Importance

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Abstract

According to a computer-implemented approach for renting items to customers, customers specify what items to rent using item selection criteria separate from deciding when to receive the specified items. According to the approach, customers provide item selection criteria to a provider. The provider provides the items indicated by the item selection criteria to customer over a delivery channel. The provider may be either centralized or distributed depending upon the requirements of a particular application. Each item is assigned a specific value, such as a number of points. A 'SIMULTANEOUS-VALUE' method allows users to rent items up to a limit such that the total value assigned to the items currently provided does not exceed some limit, possibly also with a maximum number of exchanges. A 'TIME LIMIT-VALUE' method accrues a value each time an item is provided, and allows exchanges to occur up to the value limit during a specified period of time, possibly also with a maximum number of exchanges. 'SIMULTANEOUS-VALUE' and 'TIME LIMIT-VALUE' methods may be used together or separately with a variety of subscription methodologies. The points assigned to each item may vary with certain business conditions. For instance, an item that is low in inventory may be assigned a higher value.

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