Patent ID: 8463661

Claim:
A method on a server for managing discount offers for a plurality of users with mobile computers over a communications network, comprising: defining a discount offer, wherein the discount offer comprises at least a product or service description, an initial price, a discount price less than the initial price, a minimum number of acceptances of the discount offer that are required to trigger the discount price and a time deadline for the discount offer; receiving enrollment data from the plurality of users with mobile computers; identifying the plurality of users with mobile computers that have submitted enrollment data to the server, wherein the enrollment data includes electronic payment information; transmitting, via the communications network, the discount offer to the mobile computers of the plurality of users that were identified, and further transmitting a countdown timer that counts down to the time deadline of the discount offer; receiving acceptances of the discount offer from selected ones of the mobile computers of the plurality of users; determining the initial price from the discount offer and accessing the electronic payment information for each of the plurality of users that have submitted an acceptance of the discount offer to the server; wherein the electronic payment information includes credit card information for each of the plurality of users; executing a preliminary credit card authorization transaction for each acceptance received, wherein the preliminary credit card authorization is effectuated for the initial price and wherein the preliminary credit card authorization is processed using the electronic payment information from the enrollment data for each of the plurality of users that has submitted the acceptance of the discount offer; calculating a number of acceptances of the discount offer, wherein the number of acceptances is calculated to be greater than or equal to the minimum number of acceptances of the discount offer; triggering the discount price; detecting attainment of the time deadline; and determining the discount price from the defined discount offer and effectuating a sale of the product or service of the discount offer at the discount price to each of the plurality of users that executed the preliminary credit card authorization transaction, wherein effectuating the sale comprises executing a final credit card authorization transaction at the discount price.