System and method for the real-time transfer of loyalty points between accounts

• US 7,467,096 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2003
• Issued: 12/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Voltmer, Theodore S., Antonucci, Donna
• Primary Examiner(s): Alvarez, Raquel
• Application Number:
  US10/378,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20030200144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,115 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/10, 705/14, 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/14.27
• 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 30/0227 Frequent usage incentive value reconciliation between diverse systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

The invention includes facilitating the substantially real-time transfer of loyalty points between accounts. The method and system include receiving a transfer request (e.g., consumer request, triggering event, etc) for a transfer of a certain number of loyalty points, accessing and analyzing the total number of loyalty points in the transferor account to determine if a sufficient number of points exist, analyzing the type/level of consumer and type/level of points to be involved in the transfer, deducting the requested loyalty points from the transferor account, determining if any rules exist for restricting or limiting the transfer of points, using a conversion engine to convert the point value to an appropriate point value in the transferee account and increasing the point balance in the transferee account.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating a transfer of loyalty points between loyalty accounts, said method including:

receiving and processing, at a host computer, a purchase transaction, wherein said purchase transaction includes a consumer ID, a retailer item identifier, and a purchase price;

retrieving, at said host computer, a manufacturer item identifier corresponding to said retail item identifier;

calculating, at said host computer, a first set of loyalty points based on said consumer ID, said purchase price and a first currency to point ratio corresponding to said retailer item identifier;

calculating, at said host computer, a second set of loyalty points based on said consumer ID, said purchase price and a second currency to point ratio corresponding to said manufacturer item identifier;

calculating, at said host computer, a third set of loyalty points based on said consumer ID, said purchase price and a third currency to point ratio corresponding to affiliated Service Establishment (SE) numbers;

combining, at said host computer, said first set of loyalty points, said second set of loyalty points, and said third set of loyalty points within a first loyalty account associated with said consumer ID;

receiving a request, at said host computer, to define a trigger event, wherein said trigger event causes an automatic transfer loyalty points from said first loyalty account to a second loyalty account;

detecting, at said host computer, said trigger event, wherein said trigger event is at least one of;

a date, a balance of said first loyalty account, a balance of said second loyalty account, market conditions, and revenue changes;

analyzing, at said host computer, a first consumer type, a first consumer level, and a first consumer class of said first consumer associated with said first loyalty account and second consumer type, a second consumer level, and a second consumer class of a second consumer associated with said second loyalty account to determine that no restriction on said transfer of loyalty points exists;

analyzing, at said host computer, a point type, a point level, and a point class of said loyalty points associated with at least one of said first loyalty account and said second loyalty account to determine that no restriction on said transfer of loyalty points exists;

acquiring, at said host computer, data related to a first loyalty point balance of said first loyalty account;

deducting, at said host computer, a portion of said first loyalty point balance of said first loyalty account;

converting, at said host computer, a first said point type, said point level, and said point class of said portion of said first loyalty point balance to a second a second point type, a second point level, and a second point class corresponding to a second loyalty point balance;

converting, at said host computer, said portion of said first loyalty point balance from a first point value to a second point value when said first loyalty account and said second loyalty account do not use a same valuation; and

,

crediting, at said host computer, said second loyalty point balance of said second loyalty account with said portion of said first loyalty point balance.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said steps of receiving, acquiring, deducting, converting and crediting occurs in substantially real time.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said step of receiving said request includes at least one of the following steps:

receiving said request from a consumer associated with said first loyalty account,

receiving said request from said consumer associated with said second loyalty account, and,

receiving said request from a third party.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further including:

analyzing at least one of a type, a level, and a class of consumer associated with at least one of said first loyalty account and said second loyalty account to determine that no restriction on said transfer of loyalty points is associated with at least one of said first loyalty account and said second loyalty account.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said triggering event includes:

said first loyalty account having said first loyalty point balance below a predetermined threshold amount, and said first loyalty account remaining inactive for at least one of;

a certain time period, a predetermined time period, until a certain date, until a random date, a requested time period, a period of time based on a certain formula, until an event occurs, until a non-event, and a predetermined data point.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further including:

crediting a third loyalty account in an amount equal to a requested amount of loyalty points less said amount of loyalty points credited to said second loyalty account.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further including:

notifying at least one of a first consumer associated with said first loyalty account and a second consumer associated with said second loyalty account, of said transfer of loyalty points.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further including:

closing said first loyalty point account upon completion of said transfer of loyalty points.

9. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, said plurality of instructions when executed by a processor, cause said processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving and processing, at a host computer, a purchase transaction, wherein said purchase transaction includes a consumer ID, a retailer item identifier, and a purchase price;

retrieving, at said host computer, a manufacturer item identifier corresponding to said retail item identifier;

calculating, at said host computer, a first set of loyalty points based on said consumer ID, said purchase price and a first currency to point ratio corresponding to said retailer item identifier;

calculating, at said host computer, a second set of loyalty points based on said consumer ID, said purchase price and a second currency to point ratio corresponding to said manufacturer item identifier;

calculating, at said host computer, a third set of loyalty points based on said consumer ID, said purchase price and a third currency to point ratio corresponding to affiliated Service Establishment (SE) numbers;

combining, at said host computer, said first set of loyalty points, said second set of loyalty points, and said third set of loyalty points within a first loyalty account associated with said consumer ID;

receiving a request, at said host computer, to define a trigger event, wherein said trigger event causes an automatic transfer loyalty points from said first loyalty account to a second loyalty account;

detecting, at said host computer, said trigger event, wherein said trigger event is at least one of;

a date, a balance of said first loyalty account, a balance of said second loyalty account, market conditions, and revenue changes;

analyzing, at said host computer, a first consumer type, a first consumer level, and a first consumer class of said first consumer associated with said first loyalty account and second consumer type, a second consumer level, and a second consumer class of a second consumer associated with said second loyalty account to determine that no restriction on said transfer of loyalty points exists;

analyzing, at said host computer, a point type, a point level, and a point class of said loyalty points associated with at least one of said first loyalty account and said second loyalty account to determine that no restriction on said transfer of loyalty points exists;

acquiring, at said host computer, data related to a first loyalty point balance of said first loyalty account;

deducting, at said host computer, a portion of said first loyalty point balance of said first loyalty account;

converting, at said host computer, a first said point type, said point level, and said point class of said portion of said first loyalty point balance to a second a second point type, a second point level, and a second point class corresponding to a second loyalty point balance;

converting, at said host computer, said portion of said first loyalty point balance from a first point value to a second point value when said first loyalty account and said second loyalty account do not use a same valuation; and

,

crediting, at said host computer, said second loyalty point balance of said second loyalty account with said portion of said first loyalty point balance.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein at least one of said steps of receiving,

acquiring, deducting, converting and crediting occurs in substantially real time.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein said step of receiving said request includes one of the following steps:

receiving said request from a consumer associated with said first loyalty account,

receiving said request from said consumer associated with said second loyalty account,

receiving said request from a third party, and

receiving said request based upon a triggering event.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein said method further comprises:

analyzing at least one of a type, a level, a class and a value of consumer associated with at least one of said first loyalty account and said second loyalty account to determine that no restriction on said transfer of loyalty points is associated with at least one of said first loyalty account and said second loyalty account.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein said triggering event comprises:

said first loyalty account having said first loyalty point balance below a predetermined threshold amount, and said first loyalty account remaining inactive for at least one of;

a certain time period, a predetermined time period, until a certain date, until a random date, a requested time period, a period of time based on a certain formula, until an event occurs, until a non-event, and a predetermined data point.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

crediting a third loyalty account in an amount equal to a requested amount of loyalty points less said amount of loyalty points credited to said second loyalty account.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

notifying one of a first consumer associated with said first loyalty account and a second consumer associated with said second loyalty account, of said transfer of loyalty points.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

closing said first loyalty point account upon completion of said transfer of loyalty points.