Systems and methods for integrating loyalty and stored-value programs

• US 20040186773A1
• Filed: 12/17/2003
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated), Western Union
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: George, Colleen, Cawthorne, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,424,441 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• 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 20/387 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 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for operating an integrated stored-value and loyalty program within a financial infrastructure. An identifier and a packet of transaction information defining a transaction between a merchant and a customer are received at a loyalty host. Qualifying aspects of the transaction are identified from the packet of transaction information. A customer reward is determined from the identified qualifying aspects and a history of information defined by the identifier. Information defining the reward is transmitted to a stored-value host that records a value parameter that may be applied as value by the customer to another transaction.

Claims

1. A method for operating an integrated stored-value and loyalty program within a financial infrastructure, the method comprising:

receiving, at a loyalty host, an identifier and a packet of transaction information defining a transaction between a merchant and a customer;

identifying qualifying aspects of the transaction from the packet of transaction information;

determining a customer reward from the identified qualifying aspects and a history of information defined by the identifier; and

transmitting information defining the reward to a stored-value host that records a value parameter that may be applied as value by the customer to another transaction.

2. The method recited in claim 1 further comprising transmitting the packet of transaction information to the financial infrastructure with a request for authorization of the transaction.

3. The method recited in claim 1 further comprising transmitting a notification of the customer reward to a point-of-sale terminal at which the packet of transaction information was generated.

4. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the value parameter may be applied as value to the other transaction at a second merchant different from the merchant.

5. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the qualifying aspects of the transaction include item-level information that identifies specific items that form part of the transaction.

6. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the qualifying aspects of the transaction include item-level-type information that identifies specific types of items that form part of the transaction.

7. The method recited in claim 1 wherein identifying the qualifying aspects of the transaction is performed at the loyalty host.

8. The method recited in claim 1 wherein identifying the qualifying aspects of the transaction is performed at a point-of-sale terminal at which the packet of transaction information was generated.

9. A method for operating a stored-value program, the method comprising:

receiving, at a stored-value host, an identifier and a transaction amount for a transaction between a merchant and a customer;

identifying a defined set of stored-value parameters from the identifier;

translating the set of stored-value parameters into a value amount;

applying at least a portion of the value amount to the transaction amount to define a modified transaction amount; and

transmitting the modified transaction amount to a point-of-sale terminal at which the identifier and transaction amount were generated as an amount to be used in effecting the transaction.

10. The method recited in claim 9 wherein applying at least a portion of the value amount further defines a modified value amount, the method further comprising translating the modified value amount into a modified set of stored-value parameters for use in updating a record of the stored-value parameters.

11. The method recited in claim 9 further comprising transmitting the transaction amount to a financial infrastructure with a request for authorization of the transaction.

12. The method recited in claim 9 further comprising increasing at least a portion of the set of stored-value parameters in response to an instruction from a loyalty host implementing a loyalty reward for the customer.

13. The method recited in claim 9 wherein the identified set of stored-value parameters consists of a single stored-value parameter.

14. A method for operating a loyalty program integrated with a financial infrastructure, the method comprising:

receiving, at a loyalty host, an identifier and a packet of transaction information defining a transaction between a merchant and a customer;

determining whether the customer and merchant are participants in the loyalty program;

identifying specific items that form part of the transaction from the packet of transaction information; and

determining a customer reward from the identified specific items and a history of information defined by the identifier.

15. The method recited in claim 14 further comprising transmitting the packet of transaction information to the financial infrastructure with a request for authorization of the transaction.

16. The method recited in claim 14 further comprising transmitting an authorization determination received from the financial infrastructure to the merchant.

17. The method recited in claim 14 wherein the identifier and packet of transaction information are received from a point-of-sale terminal.

18. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer-readable program embodied therein for directing operation of a loyalty host including a communications system, a processor, and a storage device, wherein the computer-readable program includes instructions for operating the loyalty host for operating a loyalty program integrated with a stored-value program within a financial infrastructure in accordance with the following:

receiving, with the communications system, an identifier and a packet of transaction information;

identifying, with the processor, qualifying aspects of the transaction from the packet of transaction information;

determining, with the processor, a customer reward from the identified qualifying aspects and a history of information defined by the identifier and stored on the storage device; and

transmitting, with the communications system, information defining the reward to a stored-value host that records a value parameter that may be applied as value by the customer to another transaction.

19. The computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 18 wherein the computer-readable program further includes instructions for transmitting, with the communications system, the packet of transaction information to the financial infrastructure with a request for authorization of the transaction.

20. The computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 18 wherein the computer-readable program further includes instructions for transmitting, with the communications system, a notification of the customer reward to a point-of-sale terminal at which the packet of transaction information was generated.

21. The computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 18 wherein the value parameter may be applied as value to the other transaction at a second merchant different from the merchant.

22. The computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 18 wherein the qualifying aspects of the transaction include item-level information that identifies specific items that form part of the transaction.

23. The computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 18 wherein the qualifying aspects of the transaction include item-level information that identifies specific types of items that form part of the transaction.

24. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer-readable program embodied therein for directing operation of a stored-value host including a communications system, a processor, and a storage device, wherein the computer-readable program includes instructions for operating the stored-value host for operating a stored-value program in accordance with the following:

receiving, with the communications system, an identifier and a transaction amount for a transaction between a merchant and a customer;

identifying, with the processor, a defined set of stored-value parameters maintained on the storage device from the identifier;

translating, with the processor, the set of stored-value parameters into a value amount;

applying, with the processor, at least a portion of the value amount to the transaction amount to define a modified transaction amount; and

transmitting, with the communications system, the modified transaction amount to a point-of-sale terminal at which the identifier and transaction amount were generated as an amount to be used in effecting the transaction.

25. The computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 24 wherein the instructions for applying at least a portion of the value amount further includes instructions for defining a modified value amount, the computer-readable program further including instructions for translating the modified value amount into a modified set of stored-value parameters for use in updating a record of the stored-value parameters.

26. The computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 24 wherein the computer-readable program further includes instructions for transmitting, with the communications system, the transaction amount to a financial infrastructure with a request for authorization of the transaction.

27. The computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 24 wherein the computer-readable program further includes instructions for increasing at least a portion of the set of stored-value parameters maintained on the storage device in response to an instruction from a loyalty host implementing a loyalty reward for the customer.

28. The computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 24 wherein the identified set of stored-value parameters consists of a single stored-value parameter.

29. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer-readable program embodied therein for directing operation of a loyalty host including a communications system, a processor, and a storage device, wherein the computer-readable program includes instructions for operating the loyalty host for operating a loyalty program integrated with a financial infrastructure in accordance with the following:

receiving, with the communications system, an identifier and a packet of transaction information defining a transaction between a merchant and a customer;

determining, with the processor, whether the customer and merchant are participants in the loyalty program;

identifying, with the processor, specific items that form part of the transaction from the packet of transaction information; and

determining, with the processor, a customer reward from the identified specific items and a history of information defined by the identifier and stored on the storage device.

30. The computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 29 wherein the computer-readable program further includes instructions for transmitting, with the communications system, the packet of transaction information to the financial infrastructure with a request for authorization of the transaction.

31. The computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 29 wherein the computer-readable program further includes instructions for transmitting, with the communications system, an authorization determination received from the financial infrastructure to the merchant.

32. The computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 29 wherein the identifier and packet of transaction information are received from a point-of-sale terminal.