Systems, methods, and computer readable media for managing loyalty programs

• US 20070005416A1
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Capital One Financial Corporation
• Original Assignee: Capital One Financial Corporation
• Inventors: Jain, Chitra, Gonzalez, Amy, McCarty, Carolyn, Jackson, S., Sower, Brent
• Application Number:
  US11/169,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20070005416A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.150
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0213 Consumer transaction fees
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for processing a request to capture funds from a financial account: In one embodiment, a method is provided that includes receiving a request for a merchant to capture funds from a customer'"'"'s financial accounts and determining, based on the request, whether the customer is a member of a program (such as a loyalty program) offered by the merchant. If the customer is a member of a program offered by the merchant, then an indication is provided of the customer'"'"'s membership to the merchant. If the customer is not a member of a program offered by the merchant, then the request is forwarded for authorization.

Claims

1. A method for processing a request, the method comprising:

receiving, at a consolidation platform, a request from a merchant to capture funds from a customer'"'"'s financial account;

determining, at the consolidation platform, whether the customer is a member of a loyalty program offered by the merchant based on the request to capture funds;

if the customer is a member of a loyalty program offered by the merchant, providing an indication of the customer'"'"'s membership to the merchant; and

if the customer is not a member of a loyalty program offered by the merchant, forwarding the request for authorization.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a request comprises:

receiving a request from one merchant of a plurality of merchants in communication with the consolidation platform over a network; and

identifying the one merchant based on the request.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the network is an automated clearinghouse network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a request comprises receiving information identifying the financial account.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

receiving a request further comprises receiving information identifying the merchant; and

determining whether the customer is a member comprises searching for a cross-reference between the merchant and the account.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the customer is a member of a loyalty program comprises searching a database for a cross-reference between the customer and the merchant'"'"'s loyalty program.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing an indication of the customer'"'"'s membership comprises:

transmitting a message to the merchant including the indication; and

canceling the request to capture funds.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the message further includes information related to a transaction by the customer with another merchant.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein forwarding the request for authorization comprises forwarding the request to an automated clearinghouse.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the financial account is one of a debit account and a credit account.

11. A system comprising:

a consolidation platform, the consolidation platform in communication with a plurality of merchants over a network, the consolidation platform comprising a processor, the processor configured to;

receive a request from one of the plurality of merchants to capture funds from a customer'"'"'s financial account;

determine, based on the request, whether the customer is a member of a loyalty program offered by the merchant; and

if the customer is a member of a loyalty program offered by the merchant, provide an indication of the customer'"'"'s membership to the merchant over the network; and

if the customer is not a member of a loyalty program offered by the merchant, forward the request for authorization to an authorization platform for processing of the request.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to identify the one merchant based on the request.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the network is an automated clearinghouse network.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the request comprises information identifying the financial account.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein:

the request further comprises information identifying the merchant; and

wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the customer is a member by searching for a cross-reference between the merchant and the account.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the customer is a member of a loyalty program by searching a database for a cross-reference between the customer and the merchant'"'"'s loyalty program.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein, if the customer is a member of a loyalty program offered by the merchant, the processor is configured to:

transmit a message to the merchant over the network, the message including the indication; and

cancel the request to capture funds.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the message further includes information related to a transaction by the customer with another merchant.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the authorization platform comprises an automated clearinghouse.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the financial account is one of a debit account and a credit account.

21. A computer-readable media containing instructions for configuring a processor to perform a method for processing a transaction request, the method comprising:

receiving a transaction request for a merchant to capture funds from a customer'"'"'s financial account;

determining, based on the request, whether the customer is a member of a loyalty program offered by a merchant;

if the customer is a member of a loyalty program offered by the merchant, providing an indication of the customer'"'"'s membership to the merchant; and

if the customer is not a member of a loyalty program offered by the merchant, forwarding the request for authorization.

22. The computer-readable media of claim 21, wherein receiving a request comprises:

receiving a request from one merchant of a plurality of merchants in communication with the processor over a network; and

identifying the one merchant based on the request.

23. The computer-readable media of claim 21, wherein receiving a request comprises receiving information identifying the financial account.

24. The computer-readable media of claim 23, wherein:

receiving a request further comprises receiving information identifying the merchant; and

determining whether the customer is a member comprises searching for a cross-reference between the merchant and the account.

25. The computer-readable media of claim 21, wherein determining whether the customer is a member of a loyalty program comprises searching a database for a cross-reference between the customer and the merchant'"'"'s loyalty program.

26. The computer-readable media of claim 21, wherein providing an indication of the customer'"'"'s membership comprises:

transmitting a message to the merchant including the indication; and

canceling the request to capture funds.

27. The computer-readable media of claim 26, wherein the message further includes information related to a transaction by the customer with another merchant.

28. The computer-readable media of claim 21, wherein forwarding the request for authorization comprises forwarding the request to an automated clearinghouse.

29. The computer-readable media of claim 21, wherein the financial account is one of a debit account and a credit account.