The emergence of personalized promotional offers in the United States in the 1980s was made possible by the rise of computerized point-of-sale (POS) terminals. This system allows for the distribution of coupons tailored to consumers based on their purchases. The quantity, nature, and type of coupons are determined by a computer process that analyzes the customer’s buying habits at checkout. This precise targeting results in a higher response rate than traditional coupons, especially when the personalized coupon relates to a product the customer has already purchased.