POINT-OF-SALE PURCHASE SYSTEM AND METHOD WITH OPTION OF PAYMENT USING LOYALTY POINTS
First Claim
1. A method for method for managing loyalty accounts, the method comprising:
- receiving from a point-of-sale device an account identifier and a purchase identifier;
determining a rewards value corresponding to units in a loyalty account associated with account identifier and deemed necessary to purchase an item identified by the purchase identifier;
communicating the rewards value to the point-of-sale device;
receiving from a point-of-sale device an authorization to use at least a portion of the reward value for at least a portion of a purchase price in a purchase transaction; and
processing the purchase transaction.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
One representative embodiment provides for the use of frequent flyer miles awarded to a customer by an airline as currency/alternative card type at the point-of-sale. For example, a customer dining at a restaurant can be given the option of paying with frequent flyer miles in addition to other traditional payment types. In such an implementation, the merchant swipes the frequent flyer card at the point-of-sale; the ‘conversion’ of the cost of the goods/services into frequent flyer miles is displayed for the customer; and the customer has the choice of completing the payment by frequent flyer miles or other traditional payment types. Settlement then occurs between merchant and a card processor and the card processor and the airline, respectively.
82 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for method for managing loyalty accounts, the method comprising:
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receiving from a point-of-sale device an account identifier and a purchase identifier; determining a rewards value corresponding to units in a loyalty account associated with account identifier and deemed necessary to purchase an item identified by the purchase identifier; communicating the rewards value to the point-of-sale device; receiving from a point-of-sale device an authorization to use at least a portion of the reward value for at least a portion of a purchase price in a purchase transaction; and processing the purchase transaction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A system for managing loyalty accounts, the system comprising:
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a communication interface which receives an account identifier and a purchase identifier from a point-of-sale device; a database including loyalty account information for a loyalty account associated with the account identifier; and a processor programmed to determine a rewards value corresponding to units in the loyalty account and deemed necessary to purchase an item identified by the purchase identifier, and the processor further programmed to process a purchase transaction upon receiving from the point-of-sale device an authorization to use at least a portion of the reward value for at least a portion of a purchase price in the purchase transaction. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for managing a frequent flyer account, the method comprising:
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receiving from a point-of-sale device an account identifier for a frequent flyer account and a purchase identifier; determining a rewards value corresponding to frequent flyer miles in the frequent flyer account and deemed necessary to purchase an item identified by the purchase identifier; communicating the rewards value and a total account miles value to the point-of-sale device; receiving from a point-of-sale device an authorization to use at least a portion of the reward value for at least a portion of a purchase price in a purchase transaction; and processing the purchase transaction including deducting the rewards value needed for the purchase transaction from the frequent flyer account. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification