Patent ID: 8180670

Claim:
A self checkout system comprising: a server; and at least one self checkout station coupled to the server, wherein the at least one self checkout station comprises: a scanner for scanning at least one item for purchase by a customer; a coupon reader for receiving a coupon from the customer, wherein the coupon is a paper coupon that is fed into a coupon reader of the at least one self checkout stations; and a coupon manager for validating the coupon against the at least one item scanned by the customer, wherein the coupon manager is operable to: allows the customer to choose whether to store the coupon that has not been validated against the at least one item scanned by the customer; if the customer chooses to store the coupon that has not been validated against the at least one item scanned by the customer, convert the paper coupon into an electronic coupon; collect tracking information related to the coupon and storing the tracking information in a file at the server; transmit the electronic coupon from the one self checkout station to the server; destroy the paper coupon after the paper coupon has been converted into an electronic coupon; store the electronic coupon into one of two coupon pools at the server if the coupon fails to validate against the at least one item, wherein one coupon pool is a global pool having coupons stored in the global pool are accessible by all customers, wherein the other coupon pool is a personal pool that is associated with the customer such that coupons stored in the personal pool are accessible only by the customer, wherein the tracking information comprises the coupon pool in which the coupon is stored, wherein the stored electronic coupon can be utilized at a subsequent sales transaction, wherein the global pool allows the second customer to search the global pool for a coupon that validates against an item scanned by the second customer during the subsequent sales transaction, wherein the global pool allows a second customer in the subsequent sales transaction to utilize the coupon, wherein a value of the coupon is deducted from a price of the item if the coupon and the item are validated, and wherein the personal pool allows the customer to access the global pool, select at least one coupon in the global pool, and transfer the selected coupon to a personal account at the server; and allow the customer to search one or more of the global pool and the personal pool for coupons that can be applied to any scanned items by the customer.