Loyalty systems and methods

• US 20060253320A1
• Filed: 05/06/2005
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Heywood, Chaun P.
• Application Number:
  US11/123,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20060253320A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.180
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0216 Investment accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems

Abstract

Systems, methods, and machine-readable mediums are disclosed for administering loyalty programs. In one embodiment, the loyalty system comprises an interface to receive transaction information, the transaction information including a participant identifier identifying a participant in a loyalty program, and a rules data store including a reward rule having a reward calculation algorithm and an exclusion rule having at least one condition to exclude participants from accruing loyalty rewards based on one or more participant attributes. The system also includes logic to obtain the participant attributes, to evaluate the exclusion rule condition using the participant attributes, and if the participant is not excluded, to evaluate one or more conditions associated with the reward rule to determine whether to apply the reward calculation algorithm to the transaction.

Claims

1. A loyalty system comprising:

an interface to receive transaction information, the transaction information including a participant identifier identifying a participant in a loyalty program;

a rules data store including a reward rule having a reward calculation algorithm and an exclusion rule having at least one condition to exclude participants from accruing loyalty rewards based on one or more participant attributes; and

logic, communicatively coupled with the interface and the rules data store, to obtain the participant attributes associated with the participant, to evaluate the at least one exclusion rule condition using the participant attributes, and if the participant is not excluded, to evaluate one or more conditions associated with the reward rule to determine whether to apply the reward calculation algorithm to the transaction.

2. The loyalty system of claim 1, further comprising:

an attribute data store to store the participant attributes; and

wherein the logic is configured to obtain at least one of the participant attributes associated with the participant from the attribute data store.

3. The loyalty system of claim 2, wherein the participant attributes include at least one account attribute associated with an associated account.

4. The loyalty system of claim 3, wherein the associated account comprises one of a credit card account, a checking account, a savings account, and a loan account.

5. The loyalty system of claim 3, wherein the at least one account attribute comprises one or more of an interest rate, an account status, a current balance, and a credit limit.

6. The loyalty system of claim 1, wherein the logic is configured to issue a request to a second system to obtain at least one of the participant attributes

7. The loyalty system of claim 1, wherein the at least one exclusion rule condition comprises a condition that a financial account status associated with a financial account of the participant is delinquent.

8. The loyalty system of claim 1, wherein the rules data store further comprises a second reward rule having a second reward calculation algorithm and wherein the logic is configured to evaluate one or more conditions associated with the second reward rule to determine whether to apply the second reward calculation algorithm to the transaction.

9. The loyalty system of claim 8, wherein the logic is configured to apply both the reward calculation algorithm and the second reward calculation algorithm to the transaction if the conditions for the reward rule and the conditions for the second reward rule are satisfied.

10. The loyalty system of claim 9, wherein the reward rule is associated with a first loyalty program and the second reward rule is associated with a second loyalty program.

11. The loyalty system of claim 10, wherein the first loyalty program is associated with a first loyalty provider and the second loyalty program is associated with a second loyalty provider different than the first loyalty provider.

12. The loyalty system of claim 1, further comprising a rules interface to receive the reward rule and the exclusion rule from a loyalty provider.

13. The loyalty system of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured to process a redemption request from the participant to redeem loyalty points for one or more rewards.

14. The loyalty system of claim 13, wherein the redemption request comprises a redemption request to redeem loyalty points for a charitable contribution.

15. The loyalty system of claim 13, wherein the redemption request comprises a redemption request to redeem loyalty points for a money transfer.

16. The loyalty system of claim 15, wherein the logic is configured to at least partially process the money transfer redemption request by transmitting a money transfer request to a money transfer system.

17. The loyalty system of claim 13, wherein the logic is configured to at least partially process the redemption request by initiating an ACH transaction.

18. The loyalty system of claim 13, further comprising a redemption user interface to display a plurality of redemption options to the participant and to receive the redemption request, the redemption request including one of the redemption options.

19. The loyalty system of claim 1, wherein the transaction information comprises purchase transaction information received from a merchant device and wherein the interface is further configured to transmit a loyalty message to the merchant device.

20. The loyalty system of claim 1, wherein the transaction information comprises information for an activity associated with the participant.

21. A method comprising:

receiving, at a loyalty system, transaction information, the transaction information including a participant identifier identifying a participant in a loyalty program;

obtaining, with the loyalty system, an exclusion rule, the exclusion rule including at least one exclusion condition;

obtaining, with the loyalty system, one or more participant attributes associated with the participant;

evaluating, with the loyalty system, the condition using the participant attributes;

if the exclusion condition is satisfied, excluding the participant from accruing loyalty awards for the transaction.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein obtaining one or more participant attributes comprises obtaining an account status for an account associated with the participant.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising if the exclusion condition is not satisfied:

obtaining, with the loyalty system, one or more reward rules associated with the loyalty programs; and

evaluating one or more first reward conditions associated with a first one of the reward rules; and

if the first reward conditions are satisfied, calculating a first reward for the transaction using an algorithm associated with the first reward rule.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

evaluating one or more second reward conditions associated with a second one of the reward rules; and

if the second reward conditions are satisfied, awarding the participant with the reward associated with the second reward rule.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving, at the loyalty system, a redemption request to redeem loyalty points; and

processing, with the loyalty system, the redemption request.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein processing the redemption request comprises converting loyalty points to a monetary value.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein converting the loyalty points comprises:

obtaining a redemption rule;

determining one or more conditions for the redemption rule are satisfied; and

applying a conversion algorithm associated with the first redemption rule.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein processing the redemption request comprises initiating an ACH transaction.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein processing the redemption request comprises transmitting a money transfer transaction request to a money transfer system.