Transaction evaluation for providing rewards

• US 10,115,112 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2007
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fordyce, III, Edward W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alvarez, Raquel
• Application Number:
  US11/835,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20080059303A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,102 Days
• Field of Search: 705 141, 705 1411, 705 1423, 705 1427, 705 143, 705 1438, 705 1439, 705 1434
• 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 30/0223 based on inventory
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0234 Rebates after completed purchase
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

An amount of loyalty program currency is pre-selected by a consumer and exchanged for a corresponding value-added reward also pre-selected by the consumer. The pre-selected reward, which can be a value added back to the consumer payment device, is given when the consumer conducts their pre-selected transaction using their consumer payment device. The amount of the loyalty program currency can be added back to the consumer payment device, and later exchanged for the consumer pre-selected value-adding rewards, by the consumer'"'"'s transactional use of their consumer payment device. Consumer pre-selected value-added rewards, for instance, can appear as statement credits to an account associated with the consumer payment device. As such, an incentive exists for the consumer to pre-select a transaction to conduct with their consumer payment device to realize a corresponding pre-selected statement credit for such loyal use of their consumer payment device.

Claims

1. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing instructions, which, when executed, cause a computing system to:

receive, by a loyalty platform computing device, from an issuer computing device, a set-up file, the loyalty platform computing device coupled to interact by communications with a transaction handler, the communications comprising transaction records provided by the transaction handler from processing of transactions for consumer payment devices in an electronic payment processing network, the network interconnecting issuer computing devices controlling consumer accounts from which payments are made and acquirer computing devices controlling merchant accounts to which the payments are made, and wherein a communication portal is coupled with the loyalty platform computing device and configured to communicate with computer devices outside the electronic payment processing network;

present, in response to the loyalty platform computing device instructing the communication portal to communicate with a computing device of a consumer, a plurality of reward options to the consumer in a user interface of a website, each reward option comprising a reward that is a value to be credited to an account of the consumer, a future qualifying transaction in which to use the reward, and an amount of a loyalty program currency to be exchanged for the reward upon conducting the future qualifying transaction, wherein the consumer has a balance of the loyalty program currency with a loyalty program provider, wherein the future qualifying transaction is a transaction with a first merchant within a predetermined category of merchants, and wherein a unique identifier corresponds to the first merchant;

prior to processing the future qualifying transaction, receive, by the communication portal, a selection in the user interface from the consumer of one of the reward options, the selection defining a selected reward;

after receiving the selection from the consumer, process, by the transaction handler, a plurality of transactions in the electronic payment processing network, the processing comprising receiving a transaction record from a first merchant computing device;

access, by the transaction handler, from a database, transaction records associated with the plurality of transactions, the records including a first transaction record;

in response to receiving the first transaction record from the transaction handler, identify, by the loyalty platform computing device, as controlled by the set-up file, using the first transaction record, a first transaction conducted by the consumer, with the first merchant computing device, that qualifies for the selected reward, wherein the transaction is conducted via a consumer payment device associated with the account of the consumer;

incorporate, in response to occurrence of the first transaction, by the loyalty platform computing device based on instructions received by the loyalty platform computing device from the issuer computing device, the unique identifier corresponding to the first merchant computing device into a field of a first statement credit record;

send, by the loyalty platform computing device to the transaction handler, statement credit records, including the first statement record, associated with corresponding transactions including the first transaction, the statement credit record identifying a location of the first merchant computing device;

in response to identifying the first transaction, send, by the loyalty platform computing device, at least one communication to the issuer computing device to debit the amount of the loyalty program currency from the balance of the loyalty program currency, and to credit the account of the consumer with the selected reward; and

in response to identifying the first transaction, instruct, by the loyalty platform computing device, the communication portal to send, outside the electronic payment processing network, a communication to a computing device of the consumer, the communication causing the computing device of the consumer to display a notification that the conducted transaction with the consumer payment device qualifies for the selected reward, and that, based on the unique identifier, the selected reward is redeemable with the merchant within the predetermined category of merchants.

2. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the computing system to:

apply a discount to a purchase price paid by the consumer at a point of service terminal at which the transaction is conducted.

3. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 2, wherein the reward is the discount.

4. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the future qualifying transaction is a transaction with a merchant within a predetermined category of merchants and is selected from the group consisting of:

a transaction for a good within a predetermined category of goods;

a transaction for a predetermined good;

a transaction for a service within a predetermined category of services; and

a transaction for a predetermined service.

5. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the transaction is conducted by the consumer with a participating merchant, and the future qualifying transaction is defined in conjunction with the participating merchant.

6. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a loyalty platform computing device, from an issuer computing device, a set-up file, the loyalty platform computing device coupled to interact by communications with a transaction handler, the communications comprising transaction records provided by the transaction handler from processing of transactions for consumer payment devices in an electronic payment processing network, the network interconnecting issuer computing devices controlling consumer accounts from which payments are made and acquirer computing devices controlling merchant accounts to which the payments are made, and wherein a communication portal is coupled with the loyalty platform computing device and configured to communicate with computer devices outside the electronic payment processing network;

presenting, in response to the loyalty platform computing device instructing the communication portal to communicate with a computing device of a consumer, a plurality of reward options to the consumer in a user interface of a website, each reward option comprising a reward that is a value to be credited to an account of the consumer, a future qualifying transaction in which to use the reward, and an amount of a loyalty program currency to be exchanged for the reward upon conducting the future qualifying transaction, wherein the consumer has a balance of the loyalty program currency with a loyalty program provider, wherein the future qualifying transaction is a transaction with a first merchant within a predetermined category of merchants, and wherein a unique identifier corresponds to the first merchant;

