Systems and methods for providing flexible incentive rewards

• US 20070094114A1
• Filed: 03/17/2006
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Capital One Services LLC (Capital One Financial Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Capital One Financial Corporation
• Inventors: Landi, Christine, Lintvet, Jon, Bufford, Joshua
• Granted Patent: US 8,770,473 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/35
• 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 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for providing a financial account with incentives. In one implementation, a method is provided that includes receiving a selection of at least one identified merchant from a customer, the customer being associated with the financial account. The method also includes providing a first incentive to the financial account for one or more purchases made with the financial account at a merchant other than the identified merchant. Further, the method may include providing a second incentive to the financial account for one or more purchases made at the identified merchant with the financial account, wherein the first incentive is different than the second incentive.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing a financial account with incentives, said method comprising:

receiving a selection of at least one identified merchant from a customer, the customer being associated with the financial account;

providing a first incentive to the financial account for one or more purchases made with the financial account at a merchant other than the identified merchant; and

providing a second incentive to the financial account for one or more purchases made at the identified merchant with the financial account, wherein the first incentive is different than the second incentive.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first incentive includes assigning a first amount of reward points to the financial account and the second incentive includes assigning a second amount of reward points to the financial account, and wherein the second amount of reward points are higher than the first amount of reward points.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second incentives are cash-back offers and wherein the cash-back offers associated with the second incentive are offers for cash-back amounts that are larger than cash-back amounts for the first incentive cash-back offers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first incentive includes assigning a first amount of traveler miles and the second incentive includes assigning a second amount of traveler miles, and wherein the second amount of traveler miles are higher than the first amount of traveler miles.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

collecting statistics associated with the purchases made at the identified merchant with the financial account;

providing the statistics to the identified merchant; and

requesting compensation for the purchases based on the statistics.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first incentive and the second incentive is a tiered incentive.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the selection of the at least one identified merchant comprises:

providing a list of merchants to the customer; and

receiving the selection of the identified merchant from the customer based on the provided list of merchants.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the list of merchants includes one or more merchants that have previously performed a purchase transaction with the financial account.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the financial account is a credit card account.

10. A system for providing a financial account with incentives, comprising:

a financial account issuer that provides the financial account to a customer, the financial account issuer configured to;

receive a selection of at least one identified merchant from a customer, the customer being associated with the financial account;

provide a first incentive to the financial account for one or more purchases made with the financial account at a merchant other than the identified merchant; and

provide a second incentive to the financial account for one or more purchases made at the identified merchant with the financial account, wherein the first incentive is different than the second incentive.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first incentive includes assigning a first amount of reward points to the financial account and the second incentive includes assigning a second amount of reward points to the financial account, and wherein the second amount of reward points are higher than the first amount of reward points.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the first and second incentives are cash-back offers and wherein the cash-back offers associated with the second incentive are offers for cash-back amounts that are larger than cash-back amounts for the first incentive cash-back offers.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the first incentive includes assigning a first amount of traveler miles and the second incentive includes assigning a second amount of traveler miles, and wherein the second amount of traveler miles are higher than the first amount of traveler miles.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the financial account issue is further configured to:

collect statistics associated with the purchases made at the identified merchant with the financial account;

provide the statistics to the identified merchant; and

provide a request to the identified merchant for compensation for the purchases based on the statistics.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the first incentive and the second incentive is a tiered incentive.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the financial account issuer is configured to receive the selection of the at least one identified merchant by:

providing a list of merchants to the customer; and

receiving the selection of the identified merchant from the customer based on the provided list of merchants.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the list of merchants includes one or more merchants that have previously performed a purchase transaction with the financial account.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the financial account is a credit card account.

19. A computer program product including instructions for execution by a processor to perform a method for providing a financial account with incentives, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of at least one identified merchant from a customer, the customer being associated with the financial account;

providing a first incentive to the financial account for one or more purchases made with the financial account at a merchant other than the identified merchant; and

providing a second incentive to the financial account for one or more purchases made at the identified merchant with the financial account, wherein the first incentive is different than the second incentive.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the first incentive includes assigning a first amount of reward points to the financial account and the second incentive includes assigning a second amount of reward points to the financial account, and wherein the second amount of reward points are higher than the first amount of reward points.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the first and second incentives are cash-back offers and wherein the cash-back offers associated with the second incentive are offers for cash-back amounts that are larger than cash-back amounts for the first incentive cash-back offers.

22. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the first incentive includes assigning a first amount of traveler miles and the second incentive includes assigning a second amount of traveler miles, and wherein the second amount of traveler miles are higher than the first amount of traveler miles.

23. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

collecting statistics associated with the purchases made at the identified merchant with the financial account;

providing the statistics to the identified merchant; and

requesting compensation for the purchases based on the statistics.

24. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein at least one of the first incentive and the second incentive is a tiered incentive.

25. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the receiving the selection of the at least one identified merchant comprises:

providing a list of merchants to the customer; and

receiving the selection of the identified merchant from the customer based on the provided list of merchants.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the list of merchants includes one or more merchants that have previously performed a purchase transaction with the financial account.

27. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the financial account is a credit card account.

28. A computer-implemented method for providing a credit card account with incentives, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of an identified merchant from a customer, the customer being associated with the credit card account; and

providing an incentive to the credit card account for purchases made at the identified merchant with the credit card account.