REBATE PROGRAMS ADMINISTERED VIA PAYMENT PROCESSING SYSTEM BASED ON MERCHANT-AGGREGATED DATA

• US 20100332307A1
• Filed: 06/25/2009
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Inventors: Parento, Stephen A.
• Application Number:
  US12/491,423
• Publication Number:
  US 20100332307A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/34 using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0234 Rebates after completed purchase
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]

Abstract

A method includes receiving a batch of transaction data. The transaction data is transmitted from a computer operated by or on behalf of a merchant. The transaction data relates to a plurality of purchase transactions performed at the merchant. The transaction data includes purchased item data that identifies at least some items purchased in the purchase transactions. The transaction data includes for each purchase transaction a respective payment card account number that identifies a respective payment card account to which the purchase transaction in question was charged. The method further includes identifying, from the transaction data, ones of the purchase transactions that qualify for customer rebates.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a batch of transaction data transmitted from a computer operated by or on behalf of a merchant;

the transaction data relating to a plurality of purchase transactions performed at the merchant, the transaction data including purchased item data that identifies at least some items purchased in the purchase transactions, the transaction data including for each purchase transaction a respective payment card account number that identifies a respective payment card account to which said each purchase transaction was charged; and

identifying, from the received transaction data, ones of said purchase transactions that qualify for customer rebates.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, to a payment system computer, a batch of rebate data, said rebate data representing rebates to be implemented by payment transactions to be initiated in a payment processing network, said payment transactions to be routed to ones of said payment card accounts identified by said rebate data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating payment transactions in a payment processing network in regard to the identified purchase transactions, the payment transactions for crediting customer rebates to payment card accounts of customers who initiated the identified purchase transactions.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying step includes applying at least one rebate qualification rule to said batch of transaction data.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the transaction data includes, for each of said purchase transactions, respective time data that identifies a time of day at which said each purchase transaction occurred; and

the at least one rebate qualification rule prescribes a time of day period during which a purchase transaction must have occurred to qualify for a customer rebate.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said identifying step is performed remotely from point of sale locations at which said purchase transactions occurred.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said identifying step is performed at least one hour after at least some of the purchase transactions occurred.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

billing sponsors of said customer rebates for reimbursement relative to said customer rebates.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said batch of transaction data represents transactions submitted by the merchant for authorization prior to the computer transmitting the batch of transaction data.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the batch of transaction data does not represent any transactions other than transactions performed at the merchant.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the batch of transaction data represents:

a first plurality of purchase transactions charged to payment card accounts issued under a first association brand; and

a second plurality of purchase transactions charged to payment card accounts issued under a second association brand, said second association brand different from said first association brand.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said batch of transaction data represents exclusively transactions charged to payment card accounts issued under the merchant'"'"'s brand.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory in communication with the processor and storing program instructions, the processor operative with the program instructions to;

receive a batch of transaction data transmitted from a computer operated by or on behalf of a merchant;

the transaction data relating to a plurality of purchase transactions performed at the merchant, the transaction data including purchased item data that identifies at least some items purchased in the purchase transactions, the transaction data including for each purchase transaction a respective payment card account number that identifies a respective payment card account to which said each purchase transaction was charged; and

identify, from the received transaction data, ones of said purchase transactions that qualify for customer rebates.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is further operative with the program instructions to:

transmit, to a payment system computer, a batch of rebate data, said rebate data representing rebates to be implemented by payment transactions to be initiated in a payment processing network, said payment transactions to be routed to ones of said payment card accounts identified by said rebate data.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is further operative with the program instructions to:

initiate payment transactions in a payment processing network in regard to the identified purchase transactions, the payment transactions for crediting customer rebates to payment card accounts of customers who initiated the identified purchase transactions.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said identifying step includes applying at least one rebate qualification rule to said batch of transaction data.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein:

the transaction data includes, for each of said purchase transactions, respective time data that identifies a time of day at which said each purchase transaction occurred; and

the at least one rebate qualification rule prescribes a time of day period during which a purchase transaction must have occurred to qualify for a customer rebate.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is further operative with the program instructions to:

bill sponsors of said customer rebates for reimbursement relative to said customer rebates.

19. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for generating rebate data, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising;

computer readable program code means for receiving a batch of transaction data transmitted from a computer operated by or on behalf of a merchant;

the transaction data relating to a plurality of purchase transactions performed at the merchant, the transaction data including purchased item data that identifies at least some items purchased in the purchase transactions, the transaction data including for each purchase transaction a respective payment card account number that identifies a respective payment card account to which said each purchase transaction was charged; and

computer readable program code means for identifying, from the received transaction data, ones of said purchase transactions that qualify for customer rebates.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture further comprises:

computer readable program code means for transmitting, to a payment system computer, a batch of rebate data, said rebate data representing rebates to be implemented by payment transactions to be initiated in a payment processing network, said payment transactions to be routed to ones of said payment card accounts identified by said rebate data.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture further comprises:

computer readable program code means for initiating payment transactions in a payment processing network in regard to the identified purchase transactions, the payment transactions for crediting customer rebates to payment card accounts of customers who initiated the identified purchase transactions.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein said identifying step includes applying at least one rebate qualification rule to said batch of transaction data.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 22, wherein:

the transaction data includes, for each of said purchase transactions, respective time data that identifies a time of day at which said each purchase transaction occurred; and

the at least one rebate qualification rule prescribes a time of day period during which a purchase transaction must have occurred to qualify for a customer rebate.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture further comprises:

computer readable program code means for billing sponsors of said customer rebates for reimbursement relative to said customer rebates.