System and method of notifying user near point of sale location of available rewards at the point of sale location

• US 7,934,639 B1
• Filed: 11/17/2006
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Capital One Services LLC (Capital One Financial Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Capital One Financial Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Lianghan, Correll, Kevin, Pivnick, Nicole E., Telyaz, Leon
• Primary Examiner(s): Hess; Daniel A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Savusdiphol; Paultep
• Application Number:
  US11/561,210
• Time in Patent Office: 1,628 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/379, 235/380, 235/383, 235/451, 235/492
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Systems and methods for a point of sale reward system are provided. The system notifies users proximate to a point of sale location of rewards available for redemption specific to that user at that specific point of sale location.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving identification information and information about a current location of a user;

comparing, using a processor, the current location with respective locations of a plurality of point of sale locations;

determining that the user is within a first distance of one or more of the plurality of point of sale locations using the current location;

accessing a reward points account of the user using the identification information to determine whether previously accumulated reward points are available for redemption at the one or more point of sale locations to which the user is within a first distance of;

remotely notifying, utilizing a user notification system, the user of available reward points for that particular user available for redemption at the one or more point of sale locations to which the user is within a first distance of;

transmitting the user data from the point of sale to a remote system; and

facilitating the redemption of the user'"'"'s rewards at the point of sale.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting user identification at the point of sale.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the user identification comprises biometric data.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the user identification comprises information from a financial card.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the financial card is read with a card reader.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the user identification comprises a username and password combination.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the user identification occurs without user action.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the user notification is selected from the group consisting of a text message, a voice message, an e-mail, and a web page.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the user notification is sent to a device associated with the user'"'"'s rewards account.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the identification information and information about a current location of a user includes global positioning system information.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the remote system accesses user usage information.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the rewards points account of the user contains rewards within set user preference ranges.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the user preference ranges narrow the possible rewards to include only particular items or services that are available for free at the one or more point of sale locations.

14. A rewards system, comprising:

an identification module associated with an identification unit that receives information for identifying a current location of a user and information for determining that a user is within a first distance and outside of a plurality of point of sale locations;

an electronically controlled rewards notification module associated with a reward system that accesses a rewards point account of the user, determines whether previously accumulated reward points are available to the user for redemption at one or more of the plurality of point of sale locations, sends a notification to the user related to the reward points available for redemption at one or more of the plurality of point of sale locations to which the user is within a first distance of while the user is outside of one or more of the plurality of point of sale locations, and transmits the reward information to a system located at one or more of the plurality of the point of sale locations;

a reward redemption module for facilitating the redemption of the user'"'"'s rewards at the point of sale.

15. The rewards system according to claim 14, wherein the notification is selected from the group consisting of a text message, a voice message, an e-mail, and a web page.

16. The rewards system according to claim 15, wherein the notification is sent to a device associated with the user'"'"'s rewards account.

17. The rewards system according to claim 14, wherein the information for identifying the user or the information for indicating that the user is proximate to one or more of the plurality of point of sale locations comprises global positioning system information.

18. A system comprising:

an identification unit that receives information used to identify a current location of a user associated with a rewards account and compares the current location with the location of a point of sale location to determine whether the user is within a first distance of the point of sale location using the current location;

a transmission unit that transmits the information to a rewards system, whereby the rewards system may access the user'"'"'s reward points account, use the information to determine whether previously accumulated reward points are available for redemption at the point of sale location and send a notification to the user related to the reward points available for redemption at a point of sale location while the user is outside of the point of sale location and remote from the identification unit, and transmits the reward information to a system located at one or more of the plurality of the point of sale locations;

a reward redemption module for facilitating the redemption of the user'"'"'s rewards at the point of sale.

19. A method comprising:

receiving identification information and information about a current location of a user;

comparing, using a processor, the user'"'"'s location with the location of a point of sale location;

determining whether the user is within a first distance of the point of sale location using the current location;

transmitting the information to a rewards system, whereby the rewards system may use the identification information to access the user'"'"'s reward points account, identify reward information available for redemption at the point of sale location and send a notification to the user related to the reward points available for redemption at the point of sale location while the user is outside of the point of sale location; and

facilitating the redemption of the user'"'"'s rewards at the point of sale.