Combined Rewards System and Process Providing Variable Travel Redemption

• US 20090112639A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank NA (Wells Fargo & Company)
• Original Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank NA (Wells Fargo & Company)
• Inventors: Robinson Beaver, Nancy J.
• Application Number:
  US11/930,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20090112639A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

A loyalty rewards system and process rewards currency, e.g. cash back rebates or rewards points, for credit card and check card purchases and provides rewards, including travel, for a customer'"'"'s enterprise relationship. The system and process include methodologies for: enrollment into the combined rewards program or the relationship rewards program; showing total combined points or cash earned with points or amount of cash earned parsed into the various accounts and purchases. Customers are informed of currency earned via periodic statements, newsletters, data online and customer service representatives. A mechanism by which to systematically enroll eligible products or services as defined by the enterprise bases eligibility on social security numbers or other unique customer numbers. A variable travel rewards program eliminates the usual restrictions on reward travel, allowing participants to travel anywhere at any time, to combine points with cash to pay for travel and to book their own travel.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system for a combined rewards program comprising:

means for a customer to make a request to enroll into a combined rewards program;

responsive to said request to enroll, means for identifying and additionally systematically enrolling into the program related items associated with the customer, said means for identifying and additionally automatically enrolling using a unique customer identifier;

responsive to said enrolling, means for performing fulfillment;

means for sending reward recommendations and offers to the customer; and

a variable travel rewards ordering and fulfillment program module that assigns a cash value to reward points and allows a program participant to select any desired air travel itinerary to any desired destination on any carrier substantially without restriction and to pay for the air travel with rewards points equivalent to the purchase price for a ticket for the selected itinerary as though the reward points were cash.

2. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, further comprising:

multiple system of records of card products for identifying and enrolling accounts, performing fulfillment, and sending reward recommendations and offers.

3. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more entry points, wherein said one or more entry points are external or internal to an enterprise.

4. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, wherein said variable travel rewards ordering and fulfillment program module comprises:

means for calculating cash value of a participant'"'"'s accrued rewards point total;

a user interface including means for displaying said accrued rewards point total and said calculated cash value and means for selecting an air travel itinerary;

order fulfillment means for ticketing the desired itinerary; and

order completion means for securing payment either in rewards points or in a combination of rewards points and cash.

5. Within a computer-implemented system for a combined rewards program that systematically enrolls related items associated with a customer into the program by means of a unique customer identifier, a variable travel rewards ordering and fulfillment program module comprising:

means for calculating cash value of a participant'"'"'s accrued rewards point total;

a user interface including means for displaying said accrued rewards point total and said calculated cash value and means for selecting an air travel itinerary;

order fulfillment means for ticketing the selected itinerary; and

order completion means for securing payment either in rewards points or in a combination of rewards points and cash;

wherein a program participant is permitted to select any desired air travel itinerary to any desired destination on any carrier substantially without restriction and to pay for the air travel with rewards points equivalent to the purchase price for a ticket for the selected itinerary as though the reward points were cash.

6. The module of claim 5, wherein said order fulfillment means comprises a link to a travel reward fulfillment agent, wherein said agent tickets said selected itinerary by means of an automated ticketing system.

7. The module of claim 5, wherein said means for selecting an air travel itinerary comprises a link to an airfare pricing and shopping system, wherein said user interface includes interface elements for searching said third-party system, retrieving itinerary information and selecting an itinerary from the retrieved itinerary information.

8. The module of claim 5, said user interface including control elements that allow a user to convert a cash value to a points value and a points value to cash value.

9. Within a computer-implemented system for a combined rewards program that systematically enrolls related items associated with a customer into the program by means of a unique customer identifier, a user interface for selecting an air travel itinerary comprising:

at least one control element that allows a user to convert a cash value to a reward points value and a reward points value to a cash value;

means for displaying any of a point value of a reward and a cash value for said reward;

a plurality of data entry elements and control elements for interacting with an order completion module for securing payment either in rewards points or in a combination of rewards points and cash;

wherein a program participant is permitted to select any desired air travel itinerary to any desired destination on any carrier substantially without restriction and to pay for the air travel with rewards points equivalent to the purchase price for a ticket for the selected itinerary as though the reward points were cash.

10. The user interface of claim 9 further comprising:

a plurality of data entry elements and control elements for interfacing with an airfare pricing and shopping system, including elements for searching said airfare pricing and shopping system, retrieving itinerary information and selecting an itinerary from the retrieved itinerary information

11. A computer-implemented relationship rewards process, comprising the steps of:

providing a one enrollment mechanism, whereby a customer enrolls into a relationship rewards program at one entry point and systematically has one or more eligible accounts enrolled into the relationship rewards program;

for each system of record for each enrolled account, sending a periodic file feed to an enterprise system of record for tracking;

said enterprise system of record using each said periodic file feed to track points earned per product and to combine said points into a total amount of points;

said enterprise system of record sending said points per product and said total amount of points to other systems for providing a points summary to a customer;

said enterprise system of record and any of said each system of record sending files with enrollment data and points earned per product to a relationship rewards vendor for the vendor'"'"'s records;

displaying and making available for redemption said total amount of points, wherein said total amount of points are also itemized;

assigning a cash value to a rewards point; and

redeeming rewards points as payment for air travel, wherein a program participant is permitted to select any desired air travel itinerary to any desired destination on any carrier substantially without restriction and to pay for the air travel with rewards points equivalent to the purchase price for a ticket for the selected itinerary as though the reward points were cash

12. The computer-implemented relationship rewards process of claim 11, wherein said displaying and making available for redemption is online, on a statement, and via a customer service representative.

13. The computer-implemented relationship rewards process of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

calculating cash value of a point value of a reward;

displaying via a user interface said point value of said reward and said calculated cash value;

selecting an air travel itinerary;

ticketing the desired itinerary; and

securing payment either in rewards points or in a combination of rewards points and cash.

14. The computer-implemented relationship rewards process of claim 13, wherein said step of selecting an air travel itinerary comprises the steps of:

searching an airfare pricing and shopping system;

retrieving itinerary information; and

selecting an itinerary from the retrieved itinerary information

15. The computer-implemented rewards process of claim 13, wherein the step of ticketing the desired itinerary comprises the step of:

ticketing said selected itinerary by a travel reward fulfillment agent by means of an automated ticketing system.

16. The computer-implemented relationship rewards process of claim 11, further comprising the step of:

matching a primary and a secondary predetermined unique number of a cardholder for enrolling credit and check cards.

17. A computer-implemented relationship rewards process, comprising the steps of:

providing a one enrollment mechanism, whereby a customer enrolls into a relationship rewards program at one entry point and systematically has one or more eligible accounts enrolled into the relationship rewards program;

for each system of record for each enrolled account, sending a periodic file feed to an enterprise system of record for tracking;

said enterprise system of record using each said periodic file feed to track points earned per product and to combine said points into a total amount of points;

said enterprise system of record sending said points per product and said total amount of points to other systems for providing a points summary to a customer;

said enterprise system of record and any of said each system of record sending files with enrollment data and points earned per product to a relationship rewards vendor for the vendor'"'"'s records;

displaying and making available for redemption said total amount of points, wherein said total amount of points are also itemized;

assigning a cash value to a rewards point;

booking air travel by a program participant with a vendor of the program participant'"'"'s own choice and paying for the booked air travel with the program participant'"'"'s credit card; and

redeeming rewards points toward credit on a balance on the credit card incurred by paying for the booked air travel.

18. The computer-implemented relationship rewards process of claim 17, wherein said displaying and making available for redemption is online, on a statement, and via a customer service representative.

19. The computer-implemented relationship rewards process of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

calculating cash value of a participant'"'"'s accrued rewards point total;

displaying via a user interface said accrued rewards point total and said calculated cash value.

20. The computer-implemented relationship rewards process of claim 17, further comprising the step of:

matching a primary and a secondary predetermined unique number of a cardholder for enrolling credit and check cards