Patent ID: 8712830

Claim:
A system for distributing and redeeming electronic coupons comprising: a first server system including a computer processor and associated memory, said first server system being connected by a communications channel to a client system, said first server system being adapted for transmitting an electronic coupon to said client system over said communications channel; said client system including a computer processor and associated memory, said client system being adapted for storing said electronic coupon in said memory; a second server system connected to said communications channel, said second server system being adapted to establish a connection with said client system and for detecting said electronic coupon stored on said client system, said second server system further being adapted to redeem said electronic coupon; and wherein said electronic coupon includes data uniquely identifying the coupon relative to all other coupons transmitted by said first server system; wherein said associated memory of said first server system defines a database; wherein said database stores coupon offer data defining available coupon offers, user record data defining user records, and targeting criteria applicable to said user records to determine which of said available coupon offers to associate with which of said user records; wherein each one of said user records stores (1) a user identification that is different from all other user identifications stored in all other records of said user records, (2) information regarding coupons redeemed; (3) data indicating which of said available coupon offers are to be offered; said first server system programmed to respond to receipt over a network of a coupon request prompt from said client system, said coupon request prompt including a particular user identification and identification of a particular one of said available coupon offers, by transmitting from said server system to said client system, data defining a particular coupon, wherein said data defining said particular coupon encodes both said particular user identification and said particular one of said available coupon offers, wherein said first coupon offer is a coupon offer associated in said database with said particular user identification; and said first server system being programmed to respond to receipt from a coupon redemption network address of said second server system, of coupon redemption data indicating an attempt to redeem said particular coupon by comparing said coupon redemption data with said information regarding coupons redeemed in said database, to thereby determine whether said particular coupon was previously redeemed.