System and method for granting promotional rewards to credit account holders

• US 10,007,923 B1
• Filed: 06/15/2015
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Strock, Bradley R., Hooper, Lynn, Glavin, Eugene M., Bressler, Beth L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stoltenberg, David J
• Application Number:
  US14/739,344
• Time in Patent Office: 1,107 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0213 Consumer transaction fees
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0216 Investment accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0231 Awarding of a frequent usage incentive independent of the monetary value of a good or service purchased, or distance travelled
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0232 Frequent usage rewards other than merchandise, cash or travel
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements

Abstract

A system and method for providing promotional rewards is provided. First, a promotional reward is communicated to a customer. The promotional reward offer comprises a promotional reward associated with one or more promotional reward-earning behaviors and a promotional time frame. The offer may specify a customer population, and the customer may be enrolled in the promotional reward program if the customer is determined to be in the population. The customer is credited a promotional reward if the customer accomplishes the promotional reward-earning behavior(s) within the promotional time frame. The customer may also be enrolled in a base reward program. The promotional rewards and base rewards may be accumulated in a customer account. A system for implementing a promotional rewards program is also provided.

Claims

1. A method for identifying and offering reward programs, comprising:

in an information processing device comprising at least one computer processor;

receiving account information associated with a customer interfacing with at least one processor, wherein the customer is a cardmember of a financial services institution;

determining, by the at least one processor, one or more accounts associated with the customer, based on the account information;

determining, by the at least one processor, one or more reward programs associated with the one or more accounts;

determining, by the at least one processor, a transaction history associated with the one or more accounts;

determining, by the at least one processor, whether the customer is eligible for one or more other reward offers, based on the transaction history;

communicating, by the at least one processor, the one or more other reward offers to the customer upon determining the customer is eligible for the one or more other reward offers;

determining, by the at least one processor, whether the customer is a member of a population specified by the one or more other reward offers;

enrolling, by the at least one processor, the customer in one or more other reward programs corresponding to the one or more other reward offers upon determining the customer to be a member of the population, wherein the one or more other reward programs are different from the one or more reward programs already associated with the customer;

switching from the one or more reward programs to the one or more other reward programs upon receiving a customer request;

in real time, converting rewards associated with the one or more reward programs to rewards associated with the one or more other reward program upon the user requesting to switch to the one or more other reward programs; and

transferring reward offers associated with the one or more reward programs to the one or more other reward programs.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more other reward programs are associated with credit card transactions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more other reward programs are associated with the one or more products offered by a financial services institution.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the rewards comprise redeemable points.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the rewards comprise cash value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the rewards are issuer-specific or sponsor-specific.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the issuer-specific or sponsor-specific rewards comprises any redeemable value.

8. A method for identifying and offering reward programs, comprising:

in an information processing device comprising at least one computer processor;

receiving account information associated with a customer interfacing with at least one processor, wherein the customer is a cardmember of a financial services institution;

determining, by the at least one processor, one or more accounts associated with the customer, based on the account information;

determining, by the at least one processor, one or more reward programs associated with the one or more accounts;

determining, by the at least one processor, a reward program history associated with the one or more accounts;

determining, by the at least one processor, whether the customer is eligible for one or more other reward offers, based on the reward program history;

communicating, by the at least one processor, the one or more other reward offers to the customer upon determining the customer is eligible for the one or more other reward offers;

determining, by the at least one processor, whether the customer is a member of a population specified by the one or more other reward offers;

enrolling, by the at least one processor, the customer in one or more other reward programs corresponding to the one or more other reward offers upon determining the customer to be a member of the population, wherein the one or more other reward programs are different from the one or more reward programs already associated with the customer;

switching from the one or more reward programs to the one or more other reward programs upon receiving a customer request;

in real time, converting rewards associated with the one or more reward programs to rewards associated with the one or more other reward program upon the user requesting to switch to the one or more other reward programs; and

transferring reward offers associated with the one or more reward programs to the one or more other reward programs.

9. A system for offering or marketing reward programs, comprising:

at least one server, comprising at least one computer processor, communicatively coupled to a network, that is configured to;

receive account information associated with a customer interfacing with at least one processor, wherein the customer is a cardmember of a financial services institution;

determine one or more accounts associated with the customer, based on the account information;

determine one or more reward programs associated with the one or more accounts;

determine a transaction history associated with the one or more accounts;

determine whether the customer is eligible for one or more other reward offers, based on the transaction history;

communicate the one or more other reward offers to the customer upon determining the customer is eligible for the one or more other reward offers;

determine whether the customer is a member of a population specified by the one or more other reward offers;

enroll the customer in one or more other reward programs corresponding to the one or more other reward offers upon determining the customer to be a member of the population, wherein the one or more other reward programs are different from the one or more reward programs already associated with the customer;

switch from the one or more reward programs to the one or more other reward programs upon receiving a customer request;

in real time, convert rewards associated with the one or more reward programs to rewards associated with the one or more other reward program upon the user requesting to switch to the one or more other reward programs; and

transfer reward offers associated with the one or more reward programs to the one or more other reward programs.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more other reward programs are associated with credit card transactions.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more other reward programs are associated with the one or more products offered by a financial services institution.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the rewards comprise redeemable points.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the rewards comprise cash value.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the rewards are issuer-specific or sponsor-specific.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the issuer-specific or sponsor-specific rewards comprises any redeemable value.

16. The system of claim 9, the server being further configured to:

store account activity related to the customer'"'"'s account used to determine whether the customer is a member of a population.

17. A system for identifying and offering reward programs, comprising:

at least one server, comprising at least one computer processor, communicatively coupled to a network, that is configured to;

store and administer particulars of a plurality of reward programs including one or more reward programs associated with a customer, wherein the customer is a cardmember of a financial services institution;

store and administer particulars of a plurality of accounts including one or more accounts associated with the customer;

track, store, and administer particulars of a transaction history or a reward program history;

determine whether the customer is eligible for one or more other reward offers, based on personal information corresponding to the one or more accounts associated with the customer, the transaction history, or the reward program history;

communicate the one or more other reward offers to the customer upon determining the customer is eligible for the one or more other reward offers;

determine whether the customer is a member of a population specified by the one or more other reward offers;

enroll the customer in one or more other reward programs corresponding to the one or more other reward offers upon determining the customer to be a member of the population, wherein the one or more other reward programs are different from the one or more reward programs already associated with the customer;

switch from the one or more reward programs to the one or more other reward programs upon receiving a customer request;

in real time, convert rewards associated with the one or more reward programs to rewards associated with the one or more other reward program upon the user requesting to switch to the one or more other reward programs, wherein the conversion is based on a conversion rate stored and maintained by a conversion rate module; and

transfer reward offers associated with the one or more reward programs to the one or more other reward programs.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more other reward programs are associated with credit card transactions.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more other reward programs are associated with the one or more products offered by a financial services institution.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the rewards comprise redeemable points.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the rewards comprise cash value.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the rewards are issuer-specific or sponsor-specific.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the issuer-specific or sponsor-specific rewards comprises any redeemable value.

24. The system of claim 17, the server being further configured to:

store account activity related to the customer'"'"'s account used to determine whether the customer is a member of a population.