from the selected aggregator, the merchant, and the processor.