prior to processing the future qualifying transaction, receiving, by the communication portal, a selection in the user interface from the consumer of one of the reward options, the selection defining a selected reward;

after receiving the selection from the consumer, processing, by the transaction handler, a plurality of transactions in the electronic payment processing network, the processing comprising receiving a transaction record from a first merchant computing device;

accessing, by the transaction handler, from a database, transaction records associated with the plurality of transactions, the records including a first transaction record;

in response to receiving the first transaction record from the transaction handler, identifying, by the loyalty platform computing device as controlled by the set-up file, using the first transaction record, a first transaction conducted by the consumer, with the first merchant computing device, that qualifies for the selected reward, wherein the transaction is conducted via a consumer payment device associated with the account of the consumer;

incorporating, in response to occurrence of the first transaction, by the loyalty platform computing device based on instructions received by the loyalty platform computing device from the issuer computing device, the unique identifier corresponding to the first merchant computing device into a field of a first statement credit record;

sending, by the loyalty platform computing device to the transaction handler, statement credit records, including the first statement record, associated with corresponding transactions including the first transaction, the statement credit record identifying a location of the first merchant computing device;

in response to identifying the first transaction, sending, by the loyalty platform computing device, at least one communication to the issuer computing device to debit the amount of the loyalty program currency from the balance of the loyalty program currency, and to credit the account of the consumer with the selected reward; and

in response to identifying the first transaction, instructing, by the loyalty platform computing device, the communication portal to send, outside the electronic payment processing network, a communication to a computing device of the consumer, the communication causing the computing device of the consumer to display a notification that the conducted transaction with the consumer payment device qualifies for the selected reward, and that, based on the unique identifier, the selected reward is redeemable with the merchant within the predetermined category of merchants.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing the consumer a notice that the balance of the loyalty program currency is debited by the amount of the loyalty program currency.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

providing, via a computing device, the consumer a notice that the selected reward was credited to the account of the consumer.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, via a computing device, data corresponding to initiation of the conducted transaction from an acceptance point device.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the transaction is conducted by the consumer with a participating merchant, and the future qualifying transaction is defined in conjunction with the participating merchant.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the future qualifying transaction is a transaction with a merchant within a predetermined category of merchants and is selected from the group consisting of:

a transaction for a good within a predetermined category of goods;

a transaction for a predetermined good;

a transaction for a service within a predetermined category of services; and

a transaction for a predetermined service.

12. A system, comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory storing instructions configured to instruct the at least one processor to;

receive, by a loyalty platform computing device, from an issuer computing device, a set-up file, the loyalty platform computing device coupled to interact by communications with a transaction handler, the communications comprising transaction records provided by the transaction handler from processing of transactions for consumer payment devices in an electronic payment processing network, the network interconnecting issuer computing devices controlling consumer accounts from which payments are made and acquirer computing devices controlling merchant accounts to which the payments are made, and wherein a communication portal is coupled with the loyalty platform computing device and configured to communicate with computer devices outside the electronic payment processing network;

present, in response to the loyalty platform computing device instructing the communication portal to communicate with a computing device of a consumer, a plurality of reward options to the consumer in a user interface of a website, each reward option comprising a reward that is a value to be credited to an account of the consumer, a future qualifying transaction in which to use the reward, and an amount of a loyalty program currency to be exchanged for the reward upon conducting the future qualifying transaction, wherein the consumer has a balance of the loyalty program currency with a loyalty program provider, wherein the future qualifying transaction is a transaction with a first merchant within a predetermined category of merchants, and wherein a unique identifier corresponds to the first merchant;

prior to processing the future qualifying transaction, receive, by the communication portal, a selection in a user interface from the consumer of one of the reward options, the selection defining a selected reward;

after receiving the selection from the consumer, process, by the transaction handler, a plurality of transactions in the electronic payment processing network, the processing comprising receiving a transaction record from a first merchant computing device;

access, by the transaction handler, from a database, transaction records associated with the plurality of transactions, the records including a first transaction record;

in response to receiving the first transaction record from the transaction handler, identify, by the loyalty platform computing device, as controlled by the set-up file, using the first transaction record, a first transaction conducted by the consumer, with the first merchant computing device, that qualifies for the selected reward, wherein the transaction is conducted via a consumer payment device associated with the account of the consumer;

incorporate, in response to occurrence of the first transaction, by the loyalty platform computing device based on instructions received by the loyalty platform computing device from the issuer computing device, the unique identifier corresponding to the first merchant computing device into a field of a first statement credit record;

send, by the loyalty platform computing device to the transaction handler, statement credit records, including the first statement record, associated with corresponding transactions including the first transaction, the statement credit record identifying a location of the first merchant computing device;

in response to identifying the first transaction, send, by the loyalty platform computing device, at least one communication to the issuer computing device to debit the amount of the loyalty program currency from the balance of the loyalty program currency, and to credit the account of the consumer with the selected reward; and

in response to identifying the first transaction, instruct, by the loyalty platform computing device, the communication portal to send, outside the electronic payment processing network, a communication to a computing device of the consumer, the communication causing the computing device of the consumer to display a notification that the conducted transaction with the consumer payment device qualifies for the selected reward, and that, based on the unique identifier, the selected reward is redeemable with the merchant within the predetermined category of merchants.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the future qualifying transaction is a transaction with a merchant within a predetermined category of merchants and is selected from the group consisting of:

a transaction for a good within a predetermined category of goods;

a transaction for a predetermined good;

a transaction for a service within a predetermined category of services; and

a transaction for a predetermined service.