METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING REWARDS

• US 20080201224A1
• Filed: 11/13/2007
• Published: 08/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Inventors: Owens, Nina Castro, Kravchuk, Richard Stephen
• Application Number:
  US11/939,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20080201224A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0213 Consumer transaction fees
• 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 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

Methods, systems, apparatus, computer program code and means for processing reward transactions are provided including receiving, from a point of interaction associated with a merchant, an authorization request message identifying a requested purchase transaction, the authorization request message including data identifying a payment account identifier and a purchase amount. Authorizing the purchase transaction, and receiving, from the merchant, merchant reward data associated with the purchase transaction, and updating a pooled rewards database entry associated with the consumer.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, from a point of interaction associated with a merchant, an authorization request message identifying a requested purchase transaction, said authorization request message including data identifying a payment account identifier and a purchase amount;

authorizing said purchase transaction;

receiving, from said merchant, merchant reward data associated with said purchase transaction; and

updating a pooled rewards database entry associated with said consumer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that said payment account identifier is associated with a consumer participating in a pooled rewards program.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that said merchant is a participant in said pooled rewards program.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said determining that said payment account identifier is associated with a consumer participating in a pooled rewards program is performed based on information in said authorization request and substantially in conjunction with said authorizing.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said determining that said payment account identifier is associated with a consumer participating in a pooled rewards program is performed based on batch data received from said merchant after completion of said purchase transaction.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

communicating information identifying said updated pooled rewards database entry to said consumer during said purchase transaction.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

communicating information identifying said updated pooled rewards database entry to said consumer after said purchase transaction.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said updating said pooled rewards database entry comprises:

receiving merchant reward information identifying a merchant reward point total associated with said transaction and applying a conversion factor to calculate a pooled reward point total associated with said transaction.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

transmitting an administrative message to said merchant point of interaction, said administrative message containing information identifying the consumers current pooled reward point information;

receiving, in response to said administrative message, an acknowledgement message confirming receipt of said administrative message;

receiving, from said merchant point of interaction, an updated authorization request, said updated authorization request including an updated purchase amount based on at least one of;

(i) a discount amount applied to the original purchase amount, and (ii) a reward point redemption amount applied to the original purchase amount; and

authorizing said purchase transaction based on said updated authorization request.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

updating said pooled rewards database entry based on said updated authorization request.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said pooled rewards database entry includes information identifying at least one of:

a unique consumer identifier associated with said consumer, a pooled reward point total, and at least a first merchant reward program point total.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory in communication with the processor, the memory storing program instructions, the processor operative with the program instructions to;

receive, from a point of interaction associated with a merchant, an authorization request message identifying a requested purchase transaction, said authorization request message including data identifying a payment account identifier and a purchase amount;

authorize said purchase transaction;

receive, from said merchant, merchant reward data associated with said purchase transaction; and

update a pooled rewards database entry associated with said consumer.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is further operative with the program instructions to:

determine that said payment account identifier is associated with a consumer participating in a pooled rewards program.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is further operative with the program instructions to:

transmit an administrative message to said merchant point of interaction, said administrative message containing information identifying the consumers current pooled reward point information;

receive, in response to said administrative message, an acknowledgement message confirming receipt of said administrative message;

receive, from said merchant point of interaction, an updated authorization request, said updated authorization request including an updated purchase amount based on at least one of;

(i) a discount amount applied to the original purchase amount, and (ii) a reward point redemption amount applied to the original purchase amount; and

authorize said purchase transaction based on said updated authorization request.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is further operative with the program instructions to:

update said pooled rewards database entry based on said updated authorization request.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said pooled rewards database entry includes information identifying at least one of:

a unique consumer identifier associated with said consumer, a pooled reward point total, and at least a first merchant reward program point total.

17. A rewards system, comprising:

a point of interaction generating a transaction authorization request message associated with a transaction, the request message including a purchase amount, a payment account identifier, and a merchant identifier;

an authorization system, in communication with the point of interaction to receive the transaction authorization request message and authorize said transaction;

a pooled rewards system, associated with said authorization system, and controlling a pooled rewards database, said pooled rewards database storing information identifying participating consumers, participating merchants, pooled reward point balances, and merchant reward program point balances;

the pooled rewards system operative with said authorization system to

determine that a consumer associated with said payment account identifier and a merchant associated with said merchant identifier are participants in a pooled rewards program; and

update a record associated with said consumer to reflect a number of merchant reward point earned by said transaction and a corresponding number of pooled reward points earned by said transaction.

18. The rewards system of claim 17, wherein said pooled reward systems is further operative with said authorization system to:

transmit an administrative message to said point of interaction, during said transaction, to inform said consumer of at least one of said pooled reward points and said merchant reward points.