SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING POSITIVE BEHAVIOR AND/OR MAKING AWARDS BASED UPON GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION

• US 20100106580A1
• Filed: 08/24/2009
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Kaplan, Jessica A., Kapoor, Deepak K., Perry, Denee, Etheredge, Christine C., Sharnak, Larry, Leung, Jason K., Koo, E. Bai
• Application Number:
  US12/546,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20100106580A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.170
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

The system evaluates a set of incentives based upon a variety of factors and/or predetermined rules and consumers are provided incentives when they satisfy one or more criteria of making payments for their transaction accounts. The one or more criteria include making an early payment, paying more than a minimum amount due, and making the payment through an automatic payment scheme. If a received payment satisfies one or more predefined criteria, one or more incentives are selected for the consumer, tracked, and provided to the consumer. The system analyzes payment information to determine attributes and positive (desirable) behavior and provides incentives to the consumer based on such positive behaviors.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a computer, data associated with a purchase transaction;

determining, by the computer, a geographic area related to the data;

obtaining, by a computer, consumer information associated with a consumer, wherein the consumer is associated with the data;

determining, by the computer and based at least partially upon the consumer information and the geographic area, an incentive, wherein the incentive comprises a desired behavior of the consumer, wherein the incentive comprises a reward for satisfying the desired behavior; and

producing, by the computer, output based at least partially upon the first incentive in order to offer the consumer the first incentive.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a geographic area related to the data includes using at least one of:

zip codes, retailer identification codes, retailer item identifier, store identifier, warranty data, service establishment codes, SKU codes, UPC manufacturer codes, consumer ID, retailer ID, manufacturer ID, purchaser profile, consumer enrollment data, retailer loyalty identifier, consumer account, aggregate consumer account, consumer profile, supplementary member profile, or third party provider information.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining, based upon the geographic area and the data that the consumer satisfies the desired behavior.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining the reward by determining an amount of geographic area loyalty points based on the geographic area and the data.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the output comprises offering a second incentive wherein the desired positive behavior associated with the second incentive is the consumer purchasing a suggested item in the geographic area.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the desired positive behavior associated with the second incentive is the consumer purchasing a suggested item in the geographic area within a specific timeframe.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the output comprises informing the consumer of the geographic area loyalty points in real-time at a point-of-sale.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising updating a loyalty account associated with the consumer with the geographic area loyalty points.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the updating the loyalty account includes calculating the geographic area loyalty points using at least one of a formula, ratio, percentage, geographic area information, cellular phone caller location, global positioning system information, consumer level, point level, retailer level, manufacturer level, or reward level.

10. The method of claim 4, further comprising at least one of pooling, gifting or transferring the geographic area loyalty points.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein the determining an amount of geographic area loyalty points based on the geographic area and the data includes calculating the geographic area loyalty points using at least one of a formula, ratio, percentage, consumer level, cellular phone caller location, global positioning system information, point level, retailer level, manufacturer level, or reward level.

12. The method of claim 4, further comprising associating at least two of a consumer identifier (ID), the data, a retailer ID, or a manufacturer item ID;

wherein the data comprises the manufacturer item identifier (ID), and the retailer item ID.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises a request related to a requested geographic redemption area to redeem an amount of the geographic area loyalty points, wherein the desired behavior of the consumer is associated with redeeming loyalty points.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the desired the desired behavior of the consumer is associated with redeeming loyalty points in the requested geographic redemption area.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein determining if the requested geographic redemption area is associated with the geographic area loyalty points includes using at least one of:

zip codes, retailer identification codes, retailer item identifier, store identifier, warranty data, service establishment codes, SKU codes, UPC manufacturer codes, consumer ID, retailer ID, manufacturer ID, purchaser profile, consumer enrollment data, retailer loyalty identifier, consumer account, aggregate consumer account, consumer profile, supplementary member profile, or third party provider information.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the reward comprises at least one of a lower Annual Percentage Rate (APR) or an achievement credit toward a lower APR.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the reward comprises at least one of a discount on finance charges, a rebate on finance charges, a discount on fees, or a rebate on fees.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the reward comprises at least one of a cash bonus, a cash-back amount, loyalty points, an increased credit line, an increased spend line, a statement credit, a gift voucher, waiving an annual fee associated with a consumer account, upgrading status of account consumer account, upgrading status of a second consumer account, upgrading the status of a third-party account, providing access to a club, providing access to a website, providing access to discounted products, upgrading a consumer account to a VIP status, providing a preferred bidding status to an item in an auction, providing a preferred access to an item in an auction, providing a loaded smart card, or paying the consumer an interest amount based at least partially upon the early payment amount.

19. A tangible computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

receiving, by the computer, data associated with a transaction;

determining, by the computer, a geographic area related to the data;

obtaining, by a computer, consumer information associated with a consumer, wherein the consumer is associated with the data;

determining, by the computer and based at least partially upon the consumer information and the geographic area, an incentive, wherein the incentive comprises a desired behavior of the consumer, wherein the incentive comprises a reward for satisfying the desired behavior; and

producing, by the computer, output based at least partially upon the first incentive in order to offer the consumer the first incentive.

20. A system comprising:

a network interface communicating with a memory;

the memory communicating with a processor; and

the processor, when executing a computer program, is configured to;

receive data associated with a purchase transaction;

determine a geographic area related to the data;

obtain consumer information associated with a consumer, wherein the consumer is associated with the data;

determine based at least partially upon the consumer information and the geographic area, an incentive, wherein the incentive comprises a desired behavior of the consumer, wherein the incentive comprises a reward for satisfying the desired behavior; and

produce output based at least partially upon the first incentive in order to offer the consumer the first incentive.