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System and method for discounting fuel

DC
  • US 7,742,942 B2
  • Filed: 06/22/2005
  • Issued: 06/22/2010
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2005
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A computer-implemented method of discounting a price-per-unit (PPU) of fuel at a fuel merchant and increasing customer use of third-party financial cards issued by a plurality of third-party issuers, wherein the third-party financial cards are selected from a group consisting of credit cards and debit cards, said method comprising:

  • storing in a database, a PPU discount associated with one of third-party issuers, wherein the PPU discount is defined in affinity-type agreements between a fuel merchant and third-party issuers;

    reading a customer'"'"'s financial card number to begin a fueling transaction at the fuel merchant, wherein said financial card is available for use by said customer at a plurality of non-affiliated merchant locations;

    identifying the third-party issuer of the financial card by analyzing the financial card number, each issuer having a PPU discount individually associated therewith;

    associating the identified third-party issuer of the financial card with the stored PPU discount for the fuel;

    discounting a PPU of the fuel posted on the fuel dispenser by an amount equal to the PPU discount associated with the identified issuer of the financial card;

    dispensing a number of units of fuel to the customer at the discounted PPU;

    calculating a redeemed discount by multiplying the dispensed number of units of fuel by the PPU discount associated with the identified third-party issuer of the financial card; and

    allocating the redeemed discount between the third-party issuer of the financial card and the fuel merchant wherein said reading, identifying, associating and calculating are performed by a computing device.

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