System and method for redeeming affinity rewards as political contributions

• US 20090024483A1
• Filed: 07/18/2008
• Published: 01/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David J. Urban
• Original Assignee: David J. Urban
• Inventors: Urban, David J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,996,262 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.270
• 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 30/0213 Consumer transaction fees
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• 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

Abstract

Systems, methods and computer program products for facilitating the redemption of affinity reward points as political contributions are disclosed. In an aspect, “points” or “miles” created through various existing affinity programs prevalent in the credit card and airline industries can be redeemed as political donations. Typically, such reward, award or bonus “points” or “miles” have been redeemed for free or discounted rewards such as airline tickets, hotel room stays, restaurant vouchers or other goods and services. However, millions of vested affinity points or miles are left unused (i.e., unredeemed). The present invention allows a consumer who holds such points or miles to link to a political campaign, political party or political action committee allowing excess points to be converted into cash donations to such political campaigns, political parties or political action committees.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating the redeeming of affinity points as political contributions, comprising:

a) querying an individual, via the website of a political organization, whether said individual would like to donate points from an affinity program to said political organization;

b) presenting said individual, when the result of said querying step (a) is positive, with a list of affinity programs from which to donate points to said political organization;

c) receiving, from said individual, a selection of a desired affinity program from among said list of affinity programs;

d) receiving, from said individual, a desired amount of points to be redeemed from said desired affinity program;

e) converting said desired amount of points into a cash equivalent amount; and

f) forwarding at least a portion of said cash equivalent amount to said political organization.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said political organization is one of:

an individual candidate campaign;

a political action committee;

a national political party;

a state political party; and

a local political party.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said list of affinity programs includes at least one of:

an affinity program associated with a financial transaction instrument; and

an affinity program associated with an airline frequent-flyer account.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said desired affinity program is associated with a financial transaction instrument in the form of one of:

a credit card;

a charge card;

a debit card; and

a stored-value card.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

g) deducting a percentage of said cash equivalent amount as a processing fee prior to said forwarding step (f).

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

g) deducting said desired amount of points from the balance of an account belonging to said individual and associated with said desired affinity program.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

g) redirecting said individual to a website associated with said desired affinity program;

whereby at least said step (d) and said step (e) take place within said website associated with said desired affinity program.

8. A method for redeeming of affinity points as political contributions, comprising:

a) presenting an individual with a list of affinity programs from which to donate points to a political organization;

b) receiving, from said individual, a selection of an affinity program from among said list of affinity programs;

c) receiving, from said individual, a desired amount of points to be redeemed from said affinity program selected in said step (b);

d) converting said desired amount of points into a cash equivalent amount;

e) deducting said desired amount of points from the balance of an account belonging to said individual and associated with said affinity program selected in said step (b); and

f) forwarding at least a portion of said cash equivalent amount to said political organization.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

g) deducting a percentage of said cash equivalent amount as a processing fee prior to said forwarding step (f).

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said affinity program selected in said step (b) is associated with a transaction account belonging to the employer of said individual.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said political organization is one of:

an individual candidate campaign;

a political action committee;

a national political party;

a state political party; and

a local political party.

12. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having control logic stored therein for causing a computer to facilitate the redeeming of affinity points as political contributions, said control logic comprising:

first computer readable program code means for causing the computer to query an individual whether said individual would like to donate points from an affinity program to said political organization;

second computer readable program code means for causing the computer to present said individual with a list of affinity programs from which to donate points to said political organization;

third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive, from said individual, a selection of a desired affinity program from among said list of affinity programs;

fourth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive, from said individual, a desired amount of points to be redeemed from said desired affinity program;

fifth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to convert said desired amount of points into a cash equivalent amount; and

sixth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to initiate a transfer of funds equaling at least a portion of said cash equivalent amount to said political organization.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising:

seventh computer readable program code means for causing the computer to deduct a percentage of said cash equivalent amount as a processing fee.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising:

seventh computer readable program code means for causing the computer to deduct said desired amount of points from the balance of an account belonging to said individual and associated with said desired affinity program.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein said political organization is one of:

an individual candidate campaign;

a political action committee;

a national political party;

a state political party; and

a local political party.

16. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having control logic stored therein for causing a computer to redeem affinity points as political contributions, said control logic comprising:

first computer readable program code means for causing the computer to present an individual with a list of affinity programs from which to donate points to a political organization;

second computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive, from said individual, a selection of an affinity program from among said list of affinity programs;

third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive, from said individual, a desired amount of points to be redeemed from said selected affinity program;

fourth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to convert said desired amount of points into a cash equivalent amount;

fifth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to deduct said desired amount of points from the balance of an account belonging to said individual and associated with said selected affinity program; and

sixth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to initiate a transfer of funds equaling at least a portion of said cash equivalent amount to said political organization.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising:

seventh computer readable program code means for causing the computer to deduct a percentage of said cash equivalent amount as a processing fee.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein said political organization is one of:

an individual candidate campaign;

a political action committee;

a national political party;

a state political party; and

a local political party.