System and method for special accounts

• US 7,987,125 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2006
• Issued: 07/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adheris LLC (MedAdvisor Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
• Inventors: Roberts, Michael F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Oyebisi; Ojo O
• Application Number:
  US11/538,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20070083449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,757 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2, 705/14, 705/35
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

This invention provides methods and system for facilitating funding, disbursing, and accessing consumer tax preferential accounts wherein funding or disbursing is related to consumers POS transactions. Novel network computer systems and methods of their include a POS CS and a central CS. The central CS receives consumer purchase transaction data records from the POS CS. The central CS stores consumer data that may include consumer purchase transaction data records, sponsor accounts including at least one HSA sponsor account, and HSA accounts. The central CS applies funding and/or disbursing criteria to fund and/or disburse funds based upon consumer data records.

Claims

1. A method of using a network computer system comprising:

storing in a central CS sponsor accounts data, including at least one HSA sponsor account, in which said at least one HSA sponsor account includes sponsor identification and an account amount;

receiving at said central CS consumer purchase transaction data records from a POS CS;

applying criteria at said central CS including at least transaction trigger criteria to consumer data records including at least said consumer purchase transaction data records thereby generating transaction trigger responses when said consumer data records satisfy said transaction trigger criteria; and

updating HSA account data and sponsor accounts data stored in a database controlled by said central CS 10 to reflect transactions specified by said transaction trigger responses.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said transaction trigger responses comprise a first transaction trigger response specifying a reduced donation amount reduced by limitation criteria by a limitation amount, and, as part of said first transaction trigger response, funding both an HSA by said reduced donation amount and funding another account by said limitation amount.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising disbursing funds from accounts associated with a CID in response to receipt of charges associated with said CID, said disbursing comprising determining a QME amount of said charges, and applying at least a fraction of said QME amount to a first HSA account associated with said CID.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising applying a fraction of said QME amount a second account other than said first HSA account.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising re-allocating certain QME charges from said second account to said HSA account after initially allocating said certain QME charges to said second account.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said re-allocating occurs at a time when sufficient funds exist in the first HSA account to cover said certain QME charges.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said updating includes crediting an HSA account associated with a first CID by a first donation amount, and further comprising transmitting from said central CS 10 to said POS CS a first individual transaction trigger criteria;

wherein said first individual transaction trigger criteria includes in association with said first CID said first donation amount;

printing at a printer at a POS said first donation amount when a POS terminal of said POS CS recognizes said first CID transmitted from said POS terminal, thereby providing to said consumer notification of said donation.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said transaction trigger criteria comprises criteria specifying rewards including both product purchase incentive offers and HSA account donations.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said applying criteria further comprises applying limitation criteria to limit transaction trigger responses when said consumer data records satisfy said transaction trigger criteria.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said limitation criteria comprises legal limitation criteria.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said limitation criteria comprises contention limitation criteria.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein said limitation criteria comprises HSA sponsor account limitation criteria.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein said limitation criteria comprises HSA sponsor incentive redemption response criteria.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising determining an amount of donation limited by said limitation criteria, and funding another account by the amount of the limitation on the donation.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising said central CS generating HSA sponsor incentive redemption response criteria based upon data stored with the central CS and a target value.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising said central CS storing consumer legal limitation opt out data indicating whether a consumer opts out of limiting donations to their HSA to a legal limitation amount.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising said central CS storing in association with multiple CIDs for a single consumer a single HSA identifier.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising said central CS determining for a specified HSA identifier legal limitations on funding and transmitting said legal limitations data in response to a network address.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising said central CS storing in association with one another at least one CID and a corresponding HSA identifier for a consumer.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising said central CS storing opt-in data in association with said first CID.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising said POS CS determining whether individual consumer transaction data satisfies individual transaction trigger criteria.

22. The method of claim 1 further comprising said POS CS locally storing consumer purchase transaction data, opt in data, said POS CS applying criteria including transaction trigger criteria and limitation criteria to the locally stored consumer purchase transaction data.

