MULTI-VENDOR MULTI-LOYALTY CURRENCY PROGRAM

• US 20090030793A1
• Filed: 07/22/2008
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fordyce, Edward W. III
• Granted Patent: US 8,660,893 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.270
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0229 Multi-merchant loyalty card systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

Loyalty programs can be operated within a payment processing system having multiple vendors, thereby providing access to detailed transaction data and with the flexibility for customization of the loyalty programs themselves, by establishing a communication for the transfer of data via a customer-facing channel. When the payment processing system processes a transaction between a merchant and an account holder, in addition to obtaining payment for the merchant from the account via an acquirer and an issuer, respectively, a transaction handler tabulates and stores, different types of loyalty currencies in a loyalty reward account associated with the account holder if the account holder is enrolled in a loyalty program and criteria for applying the loyalty program are satisfied. The account holder is provided access to the loyalty account via the customer-facing channel.

Claims

1. In a payment processing system for a plurality of transactions each characterized by a merchant and an account holder engaging in the transaction for one or more items upon an account associated with a consumer transaction device that an issuer issues to the account holder, where each said merchant submits the transaction to a corresponding acquirer for processing by a transaction handler who requests the issuer of the account to obtain payment for the transaction from the account and for which the issuer forwards the payment to the transaction handler who forwards the payment to the acquirer to pay the merchant for the transaction, and where the transaction handler also processes other said transactions conducted other said account holders with other said merchants, a method comprising:

for each said transaction processed by the transaction handler, comparing at least one of the account, the issuer of the account, the merchant, and at least one of the items in the transaction to loyalty data in a loyalty database to find at least one predetermined match, wherein each said predetermined match has an associated loyalty reward that is a function of the transaction and is denominated in a loyalty currency; and

for each said predetermined match, adding the loyalty currency of the associated loyalty reward to a balance of the same said loyalty currency in a loyalty account associated with the account of the account holder.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the predetermined match is a match of the account and a combination therewith that is selected from the group consisting of:

the issuer of the account, the merchant, and at least one said item in the transaction;

the issuer of the account;

the merchant;

at least one said item in the transaction;

a plurality of different said items in the transaction; and

a combination of the foregoing.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the loyalty account associated with the account of the account holder has a balance for each of a plurality of different said loyalty currencies;

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the associated loyalty reward is calculated as a function of the transaction at least in part from a number selected from the group consisting of:

the number of a financial currency for the payment for the transaction;

the number of the items in the transaction;

the number of the items in the transaction; and

the number of a particular said item in the transaction.

5. In a payment processing system for a plurality of transactions each characterized by a merchant and an account holder engaging in the transaction upon an account associated by a consumer transaction device that an issuer issues to the account holder where a transaction handler processes the transaction for both the merchant and for other said transactions for other said merchants, each said merchant submitting the corresponding said transaction to a corresponding acquirer for processing by the transaction handler who requests the issuer of the corresponding said account to obtain payment for the corresponding said transaction from the corresponding said account and for which the issuer forwards the payment to the transaction handler who forwards the payment to the acquirer to pay the merchant for the corresponding said transaction, a method conducted by the transaction handler comprising:

establishing a communication protocol for the transfer of data via a customer-facing channel;

storing, for each said transaction on said account, at least one of a plurality of different loyalty currencies in a loyalty account associated with the account that is enrolled in a loyalty program when there has been satisfied criteria defining the loyalty program; and

establishing, via the customer-facing channel with the communication protocol, access by the account holder to the loyalty account.

6. The method as defined in claim 5, wherein said storing further comprises calculating a value for at least one said loyalty currency using the criteria defining the loyalty program.

7. The method as defined in claim 5, further comprising facilitating redemption of at least one said loyalty currency via the customer-facing channel.

8. The method as defined in claim 5, further comprising communicating with a sponsor of the loyalty program via the consumer facing channel.

9. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the sponsor is an issuer of the account of the account holder.

10. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the sponsor is one said merchant with whom the account holder conducted one said transaction.

11. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the communicating with the sponsor of the loyalty program via customer-facing channel is through an agent of the sponsor.

12. In a payment processing system for a plurality of transactions each characterized by a merchant and an account holder engaging in the transaction upon an account associated by a consumer transaction device that an issuer issues to the account holder where a transaction handler processes the transaction for both the merchant and for other said transactions for other said merchants, each said merchant submitting the corresponding said transaction to a corresponding acquirer for processing by the transaction handler who requests the issuer of the corresponding said account to obtain payment for the corresponding said transaction from the corresponding said account and for which the issuer forwards the payment to the transaction handler who forwards the payment to the acquirer to pay the merchant for the corresponding said transaction, a method comprising:

establishing a communication protocol for the transfer of data via a customer-facing channel;

storing a criteria in a loyalty program database having a plurality of said criteria each associated with at least one of a plurality of loyalty programs;

configuring a loyalty account in an account holder database having a plurality of said loyalty accounts each unique to other said loyalty accounts and associated with an account holder enrolled in at least one of the plurality of loyalty programs associated with at least one of the plurality of criteria stored in the loyalty program database; and

storing, for each said transaction on said account, at least one of a plurality of different loyalty currencies in one said loyalty account associated with the account that is enrolled in a loyalty program when there has been satisfied criteria defining the loyalty program; and

establishing, via the customer-facing channel with the communication protocol, access by any said account holder to a corresponding said loyalty account.

13. The method as defined in claim 12, further comprising facilitating redemption of at least one said loyalty currency via the customer-facing channel.

14. The method as defined in claim 12, further comprising communicating with a sponsor of the loyalty program via the consumer facing channel.

15. The method as defined in claim 14, wherein the sponsor is the issuer.

16. The method as defined in claim 14, wherein the sponsor is the merchant.

17. The method as defined in claim 14, wherein the communicating with the sponsor of the loyalty program via customer-facing channel is through an agent of the sponsor.

18. Any payment processing system in which:

a merchant engages in a transaction with an account holder upon an account associated with a portable consumer device issued by an issuer;

a transaction handler coordinates the transfer of monetary currency to an acquirer of the merchant and the transfer of a plurality of different loyalty currencies to a loyalty account of the account holder in response to;

the transaction satisfying a criteria for applying a loyalty program, the criteria being one of a plurality of said criteria defining the loyalty program;

the account holder being enrolled in the loyalty program, and

the account holder accesses the loyalty account using a customer-facing channel in communication with the transaction handler and provided by a sponsor of the loyalty program, wherein the loyalty account is stored in an account holder database having a plurality of said loyalty accounts each unique to other said accounts and associated with one said account holder enrolled in at least one of a plurality of said loyalty programs.

19. The payment processing system as defined in claim 18, in which the account holder redeems each of the different loyalty currencies via the customer-facing channel.

20. The payment processing system as defined in claim 18, in which the transaction handler calculates a value of each of the loyalty currencies to transfer, wherein the value is based upon at least one of the criteria defining the loyalty program.

21. The payment processing system as defined in claim 18, wherein the customer-facing channel is provided by a sponsor of a loyalty program.

22. The payment processing system as defined in claim 21, wherein the sponsor is the issuer.

23. The payment processing system as defined in claim 21, wherein the sponsor is the merchant.

24. The payment processing system as defined in claim 21, wherein the sponsor uses a vendor to provide the customer-facing channel.