Methods for Providing Digital Incentives Including a Digital Incentives Switch for Matching Transactions and Incentives

• US 20110137716A1
• Filed: 12/03/2009
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Augeo Clo, Inc.
• Original Assignee: edo Interactive Incorporated (Augeo Affinity Marketing, Inc.)
• Inventors: DYKE, Jonathan, REUTHE, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 8,799,065 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.17
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 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 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing digital incentives or financial offsets including the steps of: providing a financial platform operable on a server computer and at least one database in electronic, digital communication over a network, the financial platform operable for financial services transactions; providing a database of profile data for the at least one user; developing a digital incentive program for stimulating financial transactions by at least one user, the digital incentive program including profile factors from the profile data of the at least one user; automatically providing at least one digital incentive to corresponding of the at least one user, the at least one digital incentive available for a redemption by each of the users, wherein the digital incentive has an electronic financial transaction value available for the redemption on any electronic financial transaction media, and wherein the redemption of the electronic financial transaction value of the digital incentive does not occur at a merchant level of the financial transactions.

Claims

1. A method for issuing digital incentives for financial transaction credits as offsets to a consumer user'"'"'s financial account, comprising the steps of:

providing a financial platform operable on a server computer and at least one database in electronic, digital communication over a network, the financial platform operable for financial services transactions;

database of profile data for the at least one user;

providing a digital incentives issuing system for administering digital incentives for stimulating financial transactions by at least one user, the digital incentive program including profile factors for selecting recipients among consumer users and their corresponding profile data;

a financial messaging switch presenting the digital incentives issuing system with financial data and non-financial message data; and

the digital incentives messaging system automatically comparing financial transaction data with the digital incentive(s) and digital incentive rules for determining whether the transaction qualifies for a digital incentive to be associated with it;

if the transaction qualifies, then automatically applying at least one digital incentive to a corresponding account of the at least one user, wherein the step of applying the digital incentive provides an electronic financial transaction value as a credit or financial offset to the user account.

2. The method of claim 1, further including the step of providing an electronic digital credit associated with a qualification of the transaction by the digital incentives issuing system, the credit applicable through any electronic financial transaction media.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital incentives issuing system is operable for the steps of:

matching a transaction and at least one digital incentive and applying the at least one digital incentive at the time a financial transaction in authorized by the financial platform.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital incentives issuing system is operable for the steps of:

matching the transaction and available digital incentive(s) by matching transaction profile factors with the transaction profile data and applying the at least one digital incentive independently of an authorization for the financial transaction by the issuing processor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of applying the at least one digital incentive is activated at an issuing processor level within the financial platform.

6. The method of claim 1, further including the step of extracting data relating to the financial transaction at an issuing processor level within the financial platform.

7. The method of claim 6, further including the step of providing a digital incentives user data database at an issuing processor level within the financial platform.

8. The method of claim 7, further including the step of storing information relating to the match of the transaction profile factors and the profile data in the digital incentives user data database.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of applying the at least one digital incentive does not occur at a merchant level of the financial transactions.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the financial services transactions include debit, credit, and prepaid electronic payment cards, wireless digital electronic device transactions, and bank account transactions.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the financial services transactions are electronic financial transactions.

12. The method of claim 1, further including the step of providing an interactive user interface on a website operable for remote access by the at least one user to manage his/her digital incentives.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein website provides information about the number and type of digital incentives available for each of the at least one user.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein website provides information about the number and type of digital incentives previously applied for each of the at least one user.

15. The method of claim 1, further including the step of providing real-time statistical modeling and analysis based on tracking and feedback associated with the application of the digital incentives.

16. A system for providing digital incentives comprising:

a financial system operable on a server computer and at least one database in electronic, digital communication over a network, the financial platform operable for financial services transactions;

the financial system interacting with a database of profile data for a multiplicity of users;

a digital incentive program operable within the financial system and the server computer for stimulating financial transactions by the users, the digital incentive program including profile factors for matching with the profile data of the users and automatically providing at least one digital incentive to corresponding users, the at least one digital incentive available for a use by each of the users after a digital incentives processor confirms a match;

the digital incentive has an electronic financial transaction value available for the use on any electronic financial transaction media, and wherein the use of the electronic financial transaction value of the digital incentive does not occur at a merchant level of the financial transactions.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the digital incentives processor is constructed and configured to determine whether a match exists between the profile factors and the profile data for at least one user, and operable to apply the at least one digital incentive at the time a financial transaction is authorized by the financial platform.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the digital incentives processor is operable to determine whether the profile factors match the profile data for at least one user and to apply the at least one digital incentive independently of an authorization for the financial transaction by an issuing processor.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the server computer transforms the financial transaction at a bank account level of each user, applying the financial transaction value available at the time of the financial transaction as a credit to each user.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the system further includes user accounts that are accessible to an authorized set of selected users via an interactive user interface on a website.