Systems and methods for providing location-based gaming rewards

• US 10,354,266 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2013
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chapman, Jr., Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Alvarez, Raquel
• Application Number:
  US14/103,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20150161638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,043 Days
• Field of Search: 705 141
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/409 Device specific authentication in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for providing an offer associated with a merchant to a cardholder engaging in a game is implemented by a gaming rewards computer system in communication with a memory. The method includes storing merchant game data for the merchant within the memory wherein the merchant game data includes data associated with a merchant game a merchant offer and a location of the merchant, receiving a game request message from a cardholder computing device associated with the cardholder wherein the game request message includes a cardholder locator identifying a location of the cardholder, providing the merchant game to the cardholder computing device when the cardholder location is within a pre-defined distance of the merchant location, receiving a game result message for the merchant game, and providing the merchant offer to the cardholder computing device based, at least in part, on the game result message.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing an offer associated with a merchant to a cardholder engaging in a game, said method implemented using a gaming rewards computer system in communication with a memory, said method comprising:

storing merchant game data for the merchant within the memory, wherein the merchant game data includes game data associated with a merchant game application, a location of the merchant, and a predetermined distance associated with the merchant location;

receiving, by the gaming rewards computer system, a game request message from a cardholder computing device associated with the cardholder, wherein the game request message includes a cardholder locator identifying a location of the cardholder, the cardholder locator determined by the cardholder computing device based on at least one of GPS functionality, WiFi positioning, radio frequency location, proximity sensing, and a merchant identifier scanned by the cardholder computing device;

comparing, using the gaming rewards computer system, the cardholder locator in the game request message with the merchant location stored in the memory to determine whether the cardholder computing device is located within the predetermined distance of the merchant location;

retrieving from the memory, based on a determination that the cardholder computing device is within the predetermined distance of the merchant location, by the gaming rewards computer system, the game data;

uploading the game data to the cardholder computing device to cause the merchant game application to be installed on the cardholder computing device;

receiving from the cardholder computing device, by the gaming rewards computer system, a game result message, the game result message generated in response to the cardholder playing the merchant game application and including a game result achieved by the cardholder;

determining, by the gaming rewards computer system, based on at least one of i) the game result in the game result message, ii) a game type of the merchant game application, and iii) a characteristic of a payment card of the cardholder, a merchant offer associated with a product offered for purchase by the merchant;

transmitting, by the gaming rewards computer system, the merchant offer to the cardholder computing device in response to receiving the game result message to cause the merchant offer to be displayed on the cardholder computing device; and

associating the merchant offer with a profile of the cardholder at an interchange network computing device associated with an interchange network, wherein, when the cardholder initiates a transaction with the merchant over the interchange network using the payment card, the interchange network computing device associated with the interchange network automatically applies the merchant offer to the transaction, and wherein the interchange network computing device is configured to process payment card transactions including the transaction initiated with the merchant over the interchange network using a set of proprietary communication standards for the exchange of transaction data and the settlement of funds between financial institutions that are members of the interchange network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing game configuration data within the memory, wherein the game configuration data include data associated with at least one of the game type of the merchant game application, a reward type of the merchant game application, a game occurrence rate of the merchant game application, and a reward redemption type of the merchant game application.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing the merchant offer to the cardholder computing device based on the reward type of the merchant game application.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

redeeming the merchant offer by the cardholder based, at least in part, on the reward redemption type of the merchant game application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the merchant identifier is one of a barcode and an RFID tag.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the game result message wherein the game result message indicates that the cardholder has achieved a positive result for the merchant game application, wherein the positive result is achieved by satisfying a pre-determined threshold associated with the merchant game application.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving the game result message wherein the pre-determined threshold is associated with the game type of the merchant game application.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the gaming rewards computer system, a second game request message from the cardholder computing device, wherein the second game request message includes a second cardholder locator identifying a second location of the cardholder;

comparing, using the gaming rewards computer system, the second cardholder locator in the game request message with a second merchant location stored in the memory to determine whether the cardholder computing device is located proximate the second merchant location;

retrieving from the memory, based on a determination that the cardholder computing device is proximate the second merchant location, by the gaming rewards computer system, second game data, wherein the second game data is different than the game data;

uploading the second game data to the cardholder computing device to cause a second merchant game application to be installed on the cardholder computing device;

receiving from the cardholder computing device, by the gaming rewards computer system, a second game result message, the second game result message generated in response to the cardholder playing the second merchant game application and including a second game result achieved by the cardholder, and

determining, by the gaming rewards computer system, based on a combination of i) the second game result in the second game result message, ii) a second game type of the second merchant game application, and iii) the characteristic of the payment card of the cardholder, a second merchant offer associated with a product offered for purchase by the second merchant, wherein the second merchant offer is different than the merchant offer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a merchant offer comprises determining the merchant offer based at least in part on whether the payment card is a debit card or a credit card.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a merchant offer comprises determining the merchant offer based at least in part on a bank associated with the payment card.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a merchant offer comprises determining the merchant offer based at least in part on whether the payment card is a store-brand card associated with the merchant.