23. The method of claim 1 further comprising said POS CS providing to said central CS a correspondence between a consumer'"'"'s CID and HSA identifiers.

24. The method of claim 1 further comprising said central CS running individual purchase transaction criteria during a transaction at a POS and transmitting response information back to said POS during said transaction.

25. The method of claim 1 further comprising display or print of information at a POS.

26. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating at a POS CS a response specifying a donation, a CID, and a sponsor, and transmitting the specification of said donation, said CID, and said sponsor to said central CS.

27. The method of claim 1 wherein said criteria include drug and pharmacy purchase transaction information.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein said criteria include criteria specifying an HSA donation and said criteria specifying said HSA donation includes at least one of the following:

(1) brand of medication;

(2) type of medication;

(3) NDC;

(4) amount of a consumer'"'"'s medical purchases;

(5) amount in a consumer'"'"'s HSA;

(6) length of time a consumer has been on a medication;

(7) availability of alternate treatments and alternate medication with respect to a consumer'"'"'s current treatments and medication; and

(8) cost of one or more medicines used by a consumer.

29. The method of claim 1 wherein said criteria include criteria specifying an HSA donation and said criteria specifying said HSA donation includes at least two of the following:

(1) brand of medication;

(2) type of medication;

(3) NDC;

(4) amount of a consumer'"'"'s medical purchases;

(5) amount in a consumer'"'"'s HSA;

(6) length of time a consumer has been on a medication;

(7) availability of alternate treatments and alternate medication with respect to a consumer'"'"'s current treatments and medication; and

(8) cost of one or more medicines used by a consumer.

30. The method of claim 1 wherein said criteria include criteria specifying an HSA donation and said criteria specifying said HSA donation includes the existence of a frequent shopper account.

31. The method of claim 1 wherein said criteria include criteria specifying an HSA donation and said criteria specifying said HSA donation includes redemption of a coupon for a HSA donation.

32. The method of claim 1 further comprising said central CS receiving from an employer of a consumer having an HSA account stored by said central CS one or more of employee HSA contribution amount and employer donation amount, and said central CS updating at least amount of said HSA account of said consumer to reflect said contribution amount and said donation amount.

33. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a web site at which consumers can manage HSA account information for HSA accounts stored by said central CS.

34. The method of claim 1 further comprising said central CS storing CID funding specification information for donations associated with purchases by a consumer having a first CID.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein said funding specification information for said consumer having said first CID specifies funding an HSA account of a different consumer.

36. The method of claim 1 further comprising said central CS converting donation specifications to transaction trigger criteria and limitation criteria.

37. A network computer system comprising:

a central CS;

a central CS database controlled by said central CS;

wherein said central CS database stores;

sponsor accounts data, including at least one HSA sponsor account, and wherein said at least one HSA sponsor account includes sponsor identifications and an account amount;

consumer purchase transaction data records from a POS CS;

criteria including at least transaction trigger criteria applicable to consumer data records including at least said consumer purchase transaction data records, wherein application of said criteria to said consumer data records generates transaction trigger responses when said consumer data records satisfy said transaction trigger criteria; and

wherein said central CS is programmed to update HSA account data and sponsor accounts data stored in said central database to reflect transactions specified by said transaction trigger responses.

38. A network computer system comprising:

a plurality of POS CSs;

a central CS;

one or more databases storing HSA accounts, said HSA accounts including HSA account identifications and HSA account amounts, and consumer purchase transaction data records generated by POS transactions in said plurality of POS CSs, said consumer purchase transaction data records including product identification codes of products purchased in corresponding transactions, each one of said consumer purchase transaction data records associated with an identifier that is the same as or associated with an HSA account identifier, and each of said product identification codes associated with an indication whether the corresponding product is a QME; and

code for determining QME amounts associated with said consumer purchase transaction data records and updating said HSA account amounts based at least in part upon said QME amounts.

39. The system of claim 38 further comprising code on said central CS that applies transaction trigger criteria on consumer data records and funds associated consumer HSA accounts when said code generates a responses that specifies a donation to a corresponding HSA account.