MERCHANT OFFER PROGRAM
First Claim
1. In a system that includes a computing device processing a plurality of transactions each characterized by a merchant and an account holder engaging in the transaction upon an account that an issuer has issued to the account holder and each said transaction qualifying for an incentive from among a plurality of said incentives in a loyalty program, a computer implemented method comprising:
- subsequent to a clearing and settling of a first said transaction that qualifies for a first said incentive, electronically forming, at the computing device;
a first transmission including a first request to debit a value of the first said incentive from a funding balance of a sponsor;
anda second transmission including a second request to credit the value to a first said account that was debited a full ticket price of the first said transaction, wherein;
the first transmission is for delivery to the sponsor;
the second transmission is for delivery to the issuer of the first said account;
the issuer of the first account receives an interchange fee associated with the debiting of the full ticket price of the first said transaction from the first account;
andthe interchange fee remains intact with the issuer of the first account after the value is credited to the first said account.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A value of an incentive in a loyalty program is debited from a funding balance and credited to an account used in a transaction that qualifies for the incentive. A computing device receives a plurality of transactions upon accounts issued to account holders by corresponding issuers. After the transactions that qualify for the incentive are cleared and settled, funds matching the value of the incentive is transferred from a funding balance of the sponsor of the incentive to the account used in the qualified transaction. The issuer'"'"'s interchange fee remains intact after the credit is applied.
172 Citations
20 Claims
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1. In a system that includes a computing device processing a plurality of transactions each characterized by a merchant and an account holder engaging in the transaction upon an account that an issuer has issued to the account holder and each said transaction qualifying for an incentive from among a plurality of said incentives in a loyalty program, a computer implemented method comprising:
subsequent to a clearing and settling of a first said transaction that qualifies for a first said incentive, electronically forming, at the computing device; a first transmission including a first request to debit a value of the first said incentive from a funding balance of a sponsor; and a second transmission including a second request to credit the value to a first said account that was debited a full ticket price of the first said transaction, wherein; the first transmission is for delivery to the sponsor; the second transmission is for delivery to the issuer of the first said account; the issuer of the first account receives an interchange fee associated with the debiting of the full ticket price of the first said transaction from the first account; and the interchange fee remains intact with the issuer of the first account after the value is credited to the first said account. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A computer implemented method comprising:
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electronically receiving, at a computing device, a plurality of transactions each characterized by a merchant and an account holder engaging in the transaction upon an account that an issuer has issued to the account holder; electronically receiving, at the computing device, a rule for determining a value for an incentive in a loyalty program incentivizing one said account holder to engage in one said transaction with a participating said merchant in the loyalty program; for each received said transaction, electronically determining, at the computing device, when the each received said transaction qualifies for the incentive; for each received said transaction that qualifies for the incentive, electronically determining, at the computing device, the value of the incentive based on the received rule; and subsequent to a clearing and settling of a first qualified said transaction, forming, at the computing device; a first transmission including a first request to debit the determined said value from a funding balance of the participating said merchant engaged in the first qualified said transaction; and a second transmission including a second request to credit the determined said value to a first said account that was debited a full ticket price of the first qualified said transaction, wherein; the first transmission is for delivery to the participating said merchant; and the second transmission is for delivery to the issuer of the first said account. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A server including a processor and a computer readable medium storing computer readable code that, when executed by the processor, causes the server to perform a method comprising:
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electronically receiving a plurality of transactions each; characterized by a merchant and an account holder engaging in the transaction upon an account that an issuer has issued to the account holder; and qualifying for an incentive from among a plurality of said incentives in a loyalty program; subsequent to a clearing and settling of a first said transaction qualifying for a first said incentive, forming; a first transmission including a first request to debit funds matching a value of the first said incentive from a funding balance of the merchant engaged in first said transaction; and a second transmission including a second request to credit funds matching the value of the first said incentive to a first said account that was debited a full ticket price of the first said transaction, wherein; the first transmission is for delivery to an acquirer of the merchant engaged in the first said transaction; the second transmission is for delivery to the issuer of the first said account; the issuer of the first account receives an interchange fee associated with the debiting of the full ticket price from the first account; and the interchange fee remains intact with the issuer of the first account after the value is credit to the first said account. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification