SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO PROCESS AN OFFER CAMPAIGN BASED ON INELIGIBILITY

• US 20130218670A1
• Filed: 02/13/2013
• Published: 08/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Spears, Joseph, Carlson, Mark, Stan, Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 9,477,967 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.47
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0248 Avoiding fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0252 based on events or environment, e.g. weather or festivals

Abstract

In one aspect, a computing apparatus is configured to represent offer rules based on requirements for the detection of predefined types of events and actions scheduled to be performed in response to the detection of each occurrence of the events. The events are independent from each other in processing and are linked via prerequisite conditions and/or ineligibility conditions to formulate the requirements of an offer campaign. In one embodiment, the ineligibility of a user, participating in the offer campaign, to meet the requirements of a first event leads to the monitoring of a second event that has a prerequisite condition formulated based on the ineligibility of the user to meet the requirements of the first event; and the second event provides an alternative path within the offer campaign when the user cannot meet the requirements of the first event.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, in a computing apparatus, a set of records for an offer campaign, each record in the set of records identifying a set of conditions to match an event to be completed by a user participating in the offer campaign, wherein the set of records includes a first record identifying a first event, and a second record identifying a second event corresponding to an occurrence of ineligibility of the user to complete the first event;

monitoring, by the computing apparatus, occurrences of events relevant to the offer campaign to detect events completed by the user in accordance with the set of records;

detecting, by the computing apparatus in accordance with the second record, the occurrence of ineligibility of the user to complete the first event; and

storing, by the computing apparatus, data indicating completion of the second event by the user in the offer campaign, in response to detection of the occurrence of ineligibility of the user to complete the first event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of records specifies, for the offer campaign, a set of events linked via at least one prerequisite condition and at least one ineligibility condition.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one condition specified for the first event is identified in the first record;

and the second record includes a reference to the first record for the ineligibility condition; and

the method further comprises;

processing, by the computing device, the first record to identify one or more conditions that represent the occurrence of ineligibility of the user to complete the first event.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the offer campaign includes a first budget for a plurality of users participating in the offer campaign;

and the occurrence of ineligibility of the user to complete the first event is a result of the first budget being reached.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first event is required to be completed within a predetermined time period;

and the occurrence of ineligibility of the user to complete the first event is a result of an expiration of the predetermined time period.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second record specifies a notification action;

and the method further comprises;

in response to the detection of the occurrence of ineligibility of the user to complete the first event, sending a notification, in accordance with the notification action specified in the second record, to the user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the notification is by way of at least one of:

SMS, email, telephone call, webpage, direct mail, social network site, and digital wallet.

8. A system, comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory storing instructions configured to instruct the at least one processor to;

receive a set of records for an offer campaign, each record in the set of records identifying a set of conditions to match an event to be completed by a user participating in the offer campaign, wherein the set of records includes a first record identifying a first event, and a second record identifying a second event corresponding to an occurrence of ineligibility of the user to complete the first event;

monitor occurrences of events relevant to the offer campaign to detect events completed by the user in accordance with the set of records;

detect in accordance with the second record, the occurrence of ineligibility of the user to complete the first event; and

store data indicating completion of the second event by the user in the offer campaign, in response to detection of the occurrence of ineligibility of the user to complete the first event.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the set of records specifies, for the offer campaign, a set of events linked via at least one prerequisite condition and at least one ineligibility condition.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein at least one condition specified for the first event is identified in the first record;

and the second record includes a reference to the first record for the ineligibility condition; and

the instructions are further configured to instruct the at least one processor to process the first record to identify one or more conditions that represent the occurrence of ineligibility of the user to complete the first event.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the offer campaign includes a first budget for a plurality of users participating in the offer campaign;

and the occurrence of ineligibility of the user to complete the first event is a result of the first budget being reached.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the first event is required to be completed within a predetermined time period;

and the occurrence of ineligibility of the user to complete the first event is a result of an expiration of the predetermined time period.

13. The system of claim 8, further comprising a portal, wherein the instructions are further configured to instruct the at least one processor to, in response to the detection of the occurrence of ineligibility of the user to complete the first event, send, by the portal, a notification to the user.

14. The system of claim 8, further comprising a transaction handler, wherein the events relevant to the offer campaign include purchases by consumers, and the transaction handler is configured to detect the purchases.

15. The system of claim 8, further comprising a data warehouse to store the data indicating completion of the second event by the user in the offer campaign.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a portal or rule engine to monitor the occurrences of events relevant to the offer campaign.

17. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor comprises a first processor, and the system further comprises a portal including the first processor.

18. The system of claim 8, further comprising a transaction handler or portal configured to provide a user interface to merchants for creating offer campaigns, including the offer campaign.

19. The system of claim 19, wherein the portal provides the user interface, and the user interface is configured to receive an action specified by one of the merchants for the portal to invoke when an event satisfying requirements of a record in the set of records is detected.

20. A non-transitory computer-storage medium storing instructions configured to instruct a system to:

receive a set of records for an offer campaign, each record in the set of records identifying a set of conditions to match an event to be completed by a user participating in the offer campaign, wherein the set of records includes a first record identifying a first event, and a second record identifying a second event corresponding to an occurrence of ineligibility of the user to complete the first event;

monitor, by a computing apparatus, occurrences of events relevant to the offer campaign to detect events completed by the user in accordance with the set of records;

detect, by the computing apparatus, the occurrence of ineligibility of the user to complete the first event; and

store data indicating completion of the second event by the user in the offer campaign, in response to detection of the occurrence of ineligibility of the user to complete the first event.