Method and system for making donations to charitable entities

• US 20060122874A1
• Filed: 09/20/2005
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signature Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Signature Systems LLC
• Inventors: Postrel, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,160,922 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0232 Frequent usage rewards other than merchandise, cash or travel
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0279 Fundraising management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A method and system for making a donation to a third party, wherein a user executes a purchase transaction using a card linked to a user account at a financial institution, the user account storing at least one indicia of value associated with the user. The user is queried via a point of donation device if a donation is desired to be made by the user to a third party, and if desired, then value is transferred from the user account to a designated third party as a donation to the third party. The donation may be in the form of cash or cash equivalent, reward points, or other like value. In another aspect referred to as “topping off”, a user executes a purchase transaction, the amount of the transaction corresponding to a purchase amount. The user tenders payment for the purchase transaction in a tender amount, the tender amount being greater than the purchase amount. The user is queried if a donation is desired to be made by the user to a third party for a donation amount, wherein the donation amount is the difference between the ender amount and the purchase amount. If the user indicates that a donation is to be made to a third party, then the donation amount is transferred to a designated third party as a donation to the third party in lieu of providing change for the transaction back to the user.

Claims

1. A method for making a donation to a third party comprising the steps of:

a. a user executing a purchase transaction using a card linked to a user account at a financial institution, the user account storing at least one indicia of value associated with the user;

b. querying the user via a point of donation device if a donation is desired to be made by the user to a third party;

c. if the user indicates that a donation is to be made to a third party, then transferring value from the user account to a designated third party as a donation to the third party.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the user account stores reward points previously accumulated by the user as a result of previous transactions, and wherein the step of transferring value from the user account to a designated third party as a donation to the third party comprises reducing the number of reward points in the user account and transferring a corresponding value to an account associated with the third party.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the value transferred to an account associated with the third party comprises a monetary value that is deposited to a monetary account associated with the third party.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the value transferred to an account associated with the third party comprises reward points that are deposited to a reward account associated with the third party.

5. The method of claim of claim 2 wherein the reward points previously accumulated by the user as a result of previous transactions comprise reward points that are earned by the user as a result of executing previous purchase transactions associated with the card linked to the user account.

6. The method of claim of claim 2 wherein the reward points previously accumulated by the user as a result of previous transactions comprise reward points that are aggregated by the user from one or more different reward point accounts.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the user account is a credit account associated with the user, and wherein the step of transferring value from the user account to a designated third party as a donation to the third party comprises the financial institution making a payment of a donation amount to the third party on behalf of the user and charging the donation amount to the credit account associated with the user.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the user account is a debit account associated with the user, and wherein the step of transferring value from the user account to a designated third party as a donation to the third party comprises the financial institution making a payment of a donation amount to the third party on behalf of the user and charging the donation amount to the debit account associated with the user.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the point of donation device is a point of sale device associated with the purchase transaction executed by the user.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the point of donation device is a web site associated with the purchase transaction executed by the user.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the point of donation device is a telephone set associated with the purchase transaction executed by the user.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the point of donation device queries the user for an amount to be donated.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the user enters the amount to be donated into the point of donation device.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the amount to be donated is a default amount previously indicated by the user.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the user has the option of overriding the default amount and entering a different amount for that particular transaction into the point of donation device.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the point of donation device queries the user for an identification of the third party to which the donation will be made.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the user enters the identification of the third party to which the donation will be made into the point of donation device.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the identification of the third party is a default identification previously indicated by the user.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the user has the option of overriding the default identification and entering a different identification for that particular transaction into the point of donation device.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the third party is an individual.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the third party is a charitable organization.

22. A method for making a donation to a third party comprising the steps of:

a. storing a user profile associated with a user;

b. the user executing a plurality of purchase transactions using a card linked to a user reward point account at a financial institution;

c. if the user profile indicates that a donation is to be made to a third party based on the occurrence of a predefined condition specified in the user profile, then transferring value from the user reward point account to a designated third party as a donation to the third party.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the predefined condition occurs when a predefined value is reached in the user reward point account, the predefined value being specified in the user profile.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the user profile indicates a default amount of value to be automatically transferred to the designated third party.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein the user profile indicates a default identification of the third party.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein the user profile specifies that value should be transferred from the user reward point account on a periodic basis.

27. The method of claim 22 wherein default values stored in the user profile may be overridden by the user as desired and substitute values entered for a given donation transaction.

28. A method of making a donation to a third party comprising the steps of:

a. a user executing a purchase transaction, the amount of the transaction corresponding to a purchase amount;

b. the user tendering payment for the purchase transaction in a tender amount, the tender amount being greater than the purchase amount;

c. querying the user if a donation is desired to be made by the user to a third party for a donation amount, wherein the donation amount is the difference between the tender amount and the purchase amount; and

d. if the user indicates that a donation is to be made to a third party, then transferring the donation amount to a designated third party as a donation to the third party in lieu of providing change for the transaction back to the user.

29. A method of making a donation to a third party comprising the steps of:

a. a user executing a purchase transaction, the amount of the transaction corresponding to a purchase amount;

b. querying the user if a donation is desired to be made by the user to a third party for a donation amount, wherein the donation amount is the difference between the purchase amount and the purchase amount rounded off to a greater amount; and

c. if the user indicates that a donation is to be made to a third party, then

i. the user tendering payment for the purchase transaction in a tender amount equal to the purchase amount and the donation amount; and

ii. transferring the donation amount to a designated third party as a donation to the third party in lieu of providing change for the transaction back to the user.