Consumer specific conditional rewards

• US 10,121,152 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2007
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fordyce, III, Edward W., Patel, Karteek Hasmukh, Bodington, Shaun
• Primary Examiner(s): Netzloff, Eric R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ubale, Gautam
• Application Number:
  US11/862,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20080082418A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,058 Days
• Field of Search: 705 14
• 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 30/0234 Rebates after completed purchase

Abstract

A set of conditional rewards are associated with a consumer. Thereafter, notice of a reward is given for each of the consumer'"'"'s transactions upon one of the consumer'"'"'s accounts that satisfies one of the conditional rewards in the set. The set may be selected by the consumer, or by the issuer such as when the issuer uses a transaction history of purchases made on the consumer'"'"'s account to determine the set of conditional rewards that would match a past purchasing trend of the consumer. A Globally Unique Identifier, unique within a plurality of transaction processing systems, can be associated with the consumer and used to match the transactions to a corresponding conditional reward.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

sending, by a computing apparatus and to a communications device associated with a consumer, a first set of conditional rewards derived based on a transaction history of the consumer, the first set of conditional rewards associated with a first account category for a first account of the consumer;

receiving, by the computing apparatus, a first subset of conditional rewards selected by the consumer from the first set of conditional rewards;

storing, by the computing apparatus, in a database, a globally unique identifier associated with the first subset of conditional rewards, the first account of the consumer, and the first account category of the first account;

setting, by the computing apparatus, a trigger to change processing by a transaction handler from processing a conditional reward for a purchase transaction at a level of processing based on a bank identification number to processing a conditional reward for a purchase transaction based on the first subset of conditional rewards;

receiving, by the computing apparatus and via a communication network, first transaction information regarding a first purchase transaction between the consumer and a merchant conducted on the first account of the consumer using a first portable consumer device, wherein the first transaction information regarding a first purchase transaction includes the globally unique identifier associated with the first subset of conditional rewards and the first account of the consumer;

after receiving the first transaction information, accessing, by the computing apparatus, the database;

determining, by the computing apparatus and using the globally unique identifier, that the first purchase transaction satisfies a first conditional reward within the first subset of conditional rewards based on accessing the database, wherein determining that the first purchase transaction satisfies the first conditional reward within the first subset of conditional rewards comprises;

determining that the globally unique identifier included in the first transaction information regarding the first purchase transaction matches the globally unique identifier associated with the first subset of conditional rewards and the first account of the consumer stored in the database;

overriding, by the computing apparatus, processing of the first purchase transaction at the level of the bank identification number based on the trigger, the overriding comprising processing the first purchase transaction based on the first conditional reward within the first subset of conditional rewards;

automatically changing, by the computing apparatus and in the database an association of the globally unique identifier from the first account category of the first account of the consumer to a second account category of a second account of the consumer based on an analysis of past purchase transactions, accessed via the database, wherein the analysis of the past purchase transactions is performed based on transaction information regarding the past purchase transactions conducted on the first account of the consumer;

in response to changing the association of the globally unique identifier from the first account category of the first account of the consumer, automatically sending, by the computing apparatus, to the communication device associated with the consumer, a second set of conditional rewards derived based on a frequency of the past purchase transactions conducted on the first account of the consumer within a time period for a type of inventory from the merchant, wherein the second set of conditional rewards is associated with the second account category, and each of the second set of conditional rewards representing a value to be credited to the consumer upon a satisfaction of a condition for a future purchase transaction between the consumer and the merchant, wherein the future purchase transaction is to be for the type of inventory;

storing, by the computing apparatus and in the database, the globally unique identifier associated with the second set of conditional rewards, the second account of the consumer, and the second account category of the second account;

storing, by the computing apparatus and in the database, an association between the globally unique identifier, a first account identifier of the first account of the consumer associated with the first portable consumer device, and a second account identifier of the second account of the consumer associated with a second portable consumer device;

receiving, by the computing apparatus and via the communication network, second transaction information regarding a second purchase transaction between the consumer and the merchant conducted using the first portable consumer device, wherein the second transaction information regarding the second purchase transaction includes the globally unique identifier;

