LOYALTY PROGRAM PARAMETER COLLABORATION

• US 20080059307A1
• Filed: 08/30/2007
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fordyce III, Edward, Shepard, David, Patel, Karteek, Suarez, Sarah
• Granted Patent: US 10,037,535 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• 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

Abstract

Collaborative constituents collaborate to develop a loyalty program within a transaction processing system. Transmissions addressed to the collaborative constituents are formed and received from the collaborative constituents containing suggested parameters for the loyalty program. At least one remaining parameter for the loyalty program that a set of remaining collaborative constituents have agreed upon is determined. Another transmission addressed to each of the collaborative constituents in the set of remaining collaborative constituents is formed, the another transmission including the remaining parameters for the loyalty program.

Claims

1. A method of collaborating to develop a loyalty program for a transaction processing system, the collaborating being among a plurality of collaborative constituents including two or more of a consumer, an issuer, an acquirer, a merchant, and a transaction handler, the transaction processing system being for the transaction handler processing one or more transactions each including one of the merchants engaging in the transaction using an account issued by one of the issuers for which a holder of the account is rewarded through the loyalty program for the transaction, the method comprising:

forming a first transmission including at least one parameter for the loyalty program, wherein;

the first transmission is addressed to at least one of the collaborative constituents; and

the at least one parameter for the loyalty program is compliant with at least one predetermined loyalty program rule;

determining at least one remaining said parameter for the loyalty program that has been agreed upon by a remaining set of the collaborative constituents within the plurality of collaborative constituents; and

forming a second transmission including the at least one remaining said parameter for the loyalty program, wherein the second transmission is addressed to each of the collaborative constituents among the remaining set of the collaborative constituents.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, after the forming of the second transmission, a third transmission addressed from at least one of the collaborative constituents within the remaining set of the collaborative constituents, wherein the third transmission includes a request to alter the at least one remaining said parameter for the loyalty program.

3. The method as defined in claim 2, further comprising determining that each of the collaborative constituents in the remaining set of the collaborative constituents have each agreed to the request to alter.

4. The method as defined in claim 2, further comprising:

determining the alteration in the at least one remaining said parameter for the loyalty program, wherein the alteration has been agreed upon by a second remaining set of the collaborative constituents within the plurality of collaborative constituents; and

forming a fourth transmission including the alteration in the at least one remaining said parameter for the loyalty program, wherein the fourth transmission is addressed to each the collaborative constituents among the second remaining set of the collaborative constituents.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising, after the forming of the first transmission, forming a third transmission containing an output from an algorithm whose input includes at least a portion of the at least one parameter for the loyalty program and data from one or more purchases from one or more of the merchants by one or more of the consumers, wherein:

each of the purchases were processed by the transaction processing system using a payment account associated with a corresponding said consumer making the purchase;

the output from the algorithm is a quantitative trend within the one or more purchases as a function of the at least a portion of the at least one parameter for the loyalty program; and

the third transmission is addressed to at least one of the collaborative constituents.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising, for each of the transactions in the transaction processing system, performing a step selected from the group consisting of:

rewarding the holder of the account with the reward in accordance with the at least one remaining said parameter for the loyalty program;

calculating a value of the reward;

forming a third transmission having an address corresponding to the holder of the account and containing information about the reward for which the account holder is eligible;

forming a fourth transmission containing the calculated value of the reward;

receiving a fifth transmission containing a notice of the reward; and

a combination of the forgoing.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising forming a third transmission, addressed to at least one of the consumers, containing information based in part on at least a portion of the at least one remaining said parameter for the loyalty program;

receiving a fourth transmission, from the addressed at least one of the consumers, containing a request to become the holder of the account.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first transmission is addressed in accordance with a first workflow identifying a predefined order of delivery thereof and corresponding to a plurality of addresses each being for one or more of the collaborative constituents.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the determining further comprises:

receiving a third transmission, addressed from one or more of the collaborative constituent, including one or more of the parameters for the loyalty program and a corresponding position selected from the group consisting of favor and disfavor on the one or more of the parameters for the loyalty program; and

selecting each of the at least one remaining said parameter for the loyalty program from among the one or more parameters for the loyalty program based on;

the corresponding position received; and

a corresponding compliance of the one or more of the parameters for the loyalty program with the at least one predetermined loyalty program rule.

10. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the determining further comprises forming one or more additional said transmissions each:

including one or more of the parameters for the loyalty program; and

being addressed in accordance with a workflow identifying a respective predefined order of delivery thereof and respectively corresponding to a plurality of addresses each being for one or more of the collaborative constituents.

11. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the remaining set of the collaborative constituents includes at least one of the merchants, at least one of the issuers, and at least one of the transaction handlers; and

the at least one of the merchant is selected from the group consisting of;

a retailer;

a distributor;

a manufacturer;

a service provider;

a healthcare provider; and

a combination of the forgoing.

12. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the at least one predetermined business rule is a rule for populating a transaction message with information selected from the group consisting of;

information on the transaction;

information on the reward;

an identifier for the account;

an identifier for a commodity purchased during the transaction;

an identifier for the merchant; and

a combination of the forgoing.

13. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one remaining said parameter is a formulaic relationship between an information in a transaction message characterizing the transaction and a value of the reward.

14. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the remaining set of the collaborative constituents is selected from the group consisting of:

a corresponding said collaborative constituent from whom a transmission was received containing an affirmation to remain in the remaining set of the collaborative constituents;

a corresponding said collaborative constituent from whom a transmission was not received containing an affirmation not to remain in the remaining set of the collaborative constituents;

a corresponding said collaborative constituent from whom a third transmission was received containing an agreement to the at least one remaining said parameter for the loyalty program; and

a combination of the foregoing.

15. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one remaining said parameter for the loyalty program is based on an inventory of the merchant selected from the group consisting of a good, a service, and a combination thereof.

16. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the transaction handler comprises a computer and executable computer readable instructions which, when executed by the computer, perform at least one of:

the forming of the first transmission;

the determining; and

the forming of the second transmission.

17. A method of collaborating to develop at least one parameter of a loyalty program for a payment processing system among a plurality of collaborative constituents including two or more of a consumer, an issuer, an acquirer, a merchant, and a transaction handler, wherein the payment processing system processes through a transaction handler a payment for a transaction with the merchant upon an account issued by the issuer for which a holder of the account is rewarded through the loyalty program for the transaction, the method comprising:

forming a first transmission, addressed to at least one of the collaborative constituents, including a suggestion for at least one of the parameters;

determining at least one remaining said parameter that has been agreed upon by a remaining set of the collaborative constituents within the plurality of collaborative constituents by performing steps including;

receiving one or more second transmissions, addressed from one or more of the collaborative constituents, each including at least one of;

the suggestion;

a corresponding position selected from the group consisting of favor and disfavor on the suggestion;

another suggestion for at least one of the parameters; and

a corresponding position selected from the group consisting of favor and disfavor on the another suggestion;

forming one or more third transmissions, each addressed to at least one of the collaborative constituents, each including at least part of the content of the received one or more second transmissions; and

selecting each of the at least one remaining said parameter from among the suggestion and the another suggestion based on;

a plurality of the received positions corresponding to each of the suggestion and the another suggestion; and

a corresponding compliance of the suggestion and the another suggestion with at least one predetermined loyalty program rule;

and

forming a fourth transmission containing the at least one remaining said parameter for the loyalty program, wherein the fourth transmission is addressed to each of the remaining set of the collaborative constituents.

18. The method as defined in claim 17, further comprising receiving, after the forming of the fourth transmission, a fifth transmission addressed from at least one of the collaborative constituents within the remaining set of the collaborative constituents, wherein the fifth transmission includes a request to alter the at least one remaining said parameter for the loyalty program.

19. The method as defined in claim 17, further comprising:

determining the alteration in the at least one remaining said parameter for the loyalty program that has been agreed upon by a second remaining set of the collaborative constituents within the plurality of collaborative constituents; and

forming a fifth transmission including the alteration in the at least one remaining said parameter for the loyalty program, wherein the fifth transmission is addressed to each of the second remaining set of the collaborative constituents.

20. The method as defined in claim 17, further comprising forming at least one of the suggestion for at least one of the parameters contained in the first transmission.

21. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth transmissions are each addressed in accordance with at least one workflow identifying a respective predefined order of delivery thereof and respectively corresponding to a plurality of addresses for one or more of the collaborative constituents.

22. The method as defined in claim 17, further comprising after the forming of the first transmission, forming a fifth transmission containing an output from an algorithm whose input includes:

at least a portion of the suggestion and the another suggestion; and

data on one or more purchases from one or more of the merchants by one or more of the consumers, wherein;

each of the purchases were processed by the payment processing system using a payment account associated with a corresponding the consumer making the purchase;

the output from the algorithm is a quantitative trend within the one or more purchases as a function of the at least a portion of the suggestion and the another suggestion; and

the fifth transmission is addressed to at least one of the collaborative constituents.

23. A system for collaborating to develop a loyalty program for a transaction processing environment, the collaborating being among a plurality of collaborative constituents including two or more of a consumer, an issuer, an acquirer, a merchant, and a transaction handler, the transaction processing environment being for processing one or more transactions each including one of the merchants engaging in the transaction using an account issued by one of the issuers for which a holder of the account is rewarded through the loyalty program for the transaction, the system comprising:

means for forming a first transmission including at least one parameter for the loyalty program, wherein;

the first transmission is addressed to at least one of the collaborative constituents; and

the at least one parameter for the loyalty program is compliant with at least one predetermined loyalty program rule;

means for determining at least one remaining said parameter for the loyalty program that has been agreed upon by a remaining set of the collaborative constituents within the plurality of collaborative constituents; and

means for forming a second transmission containing the at least one remaining said parameter for the loyalty program, wherein the second transmission is addressed to each of the collaborative constituents among the remaining set of the collaborative constituents.

24. The system as defined in claim 23, further comprising:

means for determining the alteration in the at least one remaining said parameter for the loyalty program, wherein the alteration has been agreed upon by a second remaining set of the collaborative constituents within the plurality of collaborative constituents; and

means for forming a fourth transmission including the alteration in the at least one remaining said parameter for the loyalty program, wherein the fourth transmission is addressed to each of the collaborative constituents among the second remaining set of the collaborative constituents.

25. The system as defined in claim 23, wherein the means for determining further comprises:

means for receiving a third transmission, addressed from one or more of the collaborative constituent, including one or more of the parameters for the loyalty program and a corresponding position selected from the group consisting of favor and disfavor on the one or more of the parameters for the loyalty program; and

means for selecting each of the at least one remaining said parameter for the loyalty program based on the corresponding position received and a corresponding compliance of the at least one remaining said parameter for the loyalty program with the at least one predetermined loyalty program rule.