Systems and methods for integrating loyalty and stored-value programs
First Claim
1. A method for operating an integrated stored-value and loyalty program within a financial infrastructure, the method comprising:
- receiving, at a loyalty host computer from a first point-of-sale terminal, an identifier and a packet of transaction information defining a first transaction between a first merchant and a customer;
identifying, with the loyalty host computer, qualifying aspects of the first transaction from the packet of transaction information;
determining, with the loyalty host computer, a customer reward from the identified qualifying aspects and a history of information defined by the identifier;
transmitting information defining the reward from the loyalty host computer to a stored-value host computer different from the loyalty host computer;
determining a set of stored-value parameters with the stored-value host computer from the information defining the reward;
storing the set of stored-value parameters as a record at the stored-value host computer;
receiving, at the stored-value host computer from a second point-of-sale terminal, the identifier and a transaction amount for a second transaction between a second merchant and the customer, wherein the second transaction is different from the first transaction and is initiated at a point in time later than the first transaction is initiated;
identifying, with the stored-value host computer, the set of stored-value parameters from the identifier;
translating, with the stored-value host computer, the set of stored-value parameters into a value amount;
applying, with the stored-value host computer, at least a portion of the value amount to the transaction amount; and
transmitting, from the stored-value host computer to the second point-of-sale terminal, a modified transaction amount as an amount to be used in effecting the second transaction.
9 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for operating an integrated stored-value and loyalty program within a financial infrastructure. An identifier and a packet of transaction information defining a transaction between a merchant and a customer are received at a loyalty host. Qualifying aspects of the transaction are identified from the packet of transaction information. A customer reward is determined from the identified qualifying aspects and a history of information defined by the identifier. Information defining the reward is transmitted to a stored-value host that records a value parameter that may be applied as value by the customer to another transaction.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method for operating an integrated stored-value and loyalty program within a financial infrastructure, the method comprising:
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receiving, at a loyalty host computer from a first point-of-sale terminal, an identifier and a packet of transaction information defining a first transaction between a first merchant and a customer; identifying, with the loyalty host computer, qualifying aspects of the first transaction from the packet of transaction information; determining, with the loyalty host computer, a customer reward from the identified qualifying aspects and a history of information defined by the identifier; transmitting information defining the reward from the loyalty host computer to a stored-value host computer different from the loyalty host computer; determining a set of stored-value parameters with the stored-value host computer from the information defining the reward; storing the set of stored-value parameters as a record at the stored-value host computer; receiving, at the stored-value host computer from a second point-of-sale terminal, the identifier and a transaction amount for a second transaction between a second merchant and the customer, wherein the second transaction is different from the first transaction and is initiated at a point in time later than the first transaction is initiated; identifying, with the stored-value host computer, the set of stored-value parameters from the identifier; translating, with the stored-value host computer, the set of stored-value parameters into a value amount; applying, with the stored-value host computer, at least a portion of the value amount to the transaction amount; and transmitting, from the stored-value host computer to the second point-of-sale terminal, a modified transaction amount as an amount to be used in effecting the second transaction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system for operating an integrated stored-value and loyalty program within a financial infrastructure, the system comprising:
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a loyalty host including a loyalty-host communications system, a loyalty-host processor, a loyalty-host storage device, and a loyalty-host computer-readable storage medium having a loyalty-host computer-readable program embodied therein; and a stored-value host including a stored-value-host communications system, a stored-value-host processor, a stored-value-host storage device, and a stored-value-host computer-readable storage medium having a stored-value host computer-readable program embodied therein, wherein the loyalty-host computer-readable program includes; instructions for receiving, with the loyalty-host communications system from a first point-of-sale terminal, an identifier and a packet of transaction information defining a first transaction between a first merchant and a customer; instructions for identifying, with the loyalty-host processor, qualifying aspects of the first transaction from the packet of transaction information; instructions for determining, with the loyalty-host processor, a customer reward from the identified qualifying aspects and a history of information defined by the identifier and stored on the storage device; and instructions for transmitting, with the loyalty-host communications system, information defining the reward to the stored-value host; and wherein the stored-value-host computer-readable program includes; instructions for determining, with the stored-value-host processor, a set of stored-value parameters from the information defining the reward; instructions for storing, on the stored-value-host storage device, the set of stored-value parameters as a record; instructions for receiving, with the stored-value-host communications system from a second point-of-sale terminal, the identifier and a transaction amount for a second transaction between a second merchant and the customer, wherein the second transaction is different from the first transaction and is initiated at a point in time later than the first transaction is initiated; instructions for identifying, with the stored-value-host processor, the set of stored- value parameters from the identifier; instructions for translating, with the stored-value-host processor, the set of stored-value parameters into a value amount; instructions for applying, with the stored-value-host processor, at least a portion of the value amount to the transaction amount; and instructions for transmitting, with the stored-value-host communications system to the second point-of-sale terminal, a modified transaction amount as an amount to be used in effecting the second transaction. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification