Generic loyalty tag

• US 20040049425A1
• Filed: 08/27/2003
• Published: 03/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Outsite Networks, Inc. (Professional Datasolutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Outsite Networks, Inc. (Professional Datasolutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bakker, Anton, Allen, Marc L.
• Application Number:
  US10/648,443
• Publication Number:
  US 20040049425A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0229 Multi-merchant loyalty card systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered

Abstract

Using a combination of a device identifier and a reader identifier, a loyalty system is able to determine one or more loyalty applications a user is subscribed to. Additionally, by using a formulary based reward system, multiple tiers of rewards can be issued based on different categories of product or service purchased.

Claims

1. A loyalty system comprising:

a device identification reader adapted to read a device identifier from an identification device; and

a loyalty application determining module capable of determining one or more loyalty applications based on a combination of the device identifier and an identifier associated with the device identification reader.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the loyalty system is further capable of determining different rewards based on different categories of items purchased.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a reward determination module adapted to allocate loyalty rewards based on a formulary, the formulary capable of distinguishing between different types of items within a transaction.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising an administration interface that allows updating of one or more of a reward determination formulary, transaction information, user information, member information, device identification reader information and device identifiers.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a loyalty point updating module that updates a user'"'"'s loyalty points on one or more of a loyalty module, a loyalty host and the identification device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the identification device is generic and can be used with one or more of related or non-related device identification readers.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more loyalty applications are for one or more of a grocery store, a gas station, an airline, a retail store, a restaurant, a movie theater, a convenience store, a quick service restaurant and a department store.

8. A loyalty reward determination method comprising:

reading a device identifier from an identification device;

obtaining a device identification reader identifier; and

determining one or more loyalty applications based on a combination of the device identifier and the device identification reader identifier.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining different rewards based on different categories of items purchased.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising allocating loyalty rewards based on a formulary, the formulary capable of distinguishing between different types of items within a transaction.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising updating of one or more of a reward determination formulary, transaction information, user information, member information, device identification reader information and device identifiers.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising updating a user'"'"'s loyalty points on one or more of a loyalty module, a loyalty host and the identification device.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the identification device is generic and can be used with one or more of related or non-related device identification readers.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more loyalty applications are for one or more of a grocery store, a gas station, an airline, a retail store, a restaurant, a movie theater, a convenience store, a quick service restaurant and a department store.

15. A loyalty reward determination system comprising:

means for reading a device identifier from an identification device;

means for obtaining a device identification reader identifier; and

means for determining one or more loyalty applications based on a combination of the device identifier and the device identification reader identifier.