System and method for a multiple merchant stored value card

• US 20030236704A1
• Filed: 06/25/2002
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC), General Counsel's Office
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Antonucci, Donna A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,606,730 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3437 the counter having non-monetary units, e.g. trips
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/389 Keeping log of transactions for guaranteeing non-repudiation of a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0227 Frequent usage incentive value reconciliation between diverse systems
• 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 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1016 Devices or methods for securing the PIN and other transaction-data, e.g. by encryption arrangements for secret communication, see H04L9/00

Abstract

The loyalty system allows a consumer to accumulate general loyalty points from one or more merchants, and convert any desired subset of general points to loyalty dollars associated with a specific merchant. The system stores, for each consumer, the merchant loyalty dollars (or monetary equivalent) by merchant within a remotely-accessible host database or within a smart card database. Upon conducting a purchase at a particular merchant, the consumer may utilize a code key to facilitate access to the consumer'"'"'s own loyalty dollars for the particular merchant. The loyalty dollars are then applied to the purchase transaction as a discount or rebate. The consumer may also re-load the merchant loyalty dollar accounts.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating the redemption of loyalty points including:

obtaining a loyalty card account having a unique identifier and loyalty points associated therewith;

accessing a loyalty database utilizing said unique identifier;

converting at least a portion of said loyalty points to a first value associated with a first merchant;

saving said first value in a first database associated with said loyalty card;

converting at least a portion of said loyalty points to a second value associated with a second merchant;

saving said second value in a second database associated with said loyalty card;

redeeming said first value at said first merchant; and

,

redeeming said second value at said second merchant.

2. The method of claim 1 further including:

converting at least a portion of said loyalty points to a third value associated with a first merchant;

saving said third value in a first database associated with said loyalty card account;

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said converting steps include a conversion ratio.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said loyalty card is a smart card and said database is within a memory on said smart card.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said loyalty card is at least one of a authorization code, magnetic stripe card, bar code card, transaction card and personal digital assistant.

6. The method of claim 1 further including establishing conversion rules.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of accessing a loyalty database utilizing said unique identifier includes authenticating said unique identifier.

8. An incentive engine configured to facilitate at least one of a allocation, conversion and redemption of loyalty points including:

an enrollment module configured to enroll at least one of consumers and merchants;

an authentication module configured to authenticate consumer IDs;

a participating merchant database in communication with said enrollment module;

a conversion rules database configured to facilitate a conversion request; and

,

a consumer accounts database having a loyalty point database and a plurality of merchant loyalty dollar databases configured to store loyalty points and merchant dollars.

9. The incentive engine of claim 8, wherein said incentive engine is located within a remotely-accessible host.

10. The incentive engine of claim 8, wherein said incentive engine is located within a smart card.