SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PREPAID REWARDS

• US 20120316945A1
• Filed: 08/23/2012
• Published: 12/13/2012
• 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, Tiku, Sripriya V., Roen, Scott M., Russo, Jennifer M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,412,102 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.17
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• 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 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. 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:

receiving, by a computer based system for managing a rewards program, a prepaid transaction account code indicative of a prepaid transaction account;

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

monitoring, by the computer based system, transaction information for the prepaid transaction account;

comparing, by the computer based system, the transaction information with a rule from an offer associated with the rewards program; and

determining, by the computer based system, a reward based on the transaction information complying with the rule from the offer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the prepaid transaction account code does not particularly identify an account affiliate associated with the prepaid transaction account.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the computer based system, account affiliate information associated with an account affiliate, wherein the account affiliate is associated with the prepaid transaction account, and wherein the prepaid transaction account code does not particularly identify the account affiliate associated with the prepaid transaction account.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the reward is a merchant reward, and is funded by a merchant.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the rule is provided by a merchant and the rule defines a basis for providing the offer from the merchant.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the reward is monetary value.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising crediting, by the computer based system, the reward to the prepaid transaction account.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the reward is provided by a transaction account issuer.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising evaluating, by the computer based system, at least one of a first activity associated with the prepaid account and a second activity associated with the transaction account against a set of offer rules.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, by the computer based system, an offer in response to at least one of the first activity and the second activity conforming with at least a portion of the offer rules, wherein the offer is a merchant sponsored offer.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the reward earned based on the transaction with the prepaid transaction account is credited to the prepaid transaction account.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the reward earned based on the transaction information with the prepaid transaction account is a monetary value.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein an owner of the prepaid transaction account is not particularly identified.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, by the computer based system, a transaction account and a loyalty account associated with the transaction account; and

associating, by the computer based system, the prepaid transaction account with the transaction account and the loyalty account.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

monitoring, the computer based system, transaction information associated with at least one of the prepaid transaction account and the transaction account;

analyzing, by the computer based system, the transaction information; and

assigning, by the computer based system, the prepaid transaction account to a population of a plurality of populations based on transaction information and criteria.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the criteria includes a spending behavior provided by an offering merchant.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the transaction information is real time spend data and includes requests for authorization and transactions that have been posted to the prepaid transaction account.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising transmitting, by the computer based system, a notification of an offer based on the prepaid account being assigned to at least one population.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting, by the computer based system, a notice of a reward based on the prepaid account being assigned to at lest one population, wherein the reward is credited to the loyalty account in response to the reward being loyalty points, wherein the reward is credited to the prepaid transaction account based on a first preference, and wherein the reward is credited to the transaction account based on a second preference.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising indicating, by the computer based system, on a statement associated with the transaction account, a source of the reward in response to the reward being credited based on the transaction information with the prepaid account and the second preference.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the prepaid transaction account is available for purchase from a merchant participating in the rewards program.

22. 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 be capable of performing a method comprising:

receiving, by the computer based system, a prepaid transaction account code indicative of a prepaid transaction account;

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

monitoring, by the computer based system, transaction information for the prepaid transaction account;

comparing, by the computer based system, the transaction information with a rule from an offer associated with the rewards program; and

determining, by the computer based system, a reward based on the transaction information complying with the rule from the offer.

23. A system comprising:

a network interface communicating with a memory;

the memory communicating with a processor for managing a rewards program; and

the processor, when executing a computer program, being capable of performing operations comprising;

receiving, by the processor, a prepaid transaction account code indicative of a prepaid transaction account;

associating, by the processor, the prepaid transaction account with a rewards program based on the prepaid transaction account code;

monitoring, by the processor, transaction information for the prepaid transaction account;

comparing, by the processor, the transaction information with a rule from an offer associated with the rewards program; and

determining, by the processor, a reward based on the transaction information complying with the rule from the offer.