Patent ID: 8321291

Claim:
A method of encouraging an individual to purchase a product, the method comprising: receiving, by an associate processing device, a first associate card value from a user processing device, wherein the first associate card value is included on a first associate card provided to the user after the user has purchased a first product from an offline merchant and wherein the first associate card value confirms purchase of the first product; receiving, at the associate processing device, information representing an address for an associate Web site; transferring, to the user processing device, an online merchant link for an online merchant Web site on an online merchant processing device; receiving a selection of the online merchant link; transferring, to the user processing device, information regarding a second product from the online merchant Web site; receiving a selection of the second product; receiving purchase information for purchasing the second product; converting the first associate card value to promotional information; applying the promotional information to the received purchase information; transferring, to the online merchant processing device, the promotional information and the purchase information; providing the user with the second product; providing, via the user processing device, information regarding performance of an action that enables the user to obtain a second associate card, wherein the action at least comprises purchasing a third product, wherein the second associate card identifier references a second associate card value and confirms purchase of the third product; and receiving, from the user processing device, the second associate card value, wherein receiving the second associate card value further comprises receiving an answer to a challenge question, wherein the challenge question relates to the third product.