OPTIMIZATION OF PURCHASE BENEFITS BY USE OF MULTIPLE FINANCIAL ACCOUNTS

• US 20120290366A1
• Filed: 05/10/2011
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Giles, Jarrad A.
• Application Number:
  US13/104,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20120290366A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

Systems and methods for optimization of purchase benefits by use of multiple financial accounts are disclosed. According to an aspect, a method includes determining a category among multiple categories for each purchase item of multiple purchase items. The method may include determining reward program benefits associated with financial accounts. Further, the method may include associating each purchase item with one of the financial accounts based on the category of the purchase item and the reward program benefits. A purchase item may be associated with the financial account that provides the greatest monetary benefit in exchange for purchase of the purchase item. The method may also include conducting a plurality of purchase transactions for purchasing the purchase items. Each purchase transaction may use a different one of the financial accounts to purchase the purchase item(s) associated with the financial account.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a category among a plurality of categories for each purchase item of a plurality of purchase items;

determining reward program benefits associated with a plurality of financial accounts;

associating each purchase item with one of the financial accounts based on the category of the purchase item and the reward program benefits; and

conducting a plurality of purchase transactions for purchasing the purchase items, wherein each purchase transaction uses a different one of the financial accounts to purchase the one or more purchase items associated with the financial account.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a category for each purchase item comprises:

receiving data associated with the purchase item; and

using the data to determine the category for the purchase item.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising reading a machine-readable image on the purchase item that represents identification of the purchase item, and

wherein receiving data comprises using identification of the purchase item to access the data associated with the purchase item.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a category for each purchase item comprises determining whether the category of each purchase item is one of a grocery, service, office-related item, automobile-related item, consumer item, corporate item, media item, electronic item, and home improvement item.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the reward program benefits includes at least one of loyalty point information, travel credit information, discount information, gift information, cash back information, and donation information.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving identifications of the financial accounts;

and

wherein determining reward program benefits comprises using the identifications to retrieve the reward program benefits.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving identifications of the financial accounts comprises receiving user profile information including the identifications.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving identifications of the financial accounts comprises reading the identifications of the financial accounts from a plurality of financial cards.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein associating each purchase item with one of the financial accounts comprises associating each purchase item with the financial account among the financial accounts that provides the greatest monetary benefit in exchange for purchase of the purchase item.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising presenting, to a purchaser, identification of each financial account and the one or more purchase items associated with the financial account.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising receiving user input to initiate purchase of the one or more items by use of the associated financial accounts.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein conducting the plurality of purchase transactions is implemented in response to receiving the user input.

13. The method of claim 11, comprising presenting, to a purchaser, a value indicating a monetary benefit of the use of each financial account for purchasing the associated one or more purchase items.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the transaction manager is configured to:

receive data associated with the purchase item; and

use the data to determine the category for the purchase item.

16. The system of claim 15, comprising a scanner configured to read a machine-readable image on the purchase item that represents identification of the purchase item, and

wherein the transaction manager is configured to use identification of the purchase item to access the data associated with the purchase item.

14. A system comprising:

a transaction manager configured to;

determine a category among a plurality of categories for each purchase item of a plurality of purchase items;

determine reward program benefits associated with a plurality of financial accounts; and

associate each purchase item with one of the financial accounts based on the category of the purchase item and the reward program benefits; and

a sales module configured to conduct a plurality of purchase transactions for purchasing the purchase items, wherein each purchase transaction uses a different one of the financial accounts to purchase the one or more purchase items associated with the financial account.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the transaction manager is configured to determine whether the category of each purchase item is one of a grocery, service, office-related item, automobile-related item, consumer item, corporate item, media item, electronic item, and home improvement item.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the reward program benefits includes at least one of loyalty point information, travel credit information, discount information, gift information, cash back information, and donation information.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the transaction manager is configured to:

receive identifications of the financial accounts; and

use the identifications to retrieve the reward program benefits.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the transaction manager is configured to receive user profile information including the identifications.

21. The system of claim 19, comprising a scanner configured to read the identifications of the financial accounts from a plurality of financial cards.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the transaction manager is configured to associate each purchase item with the financial account among the financial accounts that provides the greatest monetary benefit in exchange for purchase of the purchase item.

23. The system of claim 14, comprising a user interface configured to present, to a purchaser, identification of each financial account and the one or more purchase items associated with the financial account.

24. The system of claim 14, comprising a user interface configured to receive user input to initiate purchase of the one or more items by use of the associated financial accounts.

25. A computer program product for optimizing purchase benefits, said computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to determine a category among a plurality of categories for each purchase item of a plurality of purchase items;

computer readable program code configured to determine reward program benefits associated with a plurality of financial accounts;

computer readable program code configured to associate each purchase item with one of the financial accounts based on the category of the purchase item and the reward program benefits; and

computer readable program code configured to conduct a plurality of purchase transactions for purchasing the purchase items, wherein each purchase transaction uses a different one of the financial accounts to purchase the one or more purchase items associated with the financial account.