Systems and Methods to Enable Offer and Rewards Marketing, and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Network Platform

• US 20170178174A1
• Filed: 02/17/2017
• Published: 06/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bruce Mitchell
• Original Assignee: Spring Marketplace, Inc.
• Inventors: Mitchell, Bruce
• Granted Patent: US 10,546,315 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing and operating a customer loyalty and rewards platform including network-based and merchant-based registration and management, including mobile messaging, remote and local customer registration options, enrollment and automated payment card account association therewith.

Claims

1. A system for a cloud-based platform comprising:

a platform database hosted on a remote server computer;

a web tier supporting a plurality of consumer applications, merchant applications, and administrative applications, wherein the web tier is hosted in a cloud and provides data and services to a plurality of websites; and

a network services tier hosted on the cloud and providing a backend set of services, the backend set of services operable for real-time communication with financial services parties, wherein the backend set of services are operable to enroll a consumer account in the platform, redeem an offer for the consumer account, redeem an incentive for the consumer account, or credit a reward to the consumer account,

wherein the remote server computer is connected over a network with the web tier and the network services tier;

wherein, upon enrollment of the consumer account in the platform, the network services tier is further operable to enroll the consumer account in a merchant offers program, incentives program, or rewards program.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein enrollment of the consumer account in the platform occurs via a WiFi captive web portal operable to receive an account number or card number of the consumer as a prerequisite for providing WiFi access through a WiFi router associated with the WiFi captive web portal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein enrollment of the consumer account in the platform occurs via an enterprise application on a third-party website, wherein the enterprise application is included on the third-party website via java script code such that the java script code causes the enterprise application to adapt a plurality of visually perceptible elements visually corresponding to the third-party website.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein enrollment of the consumer account in the platform occurs upon an entry of an account number into a field on a website, a field on a mobile application, through a purchase at a merchant Point-of-Sale (POS) through a magnetic card swipe transaction, a Europay Visa MasterCard (EMV) transaction, a Near Field Communication (NFC) transaction, a Radio Frequency (RF) transaction, or through taking a photo of a card associated with the account.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein enrollment of the consumer account in the merchant offers program, incentives program, or rewards program occurs automatically upon performing a transaction with the consumer account at the merchant via entry of an account number into a field on a website, via entry of the account number into a field on a mobile application, via a magnetic card swipe transaction, via a Europay Visa MasterCard (EMV) transaction, via a Near Field Communication (NFC) transaction, via a Radio Frequency (RF) transaction, or through taking a photo of a card associated with the account.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein enrollment of the consumer account in the platform occurs upon making a reservation for goods or services on a web page or a mobile application.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a mobile communications device connected to the network services tier over the network;

wherein the mobile communications device includes a mobile application;

wherein the network services tier is operable to receive authorization files related to a transaction;

wherein the network services tier is operable to send an offer, a reward, or an incentive to the mobile application on the mobile communications device in real-time upon receiving the authorization files related to the transaction.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a mobile communications device connected to the network services tier over the network;

wherein the mobile communications device includes a mobile application;

wherein the network services tier is operable to receive clearing files related to a transaction;

wherein the network services tier is operable to send an offer, a reward, or an incentive to the mobile application on the mobile communications device in upon receiving the clearing files related to the transaction.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a gift card account for the merchant, wherein the gift card account is linked to the consumer account, and upon initiating a transaction at the merchant with the consumer account, automatically applying a partial balance or a full balance of the gift card account to the transaction.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a prepurchased offer for the merchant, wherein the prepurchased offer is linked to the consumer account, and upon initiating a transaction at the merchant with the consumer account, automatically applying the prepurchased offer to the transaction.

11. A method for operation of a cloud-based platform comprising:

a remote server computer of a financial services provider sending transaction data relating to a consumer account registered with the cloud-based platform to a platform database hosted on a cloud, wherein the cloud also includes a network services tier;

the network services tier sending a message to an email address associated with the consumer account, a telephone number associated with the consumer account, or a mobile application linked to the consumer account, wherein the mobile application linked to the consumer account is supported by a web tier hosted in the cloud.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the transaction data is sent in real-time and the transaction data includes authorization files.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the transaction data includes clearing files.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the message includes a notification of enrollment in a merchant offers program, incentives program, or rewards program registered with the platform, wherein a transaction associated with the transaction data was performed at a merchant associated with the merchant offers program, incentives program, or rewards program.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the message includes a notification of rewards at a merchant associated with the transaction data.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the message includes an offer redeemable at a second merchant different than a first merchant associated with the transaction data.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising enrolling in the cloud-based platform via a WiFi captive web portal by entering an account number of the consumer account as a prerequisite to a consumer associated with the consumer account receiving WiFi access through a WiFi router associated with the WiFi captive web portal.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising enrolling in the cloud-based platform via an enterprise application on a third-party website, wherein the enterprise application is included on the third-party website via java script code such that the java script code causes the enterprise application to adapt a plurality of visually perceptible elements visually corresponding to the third-party website.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising, upon initiation of a transaction associated with the transaction data, the network services tier identifying a gift card account linked to the consumer account and associated with a merchant for the transaction, and the network services tier automatically applying a partial balance or a full balance of the gift card account to the transaction.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising, upon initiation of a transaction associated with the transaction data, the network services tier identifying a prepurchased offer for the merchant, wherein the prepurchased offer is linked to the consumer account, and the network services tier automatically applying the prepurchased offer to the transaction.