Walker Digital, LLC

Groupon, Inc.

Inventor Holdings, LLC

Paypal, Inc.

Priceline.com Incorporated

Keith Bemer

Jay S Walker

Magdalena Mik Fincham

James Jorasch

Andrew P Golden

Daniel E Tedesco

Russell Pratt Sammon

Stephen C Tulley

Geoffrey M Gelman

John M Packes, Jr

Dean P Alderucci

Norman C Gilman

Timothy A Palmer

Peter Kim

Andrew Stephen Van Luchene

Peter J Vogel

Michael F Steib

Kathleen M Van Luchene

William P Van Vooren

Patrick J Buckley

Deirdre O'Shea

Scott B Allison

Raymod J Mueller

Michiko Kobayashi

Raymond Jay Mueller

John B Dickerson

Scott Wolinsky

Nandu A Talwalkar

Miles Lasater

Marc D Kessman

Wen Yan Lin

Maximillian O Urbahn

Anna Rath

John Shepardson

Joseph R Rutledge

Marisa S Doré

According to one described embodiment, a method is provided in which transaction information is determined. The transaction information is associated with (i) a buyer who has arranged to purchase a product from a central controller at a first price established between the buyer and the central controller and (ii) a merchant that offers the product for sale at a second price, different from the first price, without offering the product for sale to buyers at the first price. Information is transmitted that facilitates the acquisition of the product by the buyer, in exchange for payment provided by the buyer to the central controller. An amount based on the second price is provided to the merchant.

Retail system for selling products based on a flexible product description

In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, a controller receives an indication of acceptance by a customer of an offer for a subsidy from a second vendor (e.g., a subsidizing vendor). The offer may define, for example, a reduction in the price charged for an item purchased from a first vendor and an obligation for the customer to fulfill in exchange for the subsidy. The customer is charged a second price for the items, which is less than the total price, and may even be zero.

Method and apparatus for providing cross-benefits based on a customer activity

In accordance with some embodiments, a method provides for facilitating play of a game on a mobile device by recognizing inputs provided by a user, at least one of the inputs causing progress in the game. In accordance with one embodiment, a code is received at the mobile device, in response to which code access to an outcome is provided. Upon an outcome redemption request being received, a benefit associated with the outcome may be provided. The benefit may, in some embodiments, be capable of changing play of the game by the user.

Method and apparatus for conducting or facilitating a promotion

A method for providing a link in an electronic file being presented to a user which includes defining a customized viewpoint for the user. The viewpoint includes a preference for the user that provides an association between a data pattern and a computer network resource. The method also includes generating a request for content, receiving an electronic file in response to the request, and evaluating the electronic file to recognize a match between at least one portion of the electronic file and the data pattern. Upon recognizing a match, the electronic file is modified to include a link to the computer network resource associated with the matching data pattern, and the modified electronic file is presented to the user. Thus, the link included in the electronic file presented to the user is customized for the user, and different users who retrieve the same content can be provided with links to different computer network resources depending on their respective viewpoints.

Method and system for providing a link in an electronic file being presented to a user

A method and apparatus for conducting a promotion and for distributing promotions to potential users provide a merchant or promotion organizer flexibility in the way they conduct the promotion as well as an ability to change one or more aspects of the promotion during the operation of the promotion. One or more outcomes are generated by a controller and provided to a user. In addition, one or more codes which allow the outcomes to be revealed or unlocked are generated by the controller and provided to an intermediary. In exchange for completing or satisfying a qualifying action or criteria, the user may receive a code from the intermediary. The user can then unlock an outcome to reveal a prize, benefit, symbol, value, etc., associated with the unlocked outcome. The user may provide a redemption request to either the controller or the intermediary based on the unlocked outcome to receive a benefit or prize associated with the unlocked outcome.

A system to provide price adjustments based on indicated product interest includes reception of an indication from a customer of interest in a first product, reception of an indication from a customer of interest in a second product, determination of a price adjustment for the second product based on the indication of interest in the first product, and transmission of the price adjustment to the customer. By virtue of the foregoing features, a retailer may be willing to provide a price adjustment for the second product which would otherwise not be provided. Moreover, such a price adjustment may incent the customer to purchase the second product in a case that the second product would not otherwise be purchased, thereby potentially increasing a total profit received by the retailer.

System to provide price adjustments based on indicated product interest

A method and apparatus for allowing a customer to purchase or otherwise receive a benefit during a first transaction that will be redeemed by the customer or provided to the customer at a later time or during a future transaction for the purchase, rental, lease, etc. of one or more products and/or services. The price to the customer for the benefit may be a monetary amount, a non-monetary amount, a commitment by the customer to complete or perform some obligation or qualifying action. The value of the benefit to the customer may be based on one or more aspects or characteristics of the first transaction.

Method and apparatus for providing a benefit during a transaction for use during a later transaction

Systems and methods are provided to facilitate lottery ticket transactions. A request to purchase a lottery ticket is received, the lottery ticket being associated with a lottery number combination, such as a limited number of lottery tickets or a limited number of players. An indication that the lottery number combination is to be associated with a limited number of occurrences is also received. For example, an indication that the lottery number combination is to be associated with only a single lottery ticket may be received. A price associated with the lottery ticket is determined based on the received indication. According to one embodiment, the price is increased by a predetermined amount based on the received indication.

Systems and methods wherein a lottery number combination is associated with a limited number of occurrences

In accordance with some embodiments, apparatus and methods are disclosed for providing electronic credits to a player of a gaming device. The electronic credits are provided in response to an occurrence of an event other than an outcome of a game play. Further, the electronic credits are provided without requiring the player to first provide payment therefore. In some, the number of electronic credits may be determined based on information associated with at least one of the player, the gaming device, and a casino associated with the gaming device. In some embodiments, the an offer for the electronic credits is output to the player at the gaming device and the electronic credits are added to a credit meter balance of the gaming device upon the player's acceptance of the offer. In some embodiments, the player is required to provide a payment for the electronic credits at a time subsequent to the time at which the electronic credits are provided to the player.

Method and apparatus for providing electronic credits at a gaming device without first requiring payment therefor

A method for selling a product which allows a customer to comparison search for, and obtain as a part of a purchase transaction, the competitive terms for a product following product acquisition. The method includes conveying the product to the customer prior to at least one transaction term of the sale being finalized, determining a final value of the transaction term, and completing the sale using the final value of the transaction term as a term of the sale.

Systems and methods to provide a product to a customer before a final transaction term value is established

A method and apparatus for conducting a promotion and for distributing promotions to potential users provide a merchant or promotion organizer flexibility in the way they conduct the promotion as well as an ability to change one or more aspects of the promotion during the operation of the promotion. In accordance with one embodiment, such a promotion may provide for a game on a mobile device, wherein a locked outcome of the game may be unlocked using an unlock code. In one embodiment, a result of the locked outcome may correspond to an intra-game benefit.

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New York, NY, United States of America

Keith Bemer