after receiving the second transaction information, accessing, by the computing apparatus, the database;

determining, by the computing apparatus and using the globally unique identifier, that the second purchase transaction satisfies a second conditional reward within the second set of conditional rewards based on accessing the database, wherein determining that the second purchase transaction satisfies the second conditional reward within the second set of conditional rewards comprises;

determining that the globally unique identifier included in the second transaction information regarding the second purchase transaction matches the globally unique identifier associated with the second set of conditional rewards, the second account of the consumer stored in the database, and the second account category of the second account, and

determining that the globally unique identifier is stored in the database in association with the first account identifier of the first account of the consumer associated with the first portable consumer device;

subsequent to the second purchase transaction, activating, by the computing apparatus, the second account of the consumer associated with the second portable consumer device and inactivating the first account of the consumer associated with the first portable consumer device, wherein the second account of the consumer associated with the second portable consumer device is valid for purchase transactions conducted using the second portable consumer device based on the computing apparatus activating the second account of the consumer associated with the second portable consumer device and the first account of the consumer associated with the first portable consumer device is invalid for transactions based on the computing apparatus inactivating the first account of the consumer associated with the first portable consumer device;

in response to determining that the second purchase transaction satisfies the second conditional reward within the second set of conditional rewards, transmitting, by the computing apparatus, a notification to the communication device associated with the consumer, the transmitting to provide notice on the communication device associated with the consumer that the second purchase transaction satisfies the second conditional reward, and to enable linking by the communication device associated with the consumer to a website at which the second conditional reward can be redeemed, via a web-enabled session; and

in response to detection of a bank identification number received from a transaction terminal of the merchant during processing of the second purchase transaction using the second portable consumer device, activating, by the computing apparatus, processing, by the transaction handler, of the second conditional reward independent of the first subset of conditional rewards, the processing comprising invoking a predetermined computing operation associated with the second conditional reward.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, via the communication network, a replacement of a conditional reward in the first subset of conditional rewards with at least one other conditional reward selected by the consumer, wherein thereafter each purchase transaction having transaction information matching the globally unique identifier results in awarding the at least one other conditional reward to the first account of the consumer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the globally unique identifier is derived from a predetermined algorithm.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first portable consumer device has information from which the globally unique identifier can be derived, and the consumer has been issued the first portable consumer device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving from the consumer instructions to periodically pay a payment respectively corresponding to a transaction periodically conducted by the consumer with a merchant upon a valid account.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a fee corresponding to a notification to the consumer of an occurrence of the first purchase transaction.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the notification includes instructions for redemption of a conditional reward in the first subset of conditional rewards.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the conditional rewards in the first set are derived from a frequency of past purchase transactions within a time period.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising repeating the deriving of the one or more conditional rewards in the first set to determine a change in the frequency and a corresponding change in the one or more of the conditional rewards.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising informing the consumer of the one or more conditional rewards in the first set.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the deriving of the one or more conditional rewards in the first set is performed by associating, for each of the one or more conditional rewards, a discount for a future purchase of a good or service previously purchased in one of the past purchase transactions.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a notice to the consumer including a description of a conditional reward in the first subset of conditional rewards.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the second account category belongs to a category of portable consumer device accounts issued to consumers by an issuer.

14. A system, comprising:

a database configured to store a globally unique identifier associated with a first account of a consumer and a first subset of conditional awards selected by the consumer from a first set of conditional rewards derived based on a transaction history of the consumer, the first set associated with a first account category for the account; and

a computing apparatus configured to;

send, to a communications device associated with the consumer, the first set of conditional rewards;

receive, via a communication network, first transaction information regarding a first purchase transaction between the consumer and a merchant conducted on the first account of the consumer using a first portable consumer device, wherein the first transaction information regarding a first purchase transaction includes the globally unique identifier associated with the first subset of conditional rewards and the first account of the consumer;

after receiving the first transaction information, accessing the database;

determine, using the globally unique identifier, that the first purchase transaction satisfies a first conditional reward within the first subset of conditional rewards based on accessing the database, wherein when determining that the first purchase transaction satisfies the first conditional reward within the first subset of conditional rewards, the computing apparatus is configured to;

