System and method for redeeming vouchers

• US 7,788,129 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2003
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Antonucci, Donna, Voltmer, Theodore S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alvarez, Raquel
• Application Number:
  US10/378,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20030236712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,738 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.3, 705/14.23, 705/14.33, 705/14.39, 705/14.51, 705/14.65
• US Class Current: 705/14.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3437 the counter having non-monetary units, e.g. trips
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/389 Keeping log of transactions for guaranteeing non-repudiation of a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0229 Multi-merchant loyalty card systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1016 Devices or methods for securing the PIN and other transaction-data, e.g. by encryption arrangements for secret communication, see H04L9/00

Abstract

The invention includes an improved system and method for creating, distributing and storing vouchers. The method includes a loyalty system obtaining a loyalty card account having a unique identifier and loyalty points associated therewith, accessing a loyalty database utilizing the unique identifier, converting at least a portion of the loyalty points to a first value associated with a first merchant, saving the first value in a first database associated with the loyalty card, converting at least a portion of the loyalty points to a second value associated with a second merchant, saving the second value along with other voucher information as an electronic voucher in a second database associated with the loyalty card, redeeming the first value at a first merchant and redeeming the electronic voucher at a second merchant.

Claims

1. A method utilizing a computer system for facilitating redemption of vouchers including:

accessing, by said computer system for facilitating said redemption of said vouchers, a loyalty database stored in said computer system utilizing a unique identifier, said loyalty database including general loyalty points, wherein a loyalty account includes said unique identifier and said general loyalty points associated therewith, said general loyalty points not being associated with a specific merchant;

converting, by said computer system, at least a portion of said general loyalty points to a first value associated with a specific first merchant;

saving, by said computer system, said first value in a first database in said computer system associated with said loyalty account;

converting, by said computer system, at least a portion of said general loyalty points to a second value associated with a specific second merchant;

saving, by said computer system, at least a portion said second value along with voucher information as an electronic voucher in a second database in said computer system associated with said loyalty account;

redeeming, by said computer system, said electronic voucher and said first value for a product offered by said second merchant, wherein said redeeming includes;

receiving by said computer system purchase data including purchase price,

applying said second value associated with said electronic voucher towards said purchase price,

transferring at least some of said first value stored in said computer system to said second value,

applying said second value that is the result of the transfer from said first value towards said purchase price, and

outputting a resultant balance of said purchase price.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronic voucher is configured to include information related to a promotion.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronic voucher applies to a particular product.

4. An incentive engine for facilitating redemption of vouchers, said engine comprising:

a network interface communicating with a memory;

said memory communicating with a processor; and

said processor, when executing a computer program, is configured to;

access a loyalty database stored in a computer system utilizing a unique identifier, said loyalty database including general loyalty points, wherein a loyalty account has said unique identifier and said general loyalty points associated therewith, wherein said general loyalty points are not associated with a specific merchant;

convert at least a portion of said general loyalty points to a first value associated with a specific first merchant;

save said first value in a first database in said computer system associated with said loyalty account;

convert at least a portion of said general loyalty points to a second value associated with a specific second merchant;

save at least a portion said second value along with voucher information as an electronic voucher in a second database in said computer system associated with said loyalty account;

redeem said electronic voucher and said first value for a product offered by said second merchant;

receive at said computer system purchase data including purchase price,

apply said second value associated with said electronic voucher towards said purchase price,

transfer at least some of said first value stored in said computer system to said second value,

apply said second value that is a result of said transfer from said first value towards said purchase price, and

output a resultant balance of said purchase price.

5. The incentive engine of claim 4, wherein said incentive engine is located within a remotely-accessible host.

6. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a computer-based system for facilitating redemption of vouchers via a computer network, cause said computer to perform a method comprising:

accessing a loyalty database stored in said computer-based system utilizing a unique identifier, wherein said loyalty database includes general loyalty points, wherein a loyalty account has said unique identifier and said general loyalty points associated therewith, and wherein said general loyalty points are not associated with a specific merchant;

converting at least a portion of said general loyalty points to a first value associated with a specific first merchant;

saving said first value in a first database in said computer system associated with said loyalty account;

converting at least a portion of said general loyalty points to a second value associated with a specific second merchant;

saving at least a portion said second value along with voucher information as an electronic voucher in a second database in said computer system associated with said loyalty account;

redeeming said electronic voucher and said first value for a product offered by said second merchant, wherein said redeeming includes;

receiving at said computer system purchase data including purchase price,

applying said second value associated with said electronic voucher towards said purchase price,

transferring at least some of said first value stored in said computer system to said second value,

applying said second value that is a result of said transfer from said first value towards said purchase price, and

outputting a resultant balance of said purchase price.