In accordance with a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method of selling a service or product comprising, vending a data carrier in a retail outlet, the data carrier carrying an activation code, receiving the activation code via an internet based connection, verifying the validity of the activation code and supplying goods and/or services defined by the activation code and/or defined via the internet based connection.

In a second aspect, the invention provides a data carrier contained in a vendible container of significantly larger dimensions than the carrier, the data carrier having an alphanumeric activation code and the container and/or box carrying an internet URL for access to an entry facility for the alphanumeric activation code.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawing which is a flow chart representing consumer and retail actions.

Presently, consumers buy goods and services in several distinct ways. For example, traditionally most goods and services have been bought face-to-face via a retail outlet. An alternative to this is a mail order purchase in which information is supplied to a vendor for example using a printed catalogue or via electronic media such as television or the internet, and a purchaser makes contact with the vendor typically by telephone or via the internet in order to select and purchase goods or services.

From a retailing point of view, the mail order model outlined above encourages potential consumers to consider purchases carefully and often to make comparisons. Such consideration and comparison is not always desirable since some items, for example gifts, are better made as impulsive purchases. The nature of impulsive purchases requires that consumers are taken by surprise in a pleasing way, for example, by effective packaging and presentation. Such packaging and presentation is difficult to achieve outside a physical retail environment.

Thus the present invention proposes a hybrid retail and internet mail order purchasing experience.

With reference to Figure 1, a retailer carries stock of a container such as a box which is attractively packaged with information about goods or services which can be activated over the internet. Examples of such goods or services are roadside assistance packages, holidays including add-ons such as travel insurance and additional periods which may be made used to extend-the holiday, membership of football clubs and/or charitable donations such as adoption schemes. Thus in step 2, a retailer sells the box to a consumer which may, for example, be a consumer buying a gift for a third party. The financial transaction to purchase the box is carried out using normal retail mechanisms for example using credit card or cash payments at a shop till. Thus in step 4 the consumer buys the box and money changes hands at the point of sale of the box. The box is then passed to its ultimate consumer which may be the purchaser or as mentioned above, may be a third party.

Inside the box is a data carrier typically in the form of a planar member having similar dimensions to a credit card. The carrier carries an alpha numeric activation code which may for example be obscured using conventional"scratch off' mechanisms. Alternatively or additionally, the box may carry an obscured activation code.

The box and/or card also carries information such as an internet universal resource locator (URL) directing the consumer to a means of electronic contact with the vendor such as a website. Thus in step 8, the consumer makes contact with the vendor website. This typically will not be the retailer's website but rather the original supplier of the box. For example in the case of a football club membership, the internet URL is likely to be a web page on the football club's website. In step 10, the consumer buys goods or services using the activation code supplied in or on the box. Typically, no money will change hands at this point and thus concerns about security of financial details given over the internet are obviated. The code is validated using an authorisation database 12 and if the code is found valid then the goods or services are supplied or delivered (step 14).

Most preferably, during step 10, the consumer is required to register with the vendor's website providing details such as e-mail addresses, telephone numbers

and postal addresses and also information to allow assessment of the demographic profile and purchasing habits of consumers of the boxes. This valuable marketing information may then be used to build a relationship (step 16) with the consumer to encourage further purchases. For example, a football club membership bought using this mechanism may cause the football club to later contact the consumer with offers on merchandise, season tickets and the like. This type of marketing is attractive to the vendor and indeed to the consumer because it is tightly focussed on the needs of the consumer based on information supplied during the provision of the activation code.

As mentioned briefly above, the box may contain a bundle of cards or a plurality of activation codes which relate to different aspects of the goods or services. For example the box may relate to holidays and may indeed be used to purchase the holiday itself. In addition, further activation codes and/or cards may be used to allow the purchase of holiday insurance, an extra week on holiday or for example a surcharge for travelling to and from different airports.

Thus using the mechanism described above, a new hybrid form of shopping is made available which combines the advantages of retail presentation with the convenience, efficiency and information gathering advantages of mail order/internet- based purchases. This offers advantages both to the vendor and consumer or purchaser.