Multiple party reward system utilizing single account

• US 6,327,573 B1
• Filed: 12/31/1998
• Issued: 12/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Groupon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Rogers, Joshua D., Walker, Jay S., Van Luchene, Andrew S., Tedesco, Daniel E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stamber, Eric W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Myhre, James W.
• Application Number:
  US09/223,900
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14
• US Class Current: 705/14.36
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user

Abstract

A method enabling a frequent shopper reward system capable of tracking performance data of a plurality of members or account holders linked to a single frequent shopper account.

Claims

1. A reward method comprising the steps of:

entering an account identifier from a card presented by a cardholder;

retrieving, in response to the account identifier, a customer record associated with said account identifier, said customer record including account information identifying a plurality of sub-account holders;

identifying at least one sub-account holder who is present with the cardholder;

transacting with at least one of said present sub-account holders;

calculating a reward level;

allocating, to at least one of said present sub-account holders, at least a portion of said determined reward level; and

updating said retrieved customer record.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said customer record includes, for each of said plurality of sub-account holders, a respective accumulated reward level;

and wherein said step of updating comprises the step of;

increasing, by a respective allocated amount, said respective accumulated reward level of said at least one of said present sub-account holders.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

determining, for each present sub-account holder, whether a respective accumulated reward level exceeds a first reward threshold level; and

providing, to each present sub-account holder having an accumulated reward level exceeding said first reward threshold level, a first reward.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

determining whether a sum of the respective accumulated reward levels of said plurality of sub-account holders exceeds a second reward threshold level; and

in the case of said second reward threshold level being exceeded, providing, to one or more of said present sub-account holders, a second reward.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in the case of all sub-account holders being present, providing, to one or more of said present sub-account holders, a third reward.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in the case of a sub-account holder being present during more than a first number of transactions during a time interval, said reward level allocated to said sub-account holder is modified.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in the case of a sub-account holder being present during less than a second number of transactions during a time interval, said reward level allocated to said sub-account holder is modified.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of identifying comprises the steps of:

extracting, from said retrieved customer record, a list of sub-account holders; and

prompting a present sub-account holder to identify any other present sub-account holders.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said step of identifying comprises the steps of;

extracting, from said retrieved customer record, a list of sub-account holders; and

prompting a first sub-account holder to authorize one or more of the identified sub-account holders; and

said step of transacting comprises the steps of;

accepting, from said sub-account holders authorized by said first sub-account holder, verification indicia; and

transacting only with verified sub-account holders having been authorized by said first sub-account holder.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said verification indicia comprises one of a personal identification number (PIN), an alphanumeric identification and a biometric identifier.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of identifying comprises the steps of:

evaluating, using a transaction profile, said step of transacting to determine a present number of sub-account holders.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

said transaction profile comprises one of a default transaction profile and a refined transaction profile;

said default transaction profile including profile information related to a typical transaction; and

said refined transaction profile including profile information related to prior transactions of one or more of said sub-account holders.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said customer record includes said refined transaction profile, and said step of updating includes the step of updating said refined transaction profile in response to said step of transacting.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said customer record includes, for each of said plurality of sub-account holders, respective performance data, said method further comprising the steps of:

evaluating, for each present sub-account holder and with respect to one or more reward rules, a corresponding one or more transaction parameters to produce performance data associated with at least said each present sub-account holders; and

updating, in response to said performance data, said retrieved customer record.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

sub-account holder membership within a particular class is initiated in response to a first set of parameters indicative of a purchase profile or demographic profile appropriate to said particular class; and

sub-account holder membership within a particular class is terminated in response to a second set of parameters indicative of a purchase profile or demographic profile inappropriate to said particular class.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said reward comprises, in either tangible or intangible form, at least one of a discount on a present purchase, a credit on a present purchase, a discount on a future purchase, a credit on a future purchase and a coupon for additional goods or services.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein each of said sub-account holders is associated with one or more account classes, each of said classes being associated with a respective reward structure.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the account identifier is entered via one of a data entry terminal, a magnetic card reader, a mechanical card reader, and an optical card reader.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said step of identifying is performed after said step of transacting is completed; and

said step of identifying comprises the steps of;

comparing, to a utilization profile, said transaction to determine if said transaction is indicative of a single present sub-account holder or a plurality of present sub-account holders; and

in the case of said transaction being indicative of the presence of a plurality of sub-account holders, performing the steps of;

extracting, from said retrieved customer record, a list of sub-account holders; and

prompting a present sub-account holder to identify any other present sub-account holders.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of identifying comprises the step of:

interacting, via a transacting terminal, with a first present sub-account holder to identify other present sub-account holders.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of identifying comprises the steps of:

prompting a first present sub-account holder to identify other present sub-account holders; and

receiving, from said first present sub-account holder, information identifying other present sub-account holders.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of identifying comprises the step of:

receiving information from one or more present sub-account holders indicative of the presence of said one or more present sub-account holders.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the account identifier is conveyed via one of a frequent shopper card, a credit card and a debit card.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing access to entertainment functionality of a self ordering station in exchange for one of an earned reward level and an additional payment.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said self ordering station interacts with said present sub-account holders via a terminal, and said entertainment functionality comprises an interactive or passive video functionality.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said step of identifying comprises the step of prompting a present sub-account holder to provide information indicative of the number of persons to be provided physical access at a physical access point; and

said step of transacting comprises the steps of;

receiving said information indicative of the number of persons to be provided physical access; and

allowing physical access to said indicated number of persons.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said step of receiving said information indicative of the number of persons to be provided physical access comprises counting a number of times the account identifier is provided prior to a physical access by a person.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein said step of receiving said information indicative of the number of persons to be provided physical access comprises receiving, from a data entry means, a numeric input.

29. A reward method comprising the steps of:

scanning a vehicle license plate carried by a vehicle to determine a license number of an account holder;

retrieving a customer account number associated with the license number and a customer record associated with the customer account number, the customer account record including account information identifying a plurality of sub-account holders;

transacting with the account holder;

identifying at least one sub-account holder present in the vehicle;

transacting with the sub-account holder; and

providing a reward to the sub-account holder present in the vehicle.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said step of identifying includes the steps of:

displaying, on a display device visible to one or more occupants of said vehicle, indications of one or more sub-account holders identified by the customer record; and

receiving, via a data entry means, an indication of which sub-account holders are present in the vehicle.