SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A MERCHANT LOYALTY SYSTEM

• US 20070124204A1
• Filed: 05/10/2006
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Voltmer, Theodore, Jackson, Glyn, Ramsey, Samuel, de Boer, Elts
• Granted Patent: US 8,155,999 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.270
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/6562 Manganese
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/8913 Cobalt and noble metals
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 37/0205 in several steps
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 37/0226 Oxidation of the substrate, e.g. anodisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0208 Trade or exchange of goods or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0219 based on funds or budget
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0227 Frequent usage incentive value reconciliation between diverse systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0228 On-line clearing houses
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0229 Multi-merchant loyalty card systems
• 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 30/0235 : constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 : Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 : at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 : Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 : based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 : Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 : Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 : Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 : Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 : Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements

Abstract

A system and method for implementing a merchant loyalty program is disclosed. The invention includes receiving purchase data, wherein the purchase data comprises a consumer account code, a purchase amount, and a service establishment code; associating the service establishment code with a merchant proprietor rewards account code; calculating a reward amount based on the purchase amount; and, crediting a merchant proprietor reward account with at least a portion of said reward amount.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating a merchant reward program, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving purchase data, wherein said purchase data comprises a consumer account code, a purchase amount, and a service establishment code;

associating said service establishment code with a merchant proprietor rewards account code;

calculating a reward amount based on said purchase amount; and

,

crediting a merchant proprietor reward account with at least a portion of said reward amount, wherein said merchant proprietor rewards account is associated with said merchant proprietor rewards account code.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising crediting a consumer reward account at least a portion of said reward amount.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said crediting step includes calculating said reward amount based on a daily summary of transaction volume associated with said service establishment code.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said crediting step includes calculating said reward amount based on consumer spend discount volume.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a manufacturer item code and a manufacturer account code;

determining whether a manufacturer item code and a manufacturer account code correspond; and

,

crediting a manufacturer reward account with said reward amount.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said determining step includes performing an analysis that is further dependent upon at least one of a manufacturer identifier and a consumer profile.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said consumer profile comprises at least one of a date on which a consumer made a particular purchase, a frequency of purchases, a quantity of purchases, and a total transaction price.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said crediting step includes crediting based upon at least one of consumer purchasing, consumer not purchasing, a Universal Product Code, a Stock Keeping Unit code, purchases within a defined timeframe, purchases outside of a defined timeframe, items from a specific merchant, items from a group of merchants, items in a defined geographic region, a type of authorized transaction, a purchased item, a type of merchant, a particular store, transaction amount, daily spending, and biometric data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said crediting step further comprises calculating said reward amount based upon a reward ratio determined by at least one of a card sponsor, a card provider, a merchant, and a manufacturer.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said reward amount comprise at least one of a coupon, a gift certificate, reward points, a product, and a service.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing data analysis using at least one of said consumer account code, said service establishment code, said purchase data, a retailer item identifier, a manufacturer item identifier, said reward amount, a manufacturer ID, and a consumer profile.

12. A method for establishing a merchant reward program, said method comprising the steps of:

processing an application for a merchant proprietor transaction account having an associated merchant proprietor reward account, wherein said application is received from a merchant proprietor;

assigning a transaction account number to said merchant proprietor and a service establishment number to a service establishment associated with said merchant proprietor, when said application is approved; and

,

associating said transaction account number with said service establishment number to facilitate awarding a reward amount to at least one of said merchant proprietor reward account and a consumer reward account based upon consumer spend.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of processing purchase data comprising a consumer account code, a purchase amount, and a service establishment code.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising associating said consumer account code with a plurality of said service establishment codes.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising associating said consumer account code with a plurality of said transaction account numbers.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising processing at least one of said consumer application and said merchant application through a capture agency using an account decisioning and approval system.

18. A system for facilitating a merchant reward program, said system configured to:

receive purchase data, wherein said purchase data comprises a consumer account code, a purchase amount, and a service establishment code;

associate said service establishment code with a merchant proprietor loyalty account code;

calculate a reward amount based on said purchase amount; and

,

credit said merchant proprietor loyalty account with at least a portion of said reward amount.

19. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with processing instructions for implementing a method, said processing instructions directing a computer to perform the steps of:

receiving purchase data, wherein said purchase data comprises a consumer account code, a purchase amount, and a service establishment code;

associating said service establishment code with a merchant proprietor loyalty account code;

calculating a reward amount based on said purchase amount; and

,

crediting said merchant proprietor loyalty account at least a portion of said loyalty point amount, wherein said merchant proprietor rewards account is associated with said merchant proprietor rewards account code.

20. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with processing instructions for implementing a method, said processing instructions directing a computer to perform the steps of:

receiving purchase data, wherein said purchase data comprises a consumer account code, a purchase amount, and a service establishment code;

associating said service establishment code with a merchant proprietor rewards account code;

calculating a reward amount based on said purchase amount; and

,

crediting a merchant proprietor reward account with at least a portion of said reward amount, wherein said merchant proprietor rewards account is associated with said merchant proprietor rewards account code.