Consumer incentive system and business method

• US 20050251442A1
• Filed: 05/07/2004
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: New York Community Bank (New York Community Bancorp Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: New York Community Bank (New York Community Bancorp Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ficalora, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US10/841,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20050251442A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.170
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user

Abstract

Consumer incentives are delivered by maintaining a database of consumer-customer club members and identification data. The retailing transaction is conducted by receiving a consumer-customer for a retail sales transaction at a first retail establishment. An identification input associated with said consumer-customer is received at the first retail establishment. The identification input is compared to the identification data to determine whether the identification input is associated with a consumer-customer club member. In response to a determination that an identification input which is associated with a consumer-customer club member, an incentive generating rule is applied to the retail sales transaction. In response to a determination that the identification input is not associated with a consumer-customer club member, a club membership is offered to the consumer-customer. In response to acceptance of the offer, a bank account is implemented, and associated with the accepting consumer-customer, at a banking institution the bank account is associated with an account number. A computing device is used to store in a database, associated with the banking institution, information respecting the bank account, associated with the accepting consumer-customer, at any banking institution. A banking transaction is conducted by receiving the identification input associated with the consumer-customer at the banking institution. A banking transaction request is received from the consumer-customer of the bank. The identification input is compared to the identification data to determine the consumer-customer club member with whom the identification input is associated. In response to the determination of the associated consumer-customer club member the banking transaction request is executed.

Claims

1. A method for delivering consumer incentives, comprising:

(a) maintaining a database of consumer-customer club members and identification data;

(b) conducting a retailing transaction, comprising;

(I) receiving a consumer-customer for a retail sales transaction at a first retail establishment;

(II) receiving an identification input associated with said consumer-customer at said first retail establishment;

(III) comparing said identification input to said identification data to determine whether said identification input is associated with a consumer-customer club member having an associated bank account; and

(IV) in response to a determination that said identification input is associated with a consumer-customer club member, applying an incentive generating rule to said retail sales transaction;

(c) in response to a determination that said identification input is not associated with a consumer-customer club member, offering club membership to consumer-customer;

(d) in response to acceptance of said offer of club membership, implementing an associated bank account, associated with said accepting consumer-customer, at a banking institution;

(e) associating said bank account with an account number;

(f) using a computing device to store in a database, associated with said banking institution, information respecting said bank account, associated with said accepting consumer-customer, at said banking institution; and

(g) conducting a banking transaction, comprising;

(I) receiving said identification input associated with said consumer-customer at said banking institution;

(II) receiving from said consumer-customer of said banking institution a banking transaction request;

(III) comparing said identification input to said identification data to determine the consumer-customer club member with whom said identification input is associated; and

(IV) in response to said determination of the associated consumer-customer club member executing said banking transaction request.

2. A method for delivering consumer incentives as in claim 1, further comprising receiving an identification input associated with a consumer-customer at a first retail establishment.

3. A method for delivering consumer incentives as in claim 2, wherein said identification input is generated by reading a credit card input into a credit card reader.

4. A method for delivering consumer incentives as in claim 1, further comprising associating said bank account with an account number, said account number being associated with information encoded in a card, said card being given to a consumer and said receiving of said identification input associated with said consumer-customer being done at said first retail establishment by inserting said card into a credit card reader.

5. A method for delivering consumer incentives as in claim 4, wherein said consumer may be given an offer to receive a credit card or debit card carrying enhanced privileges, said credit or debit card functioning to provide said identification input associated with said consumer-customer at said first retail establishment.

6. A method for delivering consumer incentives as in claim 1, wherein said consumer may chose to enhance an existing credit card or debit card, which may or may not be affiliated with a retail establishment operating said method to cause said credit or debit card to function to provide said identification input associated with said consumer-customer at said first retail establishment.

7. A method for delivering consumer incentives as in claim 5, further comprising conducting a financial credit card or debit card transaction.

8. A method for delivering consumer incentives, comprising:

(a) maintaining a database of consumer-customer club members and identification data;

(b) conducting a retailing transaction, comprising;

(I) receiving a consumer-customer for a retail sales transaction at a first retail establishment;

(II) receiving an identification input associated with said consumer-customer at said first retail establishment;

(III) comparing said identification input to said identification data to determine whether said identification input is associated with a consumer-customer club member having an associated bank account; and

(IV) in response to a determination that said identification input is associated with a consumer-customer club member, applying an incentive generating rule to said retail sales transaction;

(c) in response to a determination that said identification input is not associated with a consumer-customer club member, offering club membership to consumer-customer;

(d) in response to acceptance of said offer of club membership, implementing an associated bank account, associated with said accepting consumer-customer, at a banking institution;

(e) associating said bank account with an account number;

(f) using a computing device to store in a database, associated with said banking institution, information respecting said bank account, associated with said accepting consumer-customer, at said banking institution; and

(g) conducting a financial credit card or debit card transaction.

9. Apparatus for delivering consumer incentives, comprising:

(a) data storage device with a database of consumer-customer club members and identification data recorded thereon;

(b) an identification device for identifying a consumer-customer for a retail sales transaction at a first non-banking retail establishment;

(c) a computing device programmed to apply an incentive generating rule to said retail sales transaction;

(d) a detector for receiving an identification input associated with said consumer-customer from said identification device, said detector being located at a banking establishment to determine whether said identification input is associated with a consumer-customer club member having an associated bank account at a banking institution; and

(e) a computing system associated with said banking institution programmed to compare said identification input to identification data to perform a retail banking transaction for said consumer-customer.