Computer program and system for credit card companies for recording and processing bonus credits issued to card users

• US 6,195,644 B1
• Filed: 05/25/1999
• Issued: 02/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stuart S. Bowie
• Original Assignee: Points Corporation
• Inventors: Bowie, Stuart S.
• Primary Examiner(s): MATAR, AHMAD
• Application Number:
  US09/317,975
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 364/DIG.1 MS File, 364/DIG.2 MS File, 705/14, 705/35, 709/200, 379/90.01, 379/91.01, 379/91.02
• US Class Current: 705/14.27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/06 Private payment circuits, e.g. involving electronic currency used among participants of a common payment scheme
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• 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 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 30/0226 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 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A method whereby credit card companies can program their computers to record and award Bonus Program Credits offered by airlines, hotels, rental car companies, etc. and relieve the latter of the burden of maintaining such records. This Abstract is not to be construed as a complete description of the invention or to limit the scope of the disclosure of the invention or of the claims.

Claims

1. A method of processing transactions by a customer who has been issued a credit or debit card by a card issuing company which has a computer system, wherein said customer uses the card to purchase goods or services from a plurality of vendors, and wherein two or more of such vendors each maintain a bonus plan, and wherein each of said bonus vendors assigns the customers who buys goods or services from said bonus vendors a bonus plan identification number for issuing bonus credits to said customer as a reward for purchasing goods or services from said bonus vendors, said method comprising:

a) entering data in the computer system representative of each purchase transaction by said customer from each of said bonus vendors;

b) instructing the computer system to individually itemize the bonus credit earned by said customer with each bonus vendor from whom said customer received bonus credits during a period, said itemization being performed pursuant to the terms of a bonus vendor plan;

c) instructing the computer system to prepare said individually itemized bonus credits for each bonus vendor individually in a form for reporting to said customer individually listing each bonus vendor with each individually itemized bonus points.

2. A method of programming a credit card company computer wherein the company issues and maintains accounts for a plurality of cardholders, comprising the steps of:

a) assigning a credit card account number to each cardholder;

b) entering in the program names of a plurality of vendors of goods and services who grant cardholders awards based on bonus points earned for purchasing goods or services using the card;

c) individually itemizing the total bonus points awarded to each cardholder for each vendor to provide a plurality of separate bonus point tallies, each tally being associated with only one vendor and each tally individually representing the bonus points awarded to the cardholder for said one vendor based upon use of the credit card by the cardholder; and

d) storing the individually itemized bonus points on a readable format.