System and Method for E-Mail Based Rewards

• US 20110022455A1
• Filed: 08/16/2010
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• 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: Wolf, David, Russo, Jennifer M., Roen, Scott M., Tiku, Sripriya V.
• Granted Patent: US 9,613,361 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• 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 30/0234 Rebates after completed purchase

Abstract

A system and method provide rewards or loyalty incentives to card member customers. The system includes an enrolled card member customer database, an enrolled merchant database, a participating merchant offer database and a registered card processor. The enrolled card member customer database includes transaction accounts of card member customers enrolled in a loyalty incentive program. The enrolled merchant database includes a list of merchants participating in the loyalty incentive program. The participating merchant offer database includes loyalty incentive offers from participating merchants. The registered card processor receives a record for charge for a purchase made with an enrolled merchant by an enrolled card member customer and uses the record of charge to determine whether the purchase qualifies for a rebate credit in accordance with a discount offer from the enrolled merchant. If the purchase qualifies for a rebate credit, the registered card processor provides the rebate credit to an account of the enrolled card member customer. The registered card processor also provides for electronic notification of rewards offers or credit to prepaid cards, in response to purchases conforming to a specific set of merchant criteria. The system provides a coupon-less way for merchants to provide incentive discounts and/or credits to enrolled customers, along with notifying customers of other available incentive offers.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

monitoring, by a computer based system for managing a rewards program, spend data associated with a first transaction account;

analyzing, by the computer based system, the spend data;

assigning, by the computer based system, the first transaction account to at least a first population of a plurality of populations based on spend data and criteria;

transmitting, by the computer based system, a reward to a beneficiary of a first transaction account; and

transmitting, by the computer based system, a rewards offer to at least one of the plurality of populations.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating, by the computer based system, a transaction account with the rewards program;

monitoring, by the computer based system, a transaction of the transaction account;

comparing, by the computer based system, the transaction with a criteria governing the rewards program; and

determining, by the computer based system, a reward based the transaction complying the criteria governing the rewards program.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the transaction account is a prepaid transaction account.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the rewards offer is transmitted via at least one of e-mail, social networking media, and text message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the rewards program is established based on merchant criteria defined by a first merchant.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the merchant criteria is a predetermined spend level on a class of products.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the rewards program provides a reward offer for at least one product in the class of products.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the merchant criteria is a predetermined spend level at a second merchant.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the rewards program provides a reward offer from the first merchant.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of populations are defined by a merchant.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the reward and the reward offer are transmitted at the same time.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting, by the computer based system, the plurality of populations based on real time spend data.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the first transaction account with the first population is automatic.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the computer based system, a plurality of offers from a plurality of merchants; and

defining, by the computer based system, the plurality of populations based on the plurality of offers.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of populations are based on historical spend data and adjusted based on real time spend data.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the rewards offer is at least one of an offer of a discount, a credit of monetary value to the first transaction account, a prepaid transaction account, and a credit of loyalty points.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the rewards offer is provided by a merchant and a product manufacturer.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the reward is at least one of credit of monetary value to the first transaction account, a prepaid transaction account, and a credit of loyalty points.

19. A tangible computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a computer based system for managing a rewards program, causes the computer based system to perform a method comprising:

monitoring, by the computer based system, spend data associated with a first transaction account;

analyzing, by the computer based system, the spend data;

assigning, by the computer based system, the first transaction account to at least a first population of a plurality of populations based on spend data and criteria; and

transmitting, by the computer based system, a reward and a rewards offer to at least one of the plurality of populations.

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;

monitor spend data associated with a first transaction account;

analyze the spend data;

assign the first transaction account to at least a first population of a plurality of populations based on spend data and criteria; and

transmit a reward and a rewards offer to at least one of the plurality of populations.