SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MOBILE LOYALTY PROGRAM

• US 20060259361A1
• Filed: 05/11/2006
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ZAD Mobile, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ZAD Mobile, Inc.
• Inventors: Cartabiano, Michael, Barhydt, William J., Hardy, Julian
• Application Number:
  US11/382,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20060259361A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.120
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/06 Private payment circuits, e.g. involving electronic currency used among participants of a common payment scheme
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3255 using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS
• 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 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

The present invention provides a Mobile Loyalty and Community Service (MLCS) for decreasing customer churn and increasing customer spend. In an embodiment, the MLCS provides an event driven platform based around sticky accounts. The MLCS issues tokens, currencies, loyalty points and other value assets to customers based on definable user activities (e.g., purchases, forwarding promotional messages to friends, etc.), and stores these assets into customer accounts. Each of these accounts is made sticky by associating it with the mobile carrier and the customer'"'"'s phone number. The MLCS provides prize catalogs where customers can redeem points in their accounts for valuable prizes (e.g., free voice minutes, ringtones, etc.). The MLCS also provides downloadable games, e.g., pay-per-play games. To motive customers to play these games, and thus increase customer spend, the MLCS issues points to customer based on in-game events (e.g., game score, level reached within a game, etc.).

Claims

1. A method for implementing a loyalty program for a mobile carrier, comprising:

creating an account for a customer, wherein the account is associated with the mobile carrier;

issuing points to the customer for making purchases from the mobile carrier;

storing the issued points into the account; and

providing a catalog to the customer, wherein the customer can redeem points stored in the account for prizes in the catalog.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising deleting points from the account if the customer switches to another mobile carrier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the prizes in the catalog include voice minutes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the prizes in the catalog include downloadable ring tones.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising offering a sweepstake to the customer, wherein the customer can redeem points stored in the account to enter the sweepstake.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving reports of purchases made by the customer from the mobile carrier;

issuing points to the customer based on the received reports; and

storing the points that are issued based on the received reports into the account.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the reports of purchases are received in batches from a billing system of the mobile carrier.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

offering downloadable games for purchase to the customer;

downloading one of the games onto a mobile device of the customer when the customer purchases the game;

issuing points to the customer for the game purchase; and

storing the points tat are issued for the game purchase into the account.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

offering tokens for purchase to the customer, wherein the custom can redeem the tokens to play games on the mobile device of the customer;

storing tokens purchased by the customer into the account;

enabling the customer to play a game once on the mobile device when the customer redeems one or more of the purchased tokens to play the game; and

deducting the one or more purchased tokens from the account.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the game is capable of reporting in-game events to a server, and further comprising:

after the customer finishes playing the games on the mobile device, having the game report an in-game event to the server;

receiving the in-game event at the server;

issuing points to the customer based on the in-game event; and

storing the points that are issued based on the in-game event into the account.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the catalog includes prizes that the customer can redeemed for points issued based on in-game events.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the in-game event is reaching a level within the game.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the in-game event is a game score.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving game scores from other players;

comparing the game score of the customer to the game scores of the other players; and

issuing points to the customer based on the comparison.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving the game scores of the customer and the other players over a predefined period of time; and

issuing points to the customer if the game score of the customer is within a top group of the received game scores.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the top group includes a top 100 of the received game scores.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising posting a leader board on a Web site, wherein the leader board lists the game scores of the customer and the other players in order of descending score from a top score.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising sending a message to the customer informing the customer of a rank of the customer on the leader board.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a message to a mobile device of the customer;

issuing points to the customer when the customer forwards the message to another person; and

storing the points that are issued for forwarding the message into the account.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a message to a mobile device of the customer, wherein the message offers at least one product for purchase;

issuing points to the customer when the customer purchases a product from the message; and

storing points that are issued for the purchase into the account.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the customer purchases the product from the message by sending a Premium Short Message Service (PSMS) to a server and the customer is billed by the mobile carrier for the purchase.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

issuing points to the customer when the customer forwards the message to another person; and

storing the points that are issued for forwarding the message into the account.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the catalog is Web based or WAP based.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

monitoring the account of the customer; and

sending a message to the customer when the number of points in the account reaches a certain amount or points are added to the account, wherein the message includes a link to the catalog.

25. The method of claim 1, her comprising:

downloading an application onto a mobile device of the customer;

having the downloaded application automatically register the customer with a service if the customer is not already registered with the service; and

creating the account for the customer when the customer is registered with the service.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising having the downloaded application search for a registration flag in storage of the mobile device to determine whether the customer is already registered with the service.