REBATE AUTOMATION

• US 20110066483A1
• Filed: 05/20/2010
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Adams, Gregory Michael, Shepard, David Chauncey, Fordyce, Edward W. III, DiGioacchino, Laura, Salmon, Diane C., VonDerheide, James Alan
• Granted Patent: US 9,031,859 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.17
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• 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 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0234 Rebates after completed purchase
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]

Abstract

A computer receives information that a request is made to authorize a transaction for a sale of a product by a merchant to an account holder in a transaction conducted on a consumer account issued to the account holder. When the computer confirms that the transaction is authorized and that the transaction occurs within a predetermined time period for which there is a rebate associated with the product and a corresponding sponsor financially responsible for the rebate, the computer communicates that the rebate is to be debited to an account of the sponsor and either: (i) given as a discount by the merchant at the point of sale to the account holder; or (ii) credited to an account issued to the account holder by the issuer.

Claims

1. In a payment processing network having a plurality of transaction handlers each of which is in communication, for the processing of payments on respective transactions, with a respective plurality of acquirers and a respective plurality of issuers, a method comprising a plurality of steps each being performed by hardware executing software, wherein the steps include:

receiving information from one said transaction handler of a sale of a product by a merchant to an account holder in one said transaction conducted on a consumer account issued to the account holder, wherein for the one said transaction;

the consumer account is issued to the account holder by one said issuer; and

the merchant communicates the transaction to one said acquirer who communicates the transaction to the one said transaction handler who requests payment for the transaction from the one said issuer and who pays the one said acquirer with a payment for the transaction from the one said issuer, and the one said acquirer pays the payment for the transaction to the merchant;

confirming that the transaction occurs within a predetermined time period and that there is a rebate associated with the product and a corresponding sponsor financially responsible for the rebate; and

forming, for each said confirmation, a transmission containing information for delivery to the one said transaction handler giving instructions to debit the rebate to a sponsor account of the sponsor.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the steps further comprise informing the merchant, through the one said acquirer, to discount the sale of the product to the account holder by the amount of the rebate.

3. The method as defined in claim 2, wherein the steps further comprise calculating the amount to be debited to the account of the account holder for the sale of the product in the transaction, wherein the amount reflects the application of the rebate to the purchase price of the product.

4. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 1, wherein the steps further comprise crediting the rebate to the consumer account issued to the account holder by the one said issuer.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the steps further comprise calculating the amount to be debited to the account of the sponsor.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the receiving further comprises the step of receiving information in a notice sent from the merchant through the one said acquirer that the product is to be sold to the account holder; and

the confirming further comprises the step of using the information in the notice to determine whether the product is eligible for the rebate.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the product is selected from the group consisting of:

a predetermined quantity of the same item in the transaction;

a predetermined combination of a plurality of different items in the transaction;

a predetermined combination of;

a plurality of different items in the transaction; and

a predetermined quantity of each said item in the transaction;

a predetermined combination of items sold to the account holder in a plurality of prior said transactions; and

a predetermined combination of items sold to the account holder in a plurality of prior said transactions conducted on the account with a plurality of different merchants.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the account is any of a plurality of account numbers each of which have been issued by the issuer to the account holder.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the sponsor comprises a plurality entities each having a corresponding account number; and

the debiting of the rebate to the account of the sponsor comprises debiting a predetermined portion of the rebate respectively to each of the account numbers of the plurality entities.

10. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the steps of the receiving, the confirming and the forming are preformed by a rebate processor in communication with the plurality of transaction handlers for the processing of a plurality of said rebates corresponding to a plurality of said transactions; and

each said transaction handler handles a corresponding set of said consumer accounts that is mutually exclusive from that of other said transaction handlers.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computing apparatus, performs the method of claim 1.

12. A method comprising a plurality of steps each being performed by hardware executing software, wherein the steps include:

transmitting a request, for delivery to an acquirer, for authorization of a transaction on an account issued to an account holder by an issuer for the purchase of a product from a merchant;

receiving information sent from the acquirer, wherein the information includes an answer to the request for authorization as to whether;

the account issued to the account holder is registered to receive a rebate; and

the product is eligible for the rebate;

transmitting information, for delivery to the acquirer, as to an amount substantially to be;

debited to the account of the account holder for the transaction; and

credited to an account issued by the acquirer, wherein when the account is registered to receive the rebate and the product is eligible for the rebate, then the amount reflects an application of the rebate to the purchase price for the product; and

receiving notice as to the crediting of an amount substantially equal to the rebate to the account issued by the acquirer.

13. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the product is selected from the group consisting of:

a predetermined quantity of the same item in the transaction;

a predetermined combination of a plurality of different items in the transaction;

a predetermined combination of;

a plurality of different items in the transaction; and

a predetermined quantity of each said item in the transaction;

a predetermined combination of items sold to the account holder in a plurality of prior said transactions; and

a predetermined combination of items sold to the account holder in a plurality of prior said transactions conducted on the account with a plurality of different merchants.

14. The implemented method as defined in claim 12, further comprising calculating the amount to be debited to the account of the account holder for the sale of the product in the transaction, wherein the amount reflects the application of the rebate to the purchase price of the product.

15. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the request is received from the account holder at a Point of Service terminal (POS).

16. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the request is received from the account holder via an online e-commerce web service.

17. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the transaction is one of a plurality of said transaction each being processes for a payment thereof in a payment processing system, wherein for each said transaction one said acquirer s, with a respective plurality of acquirers and a respective plurality of issuers, a method comprising a plurality of steps each being performed by hardware executing software

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computing apparatus, performs the method of claim 12.

19. A method comprising a plurality of steps each being performed by hardware executing software, wherein the steps include:

receiving information requesting authorization of a transaction for a sale of the product by a merchant to an account holder in a transaction conducted on a consumer account issued to the account holder; and

when the requested authorization is authorized and the transaction occurs within a predetermined time period for which there is a rebate associated with the product and a corresponding sponsor financially responsible for the rebate;

debiting the rebate to a sponsor account of the sponsor;

crediting the rebate to a merchant account issued to the merchant; and

when information is received that the product was returned by the account holder;

crediting the rebate to the sponsor account of the sponsor; and

debiting the rebate to the merchant account issued to the merchant.

20. The method as defined in claim 19, wherein:

an acquirer issues the merchant account to the merchant;

the acquirer sends the information requesting the authorization of the transaction for the sale of the product by the merchant;

an issuer issues the consumer account to the account holder;

the transaction handler is in communication with;

a plurality of said issuers each of which issues a plurality said consumer accounts to a plurality of said account holders; and

a plurality of said acquirers each of which issues a plurality said merchant accounts to a plurality of said merchants;

one said issuer and one said acquirer for the authorization and the request for the authorization.

21. The method as defined in claim 19, wherein the step of receiving further comprises:

receiving information in a notice sent from the merchant through the acquirer that the product is to be sold to the account holder;

using the information in the notice to determine whether the product is eligible for the rebate; and

for each said product that is determined to be eligible for the rebate;

sending information to the merchant through the acquirer about the amount of the rebate; and

receiving notice from the merchant through the acquirer that the merchant applied the rebate to a price for the for the product in the transaction.

22. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 19, wherein the product is selected from the group consisting of:

a predetermined quantity of the same item in the transaction;

a predetermined combination of a plurality of different items in the transaction;

a predetermined combination of;

a plurality of different items in the transaction; and

a predetermined quantity of each said item in the transaction;

a predetermined combination of items sold to the account holder in a plurality of prior said transactions; and

a predetermined combination of items sold to the account holder in a plurality of prior said transactions conducted on the consumer account with a plurality of different merchants.

23. The method as defined in claim 19, wherein the steps further comprise calculating the amount to be debited to the sponsor account of the sponsor.

24. The method as defined in claim 19, wherein the consumer account is any of a plurality of account numbers each of which have been issued by the issuer to the account holder.

25. The method as defined in claim 19, wherein:

the sponsor comprises a plurality entities each having a corresponding account number; and

the debiting of the rebate to the sponsor account of the sponsor comprises debiting a predetermined portion of the rebate respectively to each of the account numbers of the plurality entities.

26. The method as defined in claim 19, wherein the steps further comprise:

forming a communication to send a request to confirm that there is a rebate associated with the product and a corresponding sponsor financially responsible for the rebate; and

receiving a communication containing the requested confirmation.

27. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computing apparatus, performs the method of claim 19.