System and method for a card payment program providing mutual benefits to card issuers and cardholders based on financial performance

• US 7,086,586 B1
• Filed: 05/26/2004
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank One Delaware National Association (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Bank One Delaware National Association (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Sullivan, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Ahshik
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAIL, ALLYSON NEEL
• Application Number:
  US10/853,107
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/380, 235/381, 235/382, 235/383, 705/10, 705/14, 705/35, 705/37, 705/39
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

The present invention comprises an apparatus and method for a card payment instrument providing that a share of program profits above a pre-designated level is returned to participating consumers at pre-designated intervals such as annually. Customers respond to an offer to participate in the mutual benefit program. After admission to the program, the card issuer tracks the performance according to the desired financial metric for the participating cardholders. At certain intervals, such as yearly, the card issuer reports out the financial performance for the period. If the financial performance exceeded the pre-designated threshold performance, then returns are distributed to participating cardholders according to a share methodology. The share methodology can provide that returns are allocated among participating cardholders according to various criteria, such as based on spending volume, finance charges, and so forth.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

establishing in a computer database a card payment account for an accountholder which provides returns to the accountholder based on a performance of a card issuer according to a pre-designated financial threshold;

wherein said returns are provided based on a portfolio of like accounts demonstrating a performance meeting or exceeding a pre-designated financial threshold during a pre-designated interval;

tracking performance of the portfolio during the interval;

computing the performance of the portfolio for the interval;

comparing the performance of the portfolio during the interval to the pre-designated financial threshold and computing a net return if the threshold is met or exceeded;

computing a share of the net return for each participating accountholder based on a pre-designated formula; and

providing the share to each participating accountholder.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the step of establishing in said computer database a plurality of portfolios of cardholders, the plurality of portfolios having different financial thresholds or different financial metrics.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising the step of computing the performance of an individual cardholder and disqualifying the cardholder from the cardholder'"'"'s portfolio based on a disqualifying parameter.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the financial threshold is based on the profitability to the card issuer of the portfolio.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said card payment account comprises a credit card account, a stored value card account, a debit card account, a multi-featured credit-on-debit account, a charge account, or a pre-paid account.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said card payment account is a credit card account.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a computed share is provided as a credit to the account of a participating accountholder.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a computed share is provided as a deposit to a separate account of a participating accountholder.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a computed share is provided by issuing a paper check to a participating accountholder.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a computed share is provided by issuing revised account terms more favorable to the accountholder.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a computed share is provided as reward points.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

issuing one or more interim reports regarding the performance of the portfolio during the interval to the participating accountholders.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

issuing card payment account statements to participating cardholders that include information of account activity and information of portfolio performance.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the card payment account statements further include information of a projected net return or a projected share return.

15. A system for monitoring card account portfolio performance and issuing performance-based returns, comprising:

an account database storing data of a portfolio of card payment accounts which are eligible for a return based on the portfolio meeting a pre-designated financial threshold for a card issuer over a pre-designated interval;

a card transaction processor for processing transactions against said card payment accounts;

a financial accounting system for maintaining financial performance information for the card issuer including revenue, cost, and profit data;

a data extractor module for deriving financial performance data for participating accountholders having eligible accounts and comparing derived financial performance data to said financial threshold;

a share allocation module for allocating a net return based on results of the comparison across the participating accountholders based on a share formula; and

a return issuer system for providing the allocated shares of the net return to the participating accountholders.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said account database stores data of a plurality of portfolios of card payment accounts, the plurality of portfolios having different financial metrics or different financial thresholds.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the share allocation module computes the performance of an individual cardholder and disqualifies the cardholder from the cardholder'"'"'s portfolio based on a disqualifying parameter.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein said financial threshold is based on the profitability of the portfolio to the card issuer.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the account database includes information of accountholders participating in the program making them eligible for a return as well as accountholders not participating in said program.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein said card payment accounts are credit card accounts.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the allocated shares are provided as credits to the card payment accounts.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the allocated shares are provided as deposits to separate accounts of the accountholders.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the allocated shares are provided as checks issued to the accountholders.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein the allocated shares are provided as revised account terms more favorable to the accountholders.

25. The system of claim 15, wherein the allocated shares are provided as reward points.

26. The system of claim 15, wherein the allocated shares are provided based on an accountholder selection, the accountholder selection including options for at least two or more of a credit to the card payment account, a deposit to a separate account, a paper check, revised account terms which are more favorable, and reward points.