System and method for the transfer of loyalty points

• US 20030130895A1
• Filed: 11/26/2002
• Published: 07/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Antonucci, Donna A., Voltmer, Theodore S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,613,629 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/6562 Manganese
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/8913 Cobalt and noble metals
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 37/0205 in several steps
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 37/0226 Oxidation of the substrate, e.g. anodisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0208 Trade or exchange of goods or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0219 based on funds or budget
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0227 Frequent usage incentive value reconciliation between diverse systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0228 On-line clearing houses
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0229 Multi-merchant loyalty card systems
• 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 30/0238 : at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 : Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 : based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 : Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 : Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 : Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 : Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 : Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements

Abstract

The present invention includes a loyalty program on a network-wide level, wherein the program facilitates a transfer of loyalty points from at least one consumer account associated with a sponsoring company to at least one consumer account associated with a host company. In one embodiment, the invention analyzes the loyalty point balances of consumer accounts associated with a sponsoring company, and based upon certain criteria or rules, the system determines particular loyalty point balances which are below a certain threshold amount or which have remained inactive for a certain time period. After determining particular consumer accounts which meet the criteria or rules, the system establishes a new host account in a host system for each qualifying consumer. The system then deducts all or any portion of the remaining loyalty point balance in the particular consumer'"'"'s sponsored account and credits the corresponding host account with a corresponding loyalty point balance. By transferring the consumer accounts to a host system, the sponsoring company eliminates or reduces the loyalty point balances from its system, thereby reducing the sponsoring company accounting liabilities and providing new options for the consumers to redeem the points.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating a transfer of loyalty points from at least one consumer account associated with a sponsoring company to at least one consumer account associated with a host company, said method including:

acquiring data related to loyalty point balances of consumer accounts associated with a sponsoring company;

determining, using said data and rules, said consumer accounts which meet said rules;

deducting a portion of said loyalty point balance of said consumer account associated with a sponsoring company; and

,

crediting loyalty point balances of said consumer account associated with said host company.

2. The method of claim 1, further including establishing consumer accounts associated with said host company, wherein said consumer accounts correspond to said consumer accounts associated with said sponsoring company that meet said rules.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining step includes determining consumer accounts having loyalty point balances which are below a certain threshold amount

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining step includes determining consumer accounts which have remained inactive for a certain time period.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining step includes determining consumer accounts in which at least one of said consumers, said sponsoring company and said host company requested a transfer of said loyalty points.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said crediting step includes crediting any portion of said loyalty points to a loyalty point account in said host company corresponding to the same consumer from which the loyalty points were deducted in said deducting step.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said crediting step includes crediting any portion of said loyalty points to a loyalty point account in said host company corresponding to a different consumer from which the loyalty points were deducted in said deducting step.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said crediting step includes crediting any portion of said loyalty points to more than one loyalty point account associated with said host company.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said deducting step includes deducting points during at least one of any predetermined time periods, certain dates, random dates and a requested time.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said deducting step includes deducting an amount of points based upon at least one of a set amount of points, all of the points, any subset of points, an increasing amount of points, a decreasing amount of points, a certain formula, an event, and a non-event.