determine that the globally unique identifier included in the first transaction information regarding the first purchase transaction matches the globally unique identifier associated with the first subset of conditional rewards and the first account of the consumer stored in the database;

override processing of the first purchase transaction at a level of a bank identification number based on a trigger, the overriding comprising processing the first purchase transaction based on the first conditional reward within the first subset of conditional rewards;

automatically change an association of the globally unique identifier from the first account category of the first account of the consumer to a second account category of a second account of the consumer based on an analysis of past purchase transactions, accessed via the database, wherein the analysis of the past purchase transactions is performed based on transaction information regarding the past purchase transactions conducted on the first account of the consumer;

in response to changing the association of the globally unique identifier from the first account category of the first account of the consumer, automatically send, to the communication device associated with the consumer, a second set of conditional rewards derived based on a frequency of the past purchase transactions conducted on the first account of the consumer within a time period for a type of inventory from the merchant, wherein the second set of conditional awards is associated with the second account category, and each of the second set of conditional rewards representing a value to be credited to the consumer upon a satisfaction of a condition for a future purchase transaction between the consumer and the merchant, wherein the future purchase transaction is to be for the type of inventory;

store, in the database, the globally unique identifier associated with the second set of conditional rewards, the second account of the consumer, and the second account category of the second account;

receive a second subset of conditional rewards selected by the consumer from the second set of conditional rewards;

after receiving second transaction information regarding a second purchase transaction between the consumer and the merchant conducted by the first portable consumer device, use the globally unique identifier to determine that the second purchase transaction satisfies a second conditional reward within the second subset;

store, in the database, an association between the globally unique identifier, a first account identifier of the first account of the consumer associated with the first portable consumer device, and a second account identifier of the second account of the consumer associated with a second portable consumer device;

receive, via the communication network, second transaction information regarding a second purchase transaction between the consumer and the merchant conducted using the first portable consumer device, wherein the second transaction information regarding the second purchase transaction includes the globally unique identifier;

after receiving the second transaction information, access the database;

determine, using the globally unique identifier, that the second purchase transaction satisfies a second conditional reward within the second subset of conditional rewards based on accessing the database, wherein when determining that the second purchase transaction satisfies the second conditional reward within the second subset of conditional rewards, the computing apparatus is configured to;

determine that the globally unique identifier included in the second transaction information regarding the second purchase transaction matches the globally unique identifier associated with the second subset of conditional rewards, the second account of the consumer stored in the database, and the second account category of the second account, and

determine that the globally unique identifier is stored in the database in association with the first account identifier of the first account of the consumer associated with the first portable consumer device;

subsequent to the second purchase transaction, activate the second account of the consumer associated with the second portable consumer device and inactivate first account of the consumer associated with the first portable consumer device, wherein the second account of the consumer associated with the second portable consumer device is valid for purchase transactions conducted using the second portable consumer device based on the computing apparatus activating the second account of the consumer associated with the second portable consumer device and the first account of the consumer associated with the first portable consumer device is invalid for transactions based on the computing apparatus inactivating the first account of the consumer associated with the first portable consumer device; and

in response to satisfaction of a third conditional reward within the second subset, transmit a notification to the second portable consumer device, the transmitting to provide notice on the second portable consumer device that the third conditional reward has been satisfied, and to enable linking by the second portable consumer device to a website at which the third conditional reward can be redeemed, via a web-enabled session, using the second portable consumer device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the computing apparatus is further configured to award a conditional reward in the first subset to the account of the consumer.

16. A non-transitory machine-readable medium, having stored thereon instructions, which instructions, when executed by a system, cause the system to:

send, to a communications device associated with a consumer, a first set of conditional rewards derived based on a transaction history of the consumer, the first set of conditional awards associated with a first account category for a first account of the consumer;

receive a first subset of conditional awards selected by the consumer from the first set of conditional rewards;

store, in a database, a globally unique identifier associated with the first subset of conditional awards, the first account of the consumer, and the first account category of the first account;

set a trigger to change processing by a transaction handler from processing a conditional reward for a purchase transaction at a level of processing based on a bank identification number to processing a conditional reward for a purchase transaction based on the first set of conditional rewards;

