METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR OBTAINING CUSTOMER SELECTION OF A TRANSACTION INSTRUMENT IN A LOYALTY CAMPAIGN

• US 20130046599A1
• Filed: 10/17/2012
• Published: 02/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apriva, LLC (APPSware Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Apriva, LLC (APPSware Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Coppinger, Paul D.
• Application Number:
  US13/654,203
• Publication Number:
  US 20130046599A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.23
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives

Abstract

A loyalty gateway (130) determines a. mobile device identifier of a customer based on transaction information obtained from a point of sale device (120) and searches a database (135) to determine whether the mobile device identifier is associated in the database (135) with multiple transaction instrument identifiers. If the mobile device identifier is associated with multiple transaction account identifiers, the loyalty gateway (130) communicates with a mobile device (110) of the customer to obtain from the customer a selection of one of the transaction instrument identifiers and applies a transaction instrument (115) corresponding to the selected transaction account identifier in payment for the transaction. Thereafter, the loyalty gateway (130) provides to the customer associated with the mobile device identifier a loyalty benefit such as a free item, a discount on a purchase, or loyalty points applicable to a purchase.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining, from a customer enrolled in a loyalty campaign, selection of a transaction instrument to apply to a transaction occurring at a point of sale, the method performed by a computer system and comprising the steps of:

obtaining transaction information from a point of sale device;

determining a mobile device identifier of the customer based on the transaction information;

searching a database to determine whether the mobile device identifier is associated in the database with multiple transaction instrument identifiers;

communicating, if the mobile device identifier is associated with multiple transaction account identifiers, with a mobile device of the customer to obtain from the customer a selection of one of the transaction instrument identifiers;

applying the transaction instrument corresponding to the selected transaction account identifier in payment for the transaction; and

providing to the customer associated with the mobile device identifier a loyalty benefit comprising at least one of a free item, a discount on a purchase, and loyalty points applicable to a purchase.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the mobile device identifier comprises the steps of searching, when a mobile device identifier is not provided by the point of sale device, a database for a provided transaction account identifier and identifying a mobile device identifier associated with the transaction account identifier in the database.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the transaction information includes a purchase amount and wherein the step of communicating with the mobile device comprises providing the purchase amount to the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of communicating with the mobile device comprises communicating via a wallet application previously installed on the mobile device upon enrollment by the customer into the loyalty campaign providing the loyalty benefit.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of communicating with the mobile device comprises obtaining an indication by the customer of a portion of a purchase price to be applied to a first transaction instrument, and wherein the step of applying the transaction instrument comprises applying the indicated portion of the purchase to the first transaction instrument and applying a remaining portion of the payment to a second transaction instrument.

6. A computer implemented system for obtaining, from a customer enrolled in a loyalty campaign, selection of a transaction instrument to apply to a transaction occurring at a point of sale, the method performed by a computer system and comprising:

input means for obtaining transaction information from a point of sale device, the transaction information comprising at least one of a mobile device identifier and a transaction account identifier;

computing means for determining the mobile device identifier of the customer based on the transaction information and for searching a database to determine whether the mobile device identifier is associated in the database with multiple transaction instrument identifiers;

communication means for communicating, if the mobile device identifier is associated with multiple transaction account identifiers, with a mobile device of the customer to obtain from the customer a selection of one of the transaction instrument identifiers;

the computing means applying the transaction instrument corresponding to the selected transaction account identifier in payment for the transaction; and

output means for providing to the customer associated with the mobile device identifier a loyalty benefit comprising at least one of a free item, a discount on a purchase, and loyalty points applicable to a purchase.

7. The system of claims 6 wherein the computing means comprises means for searching a database, when a mobile device identifier is not provided by the point of sale device, for a provided transaction account identifier and identifying a mobile device identifier associated with the transaction account identifier in the database.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the input means obtains a purchase amount, and wherein the communication means provides the purchase amount to the mobile device,

9. The system of claim 6 Wherein the communication means comprises means for communicating with the mobile device via a wallet application previously installed on the mobile device upon involvement by the customer into the loyalty campaign providing the loyalty benefit.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein the communication means comprises obtaining an indications by the customer of a portion of a purchase price to be applied to a first transaction instrument, and wherein the computing means applies the transaction instrument comprises applying the indicated portion of the purchase to the first transaction instrument and applying a remaining portion of the payment to a second transaction instrument.

11. A method for obtaining, from a customer enrolled in a loyalty campaign, selection of a transaction instrument to apply to a transaction occurring at a point of sale, the method performed by a mobile communication device and comprising the steps of:

obtaining from a gateway computer system an indication of a transaction involving a user of the mobile device when the gateway computer system determines that a mobile device identifier associated with the mobile communication device is associated with multiple transaction account identifiers in a database;

obtaining from the user a selection of a transaction account identifier from among the multiple transaction account identifiers;

providing the selected transaction account identifier to the gateway computer system to be applied to the transaction;

obtaining from the gateway computer system an indication of a loyalty benefit comprising at least one of a free item, a discount on a purchase, and loyalty points applicable to a purchase; and

communicating the loyalty benefit to the user.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of obtaining the selection of the transaction account identifier comprises communicating via a wallet application previously installed on the mobile device upon enrollment by the customer into the loyalty campaign providing the loyalty benefit.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of obtaining the selection of the transaction account identifier comprises providing a pending transactions interface by which the user can select a transaction instrument.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of obtaining the selection comprises providing a purchase price of the transaction.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of obtaining the selection of the transaction account identifier comprises obtaining an indication by the customer of a portion of a purchase price to be applied to a first transaction instrument, such that a remaining portion will be applied to a second transaction instrument.

16. A mobile communication device for obtaining, from a customer enrolled in a loyalty campaign, selection of a transaction instrument to apply to a transaction occurring at a point of sale, the method performed by a mobile communication device and comprising:

input means for obtaining from a gateway computer system an indication of a transaction involving a user of the mobile device When the gateway computer system determines that a mobile device identifier associated with the mobile communication device is associated with multiple transaction account identifiers in a database;

user interface means for obtaining from the user a selection of a transaction account identifier from among the multiple transaction account identifiers;

output means for providing the selected transaction account identifier to the gateway computer system to be applied to the transaction; and

the user interface means obtaining from the gateway computer system an indication of a loyalty benefit comprising at least one of a free item, a discount on a purchase, and loyalty points applicable to a purchase and communicating the loyalty benefit to the user.

17. The mobile communication device of claim 16 wherein the output means comprises means for communicating via a wallet application previously installed on the mobile device upon enrollment by the customer into the loyalty campaign providing the loyalty benefit.

18. The mobile communication device of claim 16 wherein the customer input means comprises means for providing a pending transactions interface by which the user can select a transaction instrument.

19. The mobile communication device of claim 16 wherein the customer input means comprises means for providing a purchase price of the transaction.

20. The mobile communication device of claim 16 wherein the customer input means comprises means for obtaining an indication by the customer of a portion of a purchase price to be applied to a first transaction instrument, such that a remaining portion will be applied to a second transaction instrument.