SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DISCOUNTING FUEL

• US 20150012347A1
• Filed: 09/26/2014
• Published: 01/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Excentus Corporation (Professional Datasolutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Excentus Corporation (Professional Datasolutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nicholson, G. Randy
• Granted Patent: US 10,528,967 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0227 Frequent usage incentive value reconciliation between diverse systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0232 Frequent usage rewards other than merchandise, cash or travel
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

A system and method of discounting a price-per-unit (PPU) of fuel during a fueling transaction by a customer at a fuel merchant. In one aspect, the invention identifies an issuer of the customer'"'"'s credit card, associates the issuer with a PPU discount for the fuel, and discounts the posted PPU by an amount equal to the PPU discount associated with the identified credit card issuer. In another aspect, the invention determines that the customer participates in a reward program with a vendor with whom the fuel merchant has a relationship agreement for providing PPU discounts for fuel in exchange for redeemed reward points from the reward program. The customer'"'"'s reward points are converted to a PPU discount, and the posted PPU of the fuel is discounted accordingly.

Claims

1. A method of discounting a price-per-unit (PPU) of fuel during a fueling transaction initiated by a customer at a fuel merchant, the method comprising:

reading, by a point of sale terminal, a financial card number during the fueling transaction;

determining an identity of the customer based on the financial card number;

determining, based on the identity of the customer, whether the customer participates in a frequent flier reward program with a particular card issuer that has a relationship agreement that provides for redeeming frequent flier miles in exchange for a discount for fuel; and

in response to a determination that the customer participates in the frequent flier reward program;

determining a number of frequent flier miles available for redemption by the customer;

determining whether the number of frequent flier miles available for redemption satisfies a first threshold number of frequent flier miles;

determining whether the number of frequent flier miles available for redemption satisfies a second threshold number of frequent flier miles;

in response to a determination that the number of frequent flier miles available for redemption satisfies the first threshold number of frequent flier miles, presenting, by the point of sale terminal, first information indicating that a first discount for fuel is available to the customer by redeeming a first portion of the frequent flier miles available for redemption;

in response to a determination that the number of frequent flier miles available for redemption satisfies the second threshold number of frequent flier miles, presenting, by the point of sale terminal, the first information and second information, wherein the second information indicates that a second discount for the fuel is available to the customer by redeeming a second portion of the frequent flier miles available for redemption, wherein the second discount is greater than the first discount, and wherein the second portion of the frequent flier miles available for redemption is greater than the first portion of the frequent flier miles available for redemption;

receiving, by the point of sale terminal, an input indicating an authorization to redeem one of the first portion of the frequent flier miles in exchange for the first discount and the second portion of the frequent flier miles in exchange for the second discount;

when the input indicates the authorization to redeem the first portion of the frequent flier miles;

redeeming the first portion of the frequent flier miles;

reducing a price of fuel posted on a fuel dispenser by the first discount to produce a first discounted price of the fuel; and

dispensing the fuel to the customer at the first discounted price; and

when the input indicates the authorization to redeem the second portion of the frequent flier miles;

redeeming the second portion of the frequent flier miles;

reducing the price of fuel posted on the fuel dispenser by the second discount to produce a second discounted price of the fuel; and

dispensing the fuel to the customer at the second discounted price.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the discount for fuel is a PPU discount that reduces the price per unit of fuel dispensed during the fueling transaction by a predetermined amount.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes:

calculating a redeemed discount by multiplying the discount for fuel discount by a number of units of fuel purchased in the fueling transaction, wherein the discount for fuel is one of the first discount and the second discount;

converting a number of redeemed frequent flier miles to a cash value at a predetermined rate;

crediting a cash value equal to the redeemed discount to an account associated with a fuel merchant; and

debiting a cash value equal to the redeemed discount to an account associated with the particular card issuer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the discount for fuel is a percentage discount that reduces a total sales price for the fueling transaction by a predetermined percentage.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the method includes:

calculating a redeemed discount by multiplying the discount for fuel by a total sales price for the fueling transaction;

converting a number of redeemed frequent flier miles to a cash value at a predetermined rate;

crediting cash value equal to the redeemed discount to an account associated with a fuel merchant; and

debiting cash value equal to the redeemed discount to an account associated with the particular card issuer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the financial card number is read using an input device integrated with the point of sale, and wherein the input device is a magnetic card reader, a radio frequency identification (RFID) controller, a contactless smart card reader, an audio recognition device, a biometric recognition device, an optical reader, or a combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes transmitting information indicating a number of frequent flier miles redeemed during the fueling transaction to an entity that provides the frequent flier reward program.

