An ecommerce platform, available via an interactive electronic resource, allows a user to purchase products and services from the resource, receive promotional-valued credits in return for the purchase, and play games to earn additional promotional-valued credits. The user can purchase products and services at the electronic resource with either or both of a government-issued legal tender, such as the U.S. dollar, or a virtual currency used by the electronic resource, such as the promotional-valued credits. In embodiments of the invention, the user is guaranteed that an amount of legal tender (e.g., the U.S. dollar) paid-in to the ecommerce platform is the same as or less than a fair market value of the products or services purchased via the ecommerce platform.

Methods and systems are presented for providing a token exchange framework that enables exchanges of reward tokens corresponding to different reward systems and/or different merchants. The token exchange framework includes a blockchain for storing transaction data associated with transactions of reward tokens. During the onboarding process, reward systems associated with different merchants may be connected to the blockchain of the token exchange framework via one or more bridges. Reward tokens may be issued to represent reward data corresponding to the different reward systems, and can be freely exchanged within the token exchange framework via the blockchain. When a transaction for redeeming a reward is received, reward tokens in the blockchain can be converted into reward data corresponding to the merchant's reward system and process the transaction with the merchant using the converted reward data.

In general, intelligent fuel dispensers are provided. In at least some implementations, an intelligent fuel dispenser can determine customer identities and/or other characteristics and provide customized fueling sessions based on the determined customer identities and/or other characteristics. In at least some implementations, the fuel dispenser includes a touchless interface allowing customers to complete fueling sessions with minimal physical contact with the fuel dispenser.

A method for purchasing goods or services with incentive rewards program currency within in an airport terminal or other business environment includes image capture of a voucher into a data processing system, typically configured as a tablet computer. In the illustrative embodiment, the voucher is a boarding pass. The passenger's name or other identifying information is extracted from the image, and the tablet presents, in its display, a menu from which the passenger can select food (or other goods) for purchase from purveyors thereof (e.g., airport concessions or street restaurants or retailers in other business environments) using rewards currency. Once items are selected, the tablet determines, from a balance inquiry and response, whether the passenger has sufficient rewards currency for the purchase. If sufficient, the tablet approves the transaction, transmitting the order and the tablet's location to the appropriate purveyor for order fulfillment.

An ecommerce platform, available via an interactive electronic resource, allows a user to purchase products and services from the resource, receive promotional-valued credits in return for the purchase, and play games to earn additional promotional-valued credits. The user can purchase products and services at the electronic resource with either or both of a government-issued legal tender, such as the U.S. dollar, or a virtual currency used by the electronic resource, such as the promotional-valued credits. In embodiments of the invention, the user is guaranteed that an amount of legal tender (e.g., the U.S. dollar) paid-in to the ecommerce platform is the same as or less than a fair market value of the products or services purchased via the ecommerce platform.

A distributed event synchronization may be provided by a plurality of nodes in communication with one another via a network. An event module of one of the plurality of nodes may receive data about an event to be codified in a distributed ledger. The event module may place the event in an event queue for distributed block negotiation. A ledger module of the one of the plurality of nodes may perform the block negotiation with at least one other node in the network. Performing the block negotiation may comprise sharing the event queue; determining a greatest common set of shared events comprising the event; when a consensus quorum of the plurality of nodes has determined the greatest common set, creating a block comprising the greatest common set of shared events; sharing local data relating to the block; receiving additional data relating to the block from the at least one other node; and when the local data and the additional data agree, writing the block into a distributed ledger shared by the memory of each of the plurality of nodes.

Methods and systems that record the location of a user and transmit targeted content to a user based upon their current and past location information. A network is configured to include a server programmed with a database of targeted content, a database of location information, a database of user information, a database searching algorithm, and a wireless communication system capable of communicating with the user's mobile device. The location of the mobile device is ascertained and recorded. The location information is analyzed to determine the routes taken by the user, businesses visited by the user, and other behaviors of the user. Targeted content is sent to the mobile device of the user or exposure to physical content is tracked. Whether the user visits the physical locations associated with the content is monitored. Detailed conversion tracking is provided to producers of targeted content and business owners.

A client device detects a QR code (or NFC tag). The client device decodes the QR code. The client device determines that the data encoded within the QR code includes a URL. Based on the URL, the client device sends a first request to a first server identified by the URL. In response to the first request, the client device receives from the first server data configured to cause the client device to display, to a user of the client device, at least one of: a video or an interactive web page. Responsive to the data encoded in the QR code, the client device sends to a coupon server: identification data associated with a user of the client device, and a request for the coupon server to distribute a digital coupon for an offer associated with an identifier encoded within the QR code to an account associated with the user.

A contemplated method includes: utilizing at least one processor to execute computer code that performs the steps of: receiving, from an application installed on the information handling device, a request to access a service provided by a service provider; providing, to the application, access to the requested service; and receiving, from the application, payment for provided access to the requested service, wherein information is received from the information handling device as a credit for at least a portion of the payment; the information being received via: sending, to the application, a context information request, wherein the context information request comprises a request for context information associated with the information handling device; sending, to the application, a request for information, wherein the request comprises at least one suggestion for information to be provided by the information handling device and wherein the at least one suggestion for information is based on received context information; and receiving, from the application, the information. Other aspects are described and claimed.

A network based indoor positioning and geofencing system and method is described. Beacons are disposed within a physical premises and each beacon transmits a signal containing identifying information. A networked indoor positioning module receives measured reference points that include a measured beacon identifier and a measured signal strength. The networked indoor positioning module uses the measured reference points to generate calculated signal strength values for at least one detected beacon. At least one geofence is associated with the physical premises and the geofence includes some of the calculated signal strength values. A wireless device receives a beacon identifier and a beacon signal strength, when the wireless device is in or near a geofence associated the physical premises. The networked indoor positioning module determines that the wireless device is within at least one geofence by comparing the received beacon identifier and the received beacon signal strength with the calculated signal strength values corresponding to the detected beacon.