Loyalty program enrollment systems and methods

• US 20060118611A1
• Filed: 12/06/2004
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated), Western Union
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Michelsen, Michael J., Hafer, Michael, Scillieri, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 7,578,430 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• 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 30/0226 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/14 Systems including one or more distant stations co-operating with a central processing unit data transmission in general H04L; telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station H04Q9/00

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for enrolling customers in loyalty programs. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving, at a loyalty program host, transaction information for a transaction initiated by a customer and determining whether the transaction information includes a customer loyalty number associated with a loyalty program. If the transaction information does not include the customer loyalty number, a loyalty enrollment process is initiated to automatically enroll the customer in the loyalty program.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a loyalty program host, transaction information for a transaction initiated by a customer;

determining whether the transaction information includes a customer loyalty number associated with a loyalty program; and

initiating, at the loyalty program host, a loyalty enrollment process to automatically enroll the customer in the loyalty program if the transaction information does not include the customer loyalty number.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically enrolling, with the loyalty program host, the customer in the loyalty program.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein automatically enrolling the customer comprises obtaining a new loyalty number.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

obtaining a customer identifier to identify the customer; and

associating the customer identifier with the new customer loyalty number.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein obtaining the customer identifier comprises obtaining the customer identifier from the transaction information.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein obtaining the customer identifier comprises obtaining a phone number.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein obtaining the customer identifier comprises obtaining a customer account number associated with the transaction.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the customer account number comprises one of a credit card account number, a debit card account number, and a checking account number.

9. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

transmitting a message indicating the new loyalty number.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding a number of loyalty points for the transaction to a loyalty program balance associated with one of the customer loyalty number or an automatically generated customer loyalty number.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a discount for one or more items associated with the transaction based on one of the customer loyalty number or an automatically generated customer loyalty number.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, with the loyalty program host, the customer is associated with a previously assigned loyalty number; and

terminating the loyalty enrollment process.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the customer is associated with a previously assigned loyalty number comprises:

comparing a customer identifier associated with the transaction information to a plurality of stored customer identifiers, each customer identifier associated with an assigned loyalty number; and

determining a match exists between the customer identifier and one of the stored customer identifiers.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising transmitting a message indicating loyalty rewards forfeited because of failure to use the previously assigned loyalty number.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, with the loyalty program host, whether one or more criteria associated with automatic enrollment are satisfied; and

terminating the loyalty enrollment process without enrolling the customer if the one or more criteria are not satisfied.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining whether one or more criteria associated with automatic enrollment are satisfied comprises determining whether a merchant associated with the transaction is a participant in automatic loyalty program enrollment.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein determining whether one or more criteria associated with automatic enrollment are satisfied comprises determining whether the transaction qualifies for automatic enrollment.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining whether the transaction qualifies for automatic enrollment comprises if the transaction is not qualified for at least one of loyalty program rewards or loyalty program points, determining the transaction does not qualify for automatic enrollment.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein determining whether one or more criteria associated with automatic enrollment are satisfied comprises determining whether a valid identifier is associated with the transaction information.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, with the loyalty program host, an customer interface to loyalty program information.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein providing the customer interface includes providing an interface to obtain additional customer information to associated with an automatically assigned customer loyalty number.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein providing the customer interface includes providing an interface to link a first customer loyalty number with a second customer loyalty number.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving transaction information comprises receiving transaction information for a money transfer.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving transaction information comprises receiving transaction information for the purchase of one or more airline tickets.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving transaction information comprises receiving transaction information for a retail transaction for a sale of goods.

26. A method comprising:

receiving, at a loyalty program host, transaction information for a transaction initiated by a customer;

determining, with the loyalty host, the transaction information does not include a customer loyalty number associated with a loyalty program;

obtaining, with the loyalty host, a customer identifier to identify the customer from the transaction information; and

automatically enrolling, with the loyalty host, the customer in the loyalty program using the customer identifier.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein automatically enrolling the customer comprises:

generating a loyalty account number for the customer; and

associating the loyalty account number with the customer identifier.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein automatically enrolling the customer comprises using at least a portion of the customer identifier as a loyalty account number for the customer.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein obtaining the customer identifier comprises obtaining a phone number included in the transaction information.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein obtaining the customer identifier comprises obtaining one of a credit card account number, a debit card account number, and a checking account number

31. A method comprising:

transmitting, from a point of sale device, transaction information to a loyalty host; and

receiving a message from the loyalty host that a customer associated with the transaction information has been automatically enrolled in a loyalty program.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the message includes a new loyalty account number.

33. A system comprising:

a communications interface, to receive transaction information for a transaction initiated by a customer;

logic, communicatively coupled with the communications interface, to administer a loyalty program and to use the transaction information to determine if one or more criteria are satisfied using the transaction information and to automatically enroll the customer in a loyalty program if the one or more criteria are satisfied; and

a data store, communicatively coupled with the logic, to store loyalty account information for a plurality of customers.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the logic is further to obtain a customer identifier from the transaction information and to use the customer identifier to automatically enroll the customer.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the logic is to determine at least one of the criteria is satisfied if the transaction qualifies for automatic enrollment.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein the logic is to determine at least one of the criteria is satisfied if a valid customer identifier is associated with the transaction information.

37. At least one machine-readable medium, having stored thereon sequences of instructions, which, when executed by the machine, cause the machine to perform the actions of:

receiving, at a loyalty program host, transaction information for a transaction initiated by a customer;

determining whether the transaction information includes a customer loyalty number associated with a loyalty program; and

initiating, at the loyalty program host, a loyalty enrollment process to automatically enroll the customer in the loyalty program if the transaction information does not include the customer loyalty number.

38. The machine-readable medium of claim 37, further comprising instructions, which, when executed by the machine, case the machine to perform the further actions of:

determining if one or more criteria associated with automatic enrollment are satisfied; and

if the one or more criteria are satisfied, automatically enrolling the customer in the loyalty program.

39. At least one machine-readable medium, having stored thereon sequences of instructions, which, when executed by the machine, cause the machine to perform the actions of:

receiving, at a loyalty program host, transaction information for a transaction initiated by a customer;

determining, with the loyalty host, the transaction information does not include a customer loyalty number associated with a loyalty program;

obtaining, with the loyalty host, a customer identifier to identify the customer from the transaction information; and

automatically enrolling, with the loyalty host, the customer in the loyalty program using the customer identifier.

40. The machine readable medium of claim 39, wherein the instructions for obtaining the customer identifier comprise instructions, which, when executed by the machine, cause the machine to perform the actions of obtaining one of a credit card account number, a debit card account number, or a checking account number from the transaction information.

41. The machine readable medium of claim 39, wherein the instructions for obtaining the customer identifier comprise instructions, which, when executed by the machine, cause the machine to perform the actions of obtaining a phone number from the transaction information.