8. A point of sale for discounting a price-per-unit (PPU) of fuel during a fueling transaction initiated by a customer at a fuel merchant, the point of sale comprising:

a financial card reader configured to read a financial card number during the fueling transaction;

a fuel dispenser; and

a controller configured to;

determine an identity of the customer based on the financial card number;

determine, based on the identity of the customer, whether the customer participates in a frequent flier reward program with a particular card issuer that has a relationship agreement that provides for redeeming frequent flier miles in exchange for a discount for fuel; and

in response to a determination that the customer participates in the frequent flier reward program;

determine a number of frequent flier miles available for redemption by the customer;

determine whether the number of frequent flier miles available for redemption satisfies a first threshold number of frequent flier miles;

determine whether the number of frequent flier miles available for redemption satisfies a second threshold number of frequent flier miles

in response to a determination that the number of frequent flier miles available for redemption satisfies the first threshold number of frequent flier miles, present first information indicating that a first discount for fuel is available to the customer by redeeming a first portion of the frequent flier miles available for redemption;

in response to a determination that the number of frequent flier miles available for redemption satisfies the second threshold number of frequent flier miles, present the first information and second information, wherein the second information that indicates a second discount for the fuel is available to the customer by redeeming a second portion of the frequent flier miles available for redemption, wherein the second discount is greater than the first discount, and wherein the second portion of the frequent flier miles available for redemption is greater than the first portion of the frequent flier miles available for redemption;

receive an input indicating an authorization to redeem one of the first portion of the frequent flier miles in exchange for the first discount and an authorization to redeem the second portion of the frequent flier miles in exchange for the second discount;

when the input indicates the authorization to redeem the first portion of the frequent flier miles;

redeem the first portion of the frequent flier miles;

reduce a price of fuel posted on a fuel dispenser by the first discount to produce a first discounted price of the fuel; and

cause the fuel dispenser to dispense the fuel to the customer at the first discounted price; and

when the input indicates the authorization to redeem the second portion of the frequent flier miles;

redeem the second portion of the frequent flier miles;

reduce the price of fuel posted on the fuel dispenser by the second discount to produce a second discounted price of the fuel; and

cause the fuel dispenser to dispense the fuel to the customer at the second discounted price.

9. The point of sale of claim 8, wherein the discount for fuel is a PPU discount that reduces the price per unit of fuel dispensed during the fueling transaction by a predetermined amount.

10. The point of sale of claim 8, further comprising a redeemed discounts calculator configured to:

calculate a redeemed discount by multiplying the discount for fuel discount by a number of units of fuel purchased in the fueling transaction, wherein the discount for fuel is one of the first discount and the second discount;

convert a number of redeemed frequent flier miles to a cash value at a predetermined rate;

credit a cash value equal to the redeemed discount to an account associated with a fuel merchant; and

debit a cash value equal to the redeemed discount to an account associated with the particular card issuer.

11. The point of sale of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to initiate transmission of information indicating a number of frequent flier miles redeemed during the fueling transaction to an entity that provides the frequent flier reward program.

12. The point of sale of claim 8, wherein the discount for fuel is a percentage discount that reduces a total sales price for the fueling transaction by a predetermined percentage.

13. The point of sale of claim 12, further comprising a redeemed discounts calculator configured to:

calculate a redeemed discount by multiplying the discount for fuel by a total sales price for the fueling transaction;

convert a number of redeemed frequent flier miles to a cash value at a predetermined rate;

credit cash value equal to the redeemed discount to an account associated with a fuel merchant; and

debit cash value equal to the redeemed discount to an account associated with the particular card issuer.

14. The point of sale of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to initiate transmission of information indicating a number of frequent flier miles redeemed during the fueling transaction to an entity that provides the frequent flier reward program.

15. The point of sale of claim 8, wherein the financial card reader includes a magnetic card reader, a radio frequency identification (RFID) controller, a contactless smart card reader, an audio recognition device, a biometric recognition device, an optical reader, or a combination thereof.

16. The point of sale of claim 8, wherein the number of frequent flier miles available for redemption is determined based on information stored in a database accessible to the controller.