Incentive program

• US 20060085252A1
• Filed: 10/18/2004
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Xcelerator Loyalty Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Xcelerator Loyalty Group Incorporated
• Inventors: Kersenbrock, Robert D.
• Application Number:
  US10/967,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20060085252A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.130
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user

Abstract

An incentive program is described that rewards the participants of the program based on the actions of at least something other than the participants. An incentive program coordinator that can be an individual, a legally created entity, or other organization can run the incentive program. The incentive program coordinator can have business relations with the participating entities, a sponsor, other business entities, or some combination thereof. The participating entities can be individuals, legally created entities, or other organizations, as can the sponsor entity. The at least something other than the participants can be a sports team in one embodiment.

Claims

1. A method for influencing the behavior of a participant in an incentive program comprising:

rewarding said incentive program participant based on the performance of at least something other than said incentive program participant.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said rewarding is based on the performance of solely something other than said incentive program participant.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said rewarding is based on a combined performance of something other than said incentive program participant and said incentive program participant.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said rewarding is based on the performance of a plurality of something other than said incentive program participants.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said rewarding occurs by providing the participant points redeemable with a currency card.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said rewarding occurs by providing the participant tickets to an entertainment event.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said rewarding occurs by providing the participant with currency.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said rewarding occurs by providing the participant with cash equivalents.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said rewarding occurs by providing the participant with discounts on purchases.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least something other than said incentive program participant is a sports team.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least something other than said incentive program participant is an athlete.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least something other than said incentive program participant is a country.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least something other than said incentive program participant is a company.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least something other than said incentive program participant is a horse.

15. A method for influencing the behavior of a participant in an incentive program run by a program coordinator comprising:

entering said participant into said incentive program;

operating said incentive program with said program coordinator; and

rewarding said participant based on the performance of at least something other than said incentive program participant.

16. A method for allowing a program coordinator to suggest desired behavior in a participant comprising:

entering said participant into an incentive program; and

rewarding said participant based on the performance of an unrelated third party.

17. A method to provide incentives to consumers comprising:

enrolling said consumer into an incentive program;

providing an incentive program membership identifier to said consumer; and

rewarding said consumer based on the performance of at least something other than said consumer.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said incentive program membership identifier is a currency card.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said currency card is a credit card.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said currency card is a debit card.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein said currency card is a check card.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein said incentive program membership identifier is an account number.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein said incentive program membership identifier is a computer password.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein said incentive program membership identifier is an electronic signature.

25. The method of claim 17, further including the step of determining if said consumer qualifies to enter into said incentive program before enrolling said consumer.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said determining is performed by evaluating the fiscal strength of said consumer.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein said determining is performed by evaluating the purchasing patterns of said consumer.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein said determining is performed by evaluating demographic information concerning said consumer.

29. The method of claim 17, wherein said rewards are participant specific and can only be accessed using said incentive program membership identifier.

30. The method of claim 17, further including the step of redeeming said rewards by accessing them using said incentive program membership identifier.

31. A method for influencing the behavior of a participant in an incentive program operated by a program coordinator comprising:

requesting qualifying information from a potential participant;

determining if said potential participant qualifies to be a participant in said incentive program;

enrolling said potential participant into said incentive program to become said participant;

rewarding said participant based on the actions of at least something other than said participant;

determining periodically if said participant has maintained eligibility to remain in said incentive program; and

terminating said participants enrollment in said incentive program if eligibility is lost.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein said qualifying information is demographics about said potential participant.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein said qualifying information is information necessary to determine the fiscal strength of said potential participant.

34. The method of claim 31 wherein said qualifying information is information concerning the purchasing decisions of said potential participant.

35. The method of claim 31 wherein said enrolling comprises assigning an account number to said participant.

36. The method of claim 31 wherein said enrolling comprises providing a currency card to said participant.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein said eligibility to remain in said incentive program is lost when said participant fails to use said currency card a predetermined number of times during a predetermined time period.

38. The method of claim 31 wherein said something other than said participant is a sports team.

39. The method of claim 31 wherein said something other than said participant is a country.

40. The method of claim 31 wherein said something other than said participant is a individual.

41. A business structure comprising:

a currency card issuing entity;

an incentive program coordinator entity operatively coupled to said currency card legal entity, wherein said incentive program coordinator calculates and issues rewards;

a participant entity operatively coupled to said currency card issuing legal entity, wherein said coupling results in said participant entity possessing a currency card; and

at least something other than said participant entity, wherein the actions of said at least something other than said participant entity determines the amount of rewards provided by said incentive program coordinator to said currency card issuer that are redeemable by said participant entity.

42. The structure of claim 41, wherein said incentive program coordinator entity is operatively coupled to said currency card issuing entity under a legally binding contract.

43. The structure of claim 41, wherein said participant entity is operatively coupled to said currency card issuing entity under a legally binding contract.

44. The structure of claim 41, wherein said participant entity is a human being.

45. The structure of claim 41, wherein said participant entity is a legally created entity.

46. The structure of claim 41, wherein said participant entity is an organization.

47. The structure of claim 41, wherein said something other than said participant entity is a sports team.

48. The structure of claim 41, wherein said something other than said participant entity is a country.

49. The structure of claim 41, wherein said something other than said participant entity is an individual.

50. The structure of claim 41, wherein said incentive program entity is a legally created entity.

51. The structure of claim 41, wherein said incentive program entity is an individual.

52. The structure of claim 41, wherein said currency card issuing entity is a legally created entity.

53. The structure of claim 41, wherein said rewards are redeemed using said currency card.

54. The structure of claim 41, wherein said currency card is a debit card.

55. The structure of claim 41, wherein said currency card is a credit card.

56. The structure of claim 41, wherein said currency card is a check card.

57. A business structure to operate an incentive program comprising:

a sponsor entity;

an incentive program coordinator entity operatively coupled to said sponsor entity; and

a participant entity operatively coupled to said incentive program coordinator entity in said incentive program determined by said sponsor entity, wherein said incentive program coordinator rewards said participant entity based on the actions of at least something other than said participant entity.

58. The structure of claim 57, wherein said incentive program coordinator entity is operatively coupled to said sponsor entity under a legally binding contract.

59. The structure of claim 57, wherein said participant entity is operatively coupled to said incentive program coordinator entity under a legally binding contract.

60. The structure of claim 57, wherein said participant entity is a human being.

61. The structure of claim 57, wherein said participant entity is a legally created entity.

62. The structure of claim 57, wherein said participant entity is an organization.

63. The structure of claim 57, wherein said something other than said participant entity is a sports team.

64. The structure of claim 57, wherein said something other than said participant entity is a country.

65. The structure of claim 57, wherein said something other than said participant entity is an individual.

66. The structure of claim 57, wherein said incentive program entity is a legally created entity.

67. The structure of claim 57, wherein said incentive program entity is an individual.

68. The structure of claim 57, wherein said sponsor entity is a legally created entity.

69. The structure of claim 57, wherein said rewards are redeemed using said currency card.

70. The structure of claim 57, wherein said currency card is a debit card.

71. The structure of claim 57, wherein said currency card is a credit card.

72. The structure of claim 57, wherein said currency card is a check card.

73. A method to reward consumers based on increased currency card transactions comprising:

providing said currency card to said consumer;

providing said rewards to said consumer based on the performance of at least something other than said consumer; and

requiring said consumer use said currency card a minimum number of times during a predetermined period to obtain said rewards earned by said at least something other than said consumer.

74. The method of claim 73, wherein said at least something other than said consumer is a sports team.

75. The method of claim 73, wherein said at least something other than said consumer is a company.

76. The method of claim 73, wherein said at least something other than said consumer is a country.

77. The method of claim 73, wherein said at least something other than said consumer is an organization.

78. The method of claim 73, wherein said at least something other than said consumer is an individual.

79. The method of claim 73, wherein said currency card is a credit card.

80. The method of claim 73, wherein said currency card is a debit card.

81. The method of claim 73, wherein said currency card is a check card.

82. The method of claim 73, wherein said predetermined period is a calendar year.

83. The method of claim 73, wherein said predetermined period is a calendar month.

84. The method of claim 73, wherein said predetermined period is 30 days.

85. The method of claim 73, wherein said minimum number of times is at least once every five days over the predetermined period.

86. A method for influencing the behavior of a participant in an incentive program operated by a program coordinator comprising:

enrolling a participant into an incentive program;

requiring said participant to satisfy criteria to qualify to receive rewards;

rewarding said participant based on the actions of at least something other than the participant after said participant satisfies said criteria.

87. The method of claim 86, further comprising the step of providing the participant the opportunity to select different aspects of the incentive program.

88. The method of claim 86, wherein at least something other than the participant is a sports team.

89. The method of claim 86, wherein at least something other than the participant is an athlete.

90. The method of claim 86, wherein said criteria requires eating a predetermined number of times from a selected group of restaurants.

91. The method of claim 86, wherein enrolling said participant occurs by issuing a currency card to said participant.

92. The method of claim 91, wherein said criteria requires using a currency card a predetermined number of times over a predetermined time period.