receive, via a communication network, first transaction information regarding a first purchase transaction between the consumer and a merchant conducted on the first account of the consumer using a first portable consumer device, wherein the first transaction information regarding a first purchase transaction includes the globally unique identifier associated with the first subset of conditional rewards and the first account of the consumer;

after receiving the first transaction information, accessing the database;

determine, using the globally unique identifier, that the first purchase transaction satisfies a first conditional reward within the first subset of conditional rewards based on accessing the database, wherein determining that the first purchase transaction satisfies the first conditional reward within the first subset of conditional rewards comprises;

determining that the globally unique identifier included in the first transaction information regarding the first purchase transaction matches the globally unique identifier associated with the first subset of conditional rewards and the first account of the consumer stored in the database;

override processing of the first purchase transaction at the level of the bank identification number based on the trigger, the overriding comprising processing the first purchase transaction based on the first conditional reward within the first subset of conditional rewards;

automatically change, in the database, an association of the globally unique identifier from the first account category of the first account of the consumer to a second account category of a second account of the consumer based on an analysis of past purchase transactions, accessed via the database, wherein the analysis of the past purchase transactions is performed based on transaction information regarding the past purchase transactions conducted on the first account of the consumer;

in response to changing the association of the globally unique identifier from the first account category of the first account, automatically send, to the communication device associated with the consumer, a second set of conditional rewards derived based on a frequency of the past purchase transactions conducted on the first account of the consumer within a time period for a type of inventory from the merchant, wherein the second set of conditional awards is associated with the second account category, and each of the second set of conditional rewards representing a value to be credited to the consumer upon a satisfaction of a condition for a future purchase transaction between the consumer and the merchant, wherein the future purchase transaction is to be for the type of inventory;

receive a second subset selected by the consumer from the second set of conditional rewards;

after receiving second transaction information regarding a second purchase transaction between the consumer and the merchant conducted by the first portable consumer device, use the globally unique identifier to determine that the second purchase transaction satisfies a second conditional reward within the second subset;

store, in the database, the globally unique identifier associated with the second subset of conditional rewards, the second account of the consumer, and the second account category of the second account;

store, in the database, an association between the globally unique identifier, a first account identifier of the first account of the consumer associated with the first portable consumer device, and a second account identifier of the second account of the consumer associated with a second portable consumer device;

receive, via the communication network, second transaction information regarding a second purchase transaction between the consumer and the merchant conducted using the first portable consumer device, wherein the second transaction information regarding the second purchase transaction includes the globally unique identifier;

after receiving the second transaction information, access the database;

determine, using the globally unique identifier, that the second purchase transaction satisfies a second conditional reward within the second subset of conditional rewards based on accessing the database, wherein determining that the second purchase transaction satisfies the second conditional reward within the second subset of conditional rewards comprises;

determining that the globally unique identifier included in the second transaction information regarding the second purchase transaction matches the globally unique identifier associated with the second subset of conditional rewards, the second account of the consumer stored in the database, and the second account category of the second account, and

determining that the globally unique identifier is stored in the database in association with the first account identifier of the first account of the consumer associated with the first portable consumer device;

subsequent to the second purchase transaction, activate the second account of the consumer associated with the second portable consumer device and inactivate first account of the consumer associated with the first portable consumer device, wherein the second account of the consumer associated with the second portable consumer device is valid for purchase transactions conducted using the second portable consumer device based on a computing apparatus activating the second account of the consumer associated with the second portable consumer device and the first account of the consumer associated with the first portable consumer device is invalid for transactions based on the computing apparatus inactivating the first account of the consumer associated with the first portable consumer device; and

in response to determining that the second purchase transaction satisfies the second conditional reward within the second subset of conditional rewards, transmit a notification to the communication device associated with the consumer, the transmitting to provide notice on the communication device associated with the consumer that the second purchase transaction satisfies the second conditional reward, and to enable linking by the communication device associated with the consumer to a website at which the second conditional reward can be redeemed, via a web-enabled session.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first account category belongs to a category of portable consumer device accounts issued to consumers by an issuer.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the system to award a conditional reward within the first subset to the account of the consumer.