System and method for administering a loyalty program and processing payments

• US 20080011837A1
• Filed: 07/14/2006
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Modiv Media, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vayusa, Inc. (Modiv Media, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wesley, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,783,561 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/343 Cards including a counter
• 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 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• 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 30/0236 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: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system and method for administration of a customer loyalty program at a point of sale terminal. The system, in one embodiment, contains a database of customer records for the loyalty program where each customer record contains information about a customer'"'"'s payment device and information about a customer'"'"'s mobile device. The system may locate a customer record in a database based on payment device or mobile device information captured at the point of sale terminal and apply any applicable loyalty program discounts. The system may then forward the payment device information to a third-party payment processor for payment processing. The system may print out a receipt at the point of sale terminal indicating any discounts and containing a promotional message. The system may also send a promotional message to the customer'"'"'s mobile device using the mobile device information stored in the customer'"'"'s record.

Claims

1. A method for administering a loyalty program, said method comprising:

receiving from a merchant'"'"'s point of sale terminal transaction information, said transaction information including both identification information from a customer'"'"'s payment device and a total amount due from said customer to said merchant for a current transaction;

obtaining applicable discounts based on identified customer information as determined from data in a database of customer records, said database accessed using said transmitted identification information from said customer'"'"'s payment device; and

applying any said obtained applicable discounts to said total amount due for said transaction to produce and adjusted amount due.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting said adjusted amount due and said identification information from said customer'"'"'s payment device to a payment processing service and receiving confirmation from said service; and

transmitting a confirmation message to said point of sale terminal, said confirmation message indicating the total amount charged to said payment device and the amount of savings applied.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting a message to said customer using said customer'"'"'s mobile device identification information stored in said database of customer'"'"'s records.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said transmitting a message comprises:

sending an SMS message to the customer'"'"'s mobile phone.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

when said identification information from a payment device has no corresponding data in said database, transmitting a message to said point of sale terminal indicating that said identification information from a payment device is not associated with any customer in said customer database.

6. A method for administering a loyalty program at a point of sale terminal, said point of sale terminal communicating with a remote processing platform, said remote processing platform containing a database of customer records for members of said loyalty program, said method comprising:

obtaining identification information from a customer'"'"'s payment device;

transmitting transaction information to a remote processing platform, said transaction information including at least said identification information from said payment device and a total amount due; and

receiving from said remote processing platform a confirmation message, said confirmation message indicating the total amount to be charged to said payment device and the amount of savings applied.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

producing at said point of sale terminal a customer receipt, said receipt including said total amount to be charged to said payment device, said amount of savings applied, and a promotional message.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

responsive to a message received from said remote processing platform indicating that said identification information from said payment device is not associated with any customer in said database of customer records, displaying a message indicating that the customer is not a member of said loyalty program and prompting said customer to join said loyalty program; and

when a customer chooses to join said loyalty program, accepting through said point of sale terminal customer information including mobile device identification information and transmitting said customer information to said remote processing platform.

9. A method for enrolling a customer in a loyalty program, said customer located at a merchant'"'"'s point of sale terminal, said method comprising:

at a remote processing platform, receiving from said point of sale terminal customer enrollment information, said enrollment information including both identification information from said customer'"'"'s payment device and mobile device identification information;

entering said enrollment information into a database of customer records;

transmitting a confirmation message to said point of sale terminal indicating that said remote terminal has successfully entered said enrollment information into said database of customer records; and

transmitting a message to said customer'"'"'s mobile device using said mobile device identification information, said message identifying said loyalty program and containing a promotional message.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

including a request that said customer respond to confirm his or her desire to join said loyalty program in said message transmitted to said customer'"'"'s mobile device; and

when a response from said customer is received, updating said customer'"'"'s customer record to indicate that said customer is a confirmed customer.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein transmitting a message to said customer'"'"'s mobile device comprises sending an SMS message to the customer'"'"'s mobile phone using the customer'"'"'s mobile phone contained in said enrollment information.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein said response from said customer to confirm his or her desire to join said loyalty program is received by receiving an SMS message from said customer.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein said response from said customer to confirm his or her desire to join said loyalty program is received by accepting said customer'"'"'s log in to a website.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

receiving from said point of sale terminal transaction information, said transaction information including both identification information from a customer'"'"'s payment device and a total amount due from said customer to said merchant for a current transaction;

obtaining applicable discounts based on identified customer information as determined from data in a database of customer records, said database accessed using said transmitted identification information from said customer'"'"'s payment device; and

applying any said obtained applicable discounts to said total amount due for said transaction to produce and adjusted amount due.

