Method and system for providing incentives based on a payment type

• US 20050004839A1
• Filed: 05/07/2004
• Published: 01/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Anton Bakker, Marc L. Allen
• Original Assignee: Anton Bakker, Marc L. Allen
• Inventors: Bakker, Anton, Allen, Marc L.
• Application Number:
  US10/840,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20050004839A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.250
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• 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 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

A method and system for providing an incentive for a type of payment, including displaying a message on an information display device prompting for selection of a payment type having an associated incentive for a transaction; determining a total sale of the transaction from a point-of-sale device; computing a reward to be conveyed based on the total sale and the associated incentive, if the payment type having the associated incentive is selected; and dispensing the reward.

Claims

1. A method of providing an incentive for a type of payment, comprising:

displaying a message on an information display device prompting for selection of a payment type having an associated incentive for a transaction;

determining a total sale of the transaction from a point-of-sale device;

computing a reward to be conveyed based on the total sale and the associated incentive, if the payment type having the associated incentive is selected; and

dispensing the reward.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the payment type having the associated incentive comprises a cash payment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a payment type not having an associated incentive comprises a credit card payment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of computing the reward comprises dynamically determining the reward based on at least one of a loyalty program, a user history, a current transaction, a past transaction, and a user profile.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

computing a surcharge, if the cash payment is not selected; and

communicating with the point-of-sale terminal to add the surcharge to the total sale of the transaction.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of dispensing the reward comprises communicating with the point-of-sale terminal to discount the total sale of the transaction.

7. A system for providing an incentive for a type of payment, comprising:

means adapted for displaying a message on an information display device prompting for selection of a payment type having an associated incentive for a transaction;

means adapted for determining a total sale of the transaction from a point-of-sale device;

means adapted for computing a reward to be conveyed based on the total sale and the associated incentive, if the payment type having the associated incentive is selected; and

means adapted for dispensing the reward.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the payment type having the associated incentive comprises a cash payment.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein a payment type not having an associated incentive comprises a credit card payment.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the means for computing the reward comprises means for dynamically determining the reward based on at least one of a loyalty program, a user history, a current transaction, a past transaction, and a user profile.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

means adapted for computing a surcharge, if the cash payment is not selected; and

means adapted for communicating with the point-of-sale terminal to add the surcharge to the total sale of the transaction.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the means adapted for dispensing the reward comprises means adapted for communicating with the point-of-sale terminal to discount the total sale of the transaction.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the display means, the means for determining a total sale, means for computing a reward and means for dispensing the reward comprise devices of a computer system.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the display means, the means for determining a total sale, means for computing a reward means and means for dispensing the reward comprise computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium.