System and method for targeted marketing and consumer resource management

• US 10,621,611 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2017
• Issued: 04/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackhawk Network Incorporated (Albertsons Cos., Inc.), Leverage Inc.
• Original Assignee: Blackhawk Network Incorporated (Albertsons Cos., Inc.)
• Inventors: Roberts, Mark E., Mathe, Jennifer K., Nguyen, Khanh
• Primary Examiner(s): Glass, Russell S
• Application Number:
  US15/697,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20170364940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 705 30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/227 characterised in that multiple accounts are available, e.g. to the payer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4037 Remote solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0229 Multi-merchant loyalty card systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0234 Rebates after completed purchase
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for providing targeted marketing to goods and services provides and consumer resource management services to consumers. An example system and method for targeted marketing comprises collecting transaction data from point-of-sale (POS) terminals and using a consumer identifier in the transaction data to access stored information about the consumer. This information may be used to target offers and advertisement to the consumer. In an example system for consumer resource management, a consumer may configure a consumer account on the enterprise infrastructure via a web-site. The consumer may use the consumer account to purchase and configure gift cards that may be used for purchasing goods and services. A universal transaction identifier may be associated with the consumer account and used to purchase goods and services from more than one selected goods and services providers.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a goods and services provider by an enterprise infrastructure, a purchase transaction request associated with a stored value account, the request identifying a provider, a purchase amount, and an identifier associated with the stored value account, wherein the enterprise infrastructure comprises a plurality of virtual local area networks which prevents degraded network performance caused by consumers transcending networks between peer networks;

accessing, by the enterprise infrastructure, at least one database storage system to map the identifier to one of a plurality of different providers, the stored value account being able to redeem stored values from each of the plurality of different providers, wherein the stored value account is checked by the enterprise infrastructure to determine if the balances associated with the providers is sufficient to cover the transaction, if sufficient;

causing the transaction to be processed and the balance associated with each provider reduced accordingly.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the identifier associated with the stored value account is a telephone number.

3. A method as in claim 2, wherein a visual representation of the stored value account is displayed on a mobile phone, and wherein the visual representation reflects the balances associated with the providers.

4. A method as in claim 1, further comprising:

authenticating by the enterprise infrastructure whether a purchasing consumer is authorized to use the identifier for the particular purchase.

5. A methods as in claim 4, wherein the identifier used for authenticating the purchaser is a telephone number associated with the stored value account.

6. A method as in claim 1, wherein the identifier associated with the stored value account is an account number obtained by swiping a physical stored-value card at the provider POS terminal or at a swiping device coupled to the POS terminal or a radio frequency identifying transmitter associated with the POS terminal.

7. A method as in claim 1, wherein the identification associated with the stored value account is obtained by scanning an electronic representation of a stored value card.