12. A gaming rewards computer system for providing an offer associated with a merchant to a cardholder engaging in a game, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to said processor, said processor configured to;

store merchant game data for the merchant within the memory, wherein the merchant game data includes game data associated with a merchant game application, a location of the merchant, and a predetermined distance associated with the merchant location;

receive a game request message from a cardholder computing device associated with the cardholder, wherein the game request message includes a cardholder locator identifying a location of the cardholder, the cardholder locator determined by the cardholder computing device based on at least one of GPS functionality, WiFi positioning, radio frequency location, proximity sensing, and a merchant identifier scanned by the cardholder computing device;

compare, using the gaming rewards computer system, the cardholder locator in the game request message with the merchant location stored in the memory to determine whether the cardholder computing device is located within the predetermined distance of the merchant location;

retrieve from the memory, based on a determination that the cardholder computing device is within the predetermined distance of the merchant location, by the gaming rewards computer system, the game data;

upload the game data to the cardholder computing device to cause the merchant game application to be installed on the cardholder computing device;

receive from the cardholder computing device a game result message, the game result message generated in response to the cardholder playing the merchant game application and including a game result achieved by the cardholder;

determine, by the gaming rewards computer system, based on at least a characteristic of a payment card of the cardholder, a merchant offer associated with a product offered for purchase by the merchant, wherein for the same game result message, a first merchant offer is determined when the payment card is a debit card, and a second merchant offer is determined when the payment card is a credit card, the first merchant offer different from the second merchant offer, and wherein the first merchant offer and the second merchant offers both include a price reduction or some other value;

transmit, by the gaming rewards computer system, the merchant offer to the cardholder computing device in response to receiving the game result message to cause the merchant offer to be displayed on the cardholder computing device; and

associate the merchant offer with a profile of the cardholder such that when the cardholder initiates a transaction with the merchant over an interchange network using the payment card, the merchant offer is automatically applied to the transaction by a computing device associated with the interchange network, wherein the computing device is configured to process payment card transactions including the transaction initiated with the merchant over the interchange network using a set of proprietary communication standards for the exchange of transaction data and the settlement of funds between financial institutions that are members of the interchange network.

13. A gaming rewards computer system in accordance with claim 12 wherein the processor is further configured to:

store game configuration data within the memory, wherein the game configuration data include data associated with at least one of the game type of the merchant game application, a reward type of the merchant game application, a game occurrence rate of the merchant game application, and a reward redemption type of the merchant game application.

14. A gaming rewards computer system in accordance with claim 13 further configured to:

provide the merchant offer to the cardholder computing device based on the reward type of the merchant game application.

15. A gaming rewards computer system in accordance with claim 13 further configured to:

redeem the merchant offer by the cardholder based, at least in part, on the reward redemption type of the merchant game application.

16. A gaming rewards computer system in accordance with claim 12, wherein the merchant identifier is one of a barcode and an RFID tag.

17. A gaming rewards computer system in accordance with claim 12, further configured to:

receive the game result message wherein the game result message indicates that the cardholder has achieved a positive result for the merchant game, wherein the positive result is achieved by satisfying a pre-determined threshold associated with the merchant game application.

18. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media for providing an offer associated with a merchant to a cardholder engaging in a game having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein, when executed by at least one processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to:

store merchant game data for the merchant within the memory, wherein the merchant game data includes game data associated with a merchant game application, a location of the merchant, and a predetermined distance associated with the merchant location;

receive a game request message from a cardholder computing device associated with the cardholder, wherein the game request message includes a cardholder locator identifying a location of the cardholder, the cardholder locator determined by the cardholder computing device based on at least one of GPS functionality, WiFi positioning, radio frequency location, proximity sensing, and a merchant identifier scanned by the cardholder computing device;

compare the cardholder locator in the game request message with the merchant location stored in the memory to determine whether the cardholder computing device is located within the predetermined distance of the merchant location;

retrieve from the memory, based on a determination that the cardholder computing device is within the predetermined distance of the merchant location, by the gaming rewards computer system, the game data;

upload the game data to the cardholder computing device to cause the merchant game application to be installed on the cardholder computing device;

receive from the cardholder computing device a game result message, the game result message generated in response to the cardholder playing the merchant game application and including a game result achieved by the cardholder;

determine, by the gaming rewards computer system, based on at least a characteristic of a payment card of the cardholder, a merchant offer associated with a product offered for purchase by the merchant, wherein different levels of merchant offers are determined depending on a bank associated with the payment card;

transmit, by the gaming rewards computer system, the merchant offer to the cardholder computing device in response to receiving the game result message to cause the merchant offer to be displayed on the cardholder computing device; and

associate the merchant offer with a profile of the cardholder at an interchange network computing device associated with an interchange network, such that when the cardholder initiates a transaction with the merchant over the interchange network using the payment card, the merchant offer is automatically applied to the transaction by the interchange network computing device associated with the interchange network, wherein the interchange network computing device is configured to process payment card transactions including the transaction initiated with the merchant over the interchange network using a set of proprietary communication standards for the exchange of transaction data and the settlement of funds between financial institutions that are members of the interchange network.