Chip card rebate system

Abstract

A method and system for providing advertisement information, including advertising as well as sales promotions, on chip cards that additionally involves an electronic money rebate to the consumer, and for the distribution, accounting, and recovery of the associated electronic money rebates. Rebates are conveyed to the consumer by communication from the advertisement information provider to a customer's chip card via a multiplicity of possible channels including: a personal computer, a portable chip card reader, a point-of-sale (POS) terminal, a handheld device, a home or business telephone, a vending machine, a cellular phone, a pager, a mass transporation payment station, a television and/or television set-top box, or an automated teller machine (ATM). Rather than giving a discount at the point of sale, a rebate in the form of electronic money is stored in chip card memory. The method and system also include tracking and storing integrated relational information regarding advertisement information, products, and customer's buying habits with respect to those products for which rebates have been given. Determination of which particular advertisement information and rebates to store onto the card may be based on customer information available to the providers of the advertisement information. The chip card may or may not incorporate an electronic display for showing the advertisement information directly on the card.