15. The method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

receiving at said remote processing platform from said point of sale terminal transaction information, said transaction information including both identification information from a customer'"'"'s mobile device and a total amount due from said customer to said merchant for a current transaction;

obtaining applicable discounts based on identified customer information as determined from data in a database of customer records, said database accessed using said transmitted identification information from said customer'"'"'s mobile device; and

applying any said obtained applicable discounts to said total amount due for said transaction to produce and adjusted amount due.

16. A processing platform comprising:

a database of customer records, each of said customer records comprising;

identification information from a payment device, mobile device identification information, and loyalty program data;

means for receiving from a merchant'"'"'s point of sale terminal transaction information, said transaction information including both identification information from a customer'"'"'s payment device and a total amount due from said customer to said merchant for a transaction;

means for obtaining applicable discounts based on identified customer information as determined from data in a database of customer records, said database accessed using said transmitted identification information from said customer'"'"'s payment device; and

means for applying any said obtained applicable discounts to said total amount due to produce an adjusted amount due.

17. The processing platform of claim 16 further comprising:

means for transmitting said adjusted amount due and said identification information from said customer'"'"'s payment device to a payment processing service and receiving confirmation from said service; and

means for transmitting a confirmation message to said point of sale terminal, said confirmation message indicating the total amount charged to said payment device and the amount of savings applied.

18. The processing platform of claim 16 further comprising:

means for transmitting a message to said customer using said customer'"'"'s mobile device identification information stored in said database of customer'"'"'s records.

19. A system for administering a customer loyalty program comprising:

at least one point of sale terminal; and

a processing platform, said processing platform comprising;

a database of customer records, said customer records comprising;

identification information from a payment device, mobile device identification information, and loyalty program data;

a server configured to receive identification information from a payment device transmitted from one of said at least one point of sale terminal and further operable to locate a customer record containing said received identification information from a payment card within said database of customer records;

a server configured to receive a total amount due transmitted from said at least one point of sale terminal and further operable to calculate an adjusted amount due using said loyalty program data stored in said located customer record;

means for transmitting messages to at least one mobile device; and

a server configured to transmit, using said means for transmitting messages to at least one mobile device, a promotional message to said at least one mobile device using said mobile device identification information stored in said located customer record.

20. A method for administering a loyalty program, said method comprising:

receiving from a merchant'"'"'s point of sale terminal transaction information, said transaction information including both identification information from a customer'"'"'s mobile device and a total amount due from said customer to said merchant for a transaction;

obtaining applicable discounts based on identified customer information as determined from data in a database of customer records, said database accessed using said transmitted identification information from said customer'"'"'s mobile device; and

applying any said obtained applicable discounts to said total amount due for said transaction to produce and adjusted amount due.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

transmitting a message to said customer using said customer'"'"'s mobile device identification information stored in said database of customer'"'"'s records.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said transmitting a message comprises:

sending an SMS message to the customer'"'"'s mobile phone, said SMS message including a promotional message.

23. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

when said identification information from a mobile device has no corresponding data in said database, transmitting a message to said point of sale terminal indicating that said identification information from a mobile device is not associated with any customer in said customer database.

24. A method for administering a loyalty program at a point of sale terminal, said point of sale terminal communicating with a remote processing platform, said remote processing platform containing a database of customer records for members of said loyalty program, said method comprising:

obtaining identification information from a customer'"'"'s mobile device;

transmitting transaction information to a remote processing platform, said transaction information including at least said identification information from said mobile device and a total amount due;

receiving from said remote processing platform a message, said message indicating an adjusted total amount due and the amount of savings applied; and

accepting payment from said customer for said adjusted total amount due.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

producing at said point of sale terminal a customer receipt, said receipt including said adjusted amount due, said amount of savings applied, and a promotional message.

26. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

responsive to a message received from said remote processing platform indicating that said identification information from a mobile device is not associated with any customer in said database of customer records, displaying a message indicating that the customer is not a member of said loyalty program and prompting said customer to join said loyalty program; and

when a customer chooses to join said loyalty program, accepting through said point of sale terminal customer information including mobile device identification information and transmitting said customer information to said remote processing platform.

27. A system for administering a customer loyalty program comprising:

at least one point of sale terminal, said point of sale terminal comprising;

means for capturing mobile device identification information; and

a processing platform, said processing platform comprising;

a database of customer records, said customer records comprising;

mobile device identification information and loyalty program data;

a server configured to receive mobile device identification information transmitted from one of said at least one point of sale terminal and further operable to locate a customer record containing said received mobile device identification information within said database of customer records; and

a server configured to receive a total amount due transmitted from said at least one point of sale terminal and further operable to calculate an adjusted amount due using said loyalty program data stored in said located customer record.

28. The system of claim 27 further comprising:

means for transmitting messages to at least one mobile device; and

a server configured to transmit, using said means for transmitting messages to at least one mobile device, a promotional message to said at least one mobile device using said mobile device identification information stored in said located customer record.