System and method for a merchant loyalty system

• US 8,155,999 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2006
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Propulsion Remote Holdings LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Jackson, Glyn Philip, de Boer, Elts, Voltmer, Theodore S., Ramsey, Samuel Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Alvarez, Raquel
• Application Number:
  US11/382,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20070124204A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,162 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.28, 705/14.3, 705/14.38
• US Class Current: 705/14.28
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/6562 Manganese
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/8913 Cobalt and noble metals
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 37/0205 in several steps
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 37/0226 Oxidation of the substrate, e.g. anodisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0208 Trade or exchange of goods or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0219 based on funds or budget
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• 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 30/0228 On-line clearing houses
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0229 Multi-merchant loyalty card systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0232 Frequent usage rewards other than merchandise, cash or travel
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 : constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 : Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 : at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 : Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 : based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 : Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 : Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 : Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 : Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 : Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements

Abstract

A system and method for implementing a merchant loyalty program is disclosed. The invention includes receiving purchase data, wherein the purchase data comprises a consumer account code, a purchase amount, and a service establishment code; associating the service establishment code with a merchant proprietor rewards account code; calculating a reward amount based on the purchase amount; and, crediting a merchant proprietor reward account with at least a portion of said reward amount.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating a merchant reward program, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a computer, a first financial transaction authorization request comprising first purchase data, wherein said first purchase data comprises a first transaction account code, a first purchase amount, and a first service establishment code;

associating, by said computer, said first service establishment code with a first merchant proprietor rewards account code;

associating, by said computer, said first transaction account code with a second merchant proprietor rewards account code;

calculating, by said computer, a first reward amount and a second reward amount;

crediting, by said computer, a first merchant proprietor rewards account with at least a portion of said first reward amount, wherein said first merchant proprietor rewards account is associated with said first merchant proprietor rewards account code;

crediting, by said computer, a second merchant proprietor rewards account with at least a portion of said second reward amount, wherein said second merchant proprietor rewards account is associated with said second merchant proprietor rewards account code;

receiving, at said computer, a second financial transaction authorization request comprising second purchase data, wherein said second purchase data comprises a second transaction account code, a second purchase amount, and a second service establishment code;

associating, by said computer, said second service establishment code with said second merchant proprietor rewards account code;

associating, by said computer, said second transaction account code with said first merchant proprietor rewards account code;

calculating, by said computer, a third reward amount and a fourth reward amount; and

,

crediting, by said computer, said second merchant proprietor rewards account with at least a portion of said third reward amount; and

crediting, by said computer, said first merchant proprietor rewards account with at least a portion of said fourth reward amount.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said crediting said first merchant proprietor rewards account includes calculating said first reward amount based on a daily summary of transaction volume associated with said service establishment code.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said crediting said second merchant proprietor rewards account includes calculating said reward amount based on consumer spend discount volume.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a store keeping unit (SKU) code;

determining a manufacturer item code based upon said SKU code;

determining a manufacturer rewards account based upon said manufacturer item code; and

,

crediting said manufacturer rewards account with a fifth reward amount.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said determining said manufacturing rewards account includes performing an analysis that is further dependent upon at least one of a manufacturer identifier and a consumer profile.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said consumer profile comprises at least one of a date on which a consumer made a particular purchase, a frequency of purchases, a quantity of purchases, and a total transaction price.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said crediting said first merchant proprietor rewards account includes crediting based upon at least one of consumer purchasing, consumer not purchasing, a Universal Product Code, a Stock Keeping Unit code, purchases within a defined timeframe, purchases outside of a defined timeframe, items from a specific merchant, items from a group of merchants, items in a defined geographic region, a type of authorized transaction, a purchased item, a type of merchant, a particular store, transaction amount, daily spending, and biometric data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said crediting said first merchant proprietor rewards account further comprises calculating said reward amount based upon a reward ratio determined by at least one of a card sponsor, a card provider, a merchant, and a manufacturer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said first reward amount comprise at least one of a coupon, a gift certificate, reward points, a product, and a service.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing data analysis using at least one of said first transaction account code, said first service establishment code, said purchase data, a retailer item identifier, a manufacturer item identifier, said reward amount, a manufacturer ID, and a consumer profile.

11. A system for facilitating a merchant reward program, said system comprising:

a network interface;

a processor configured to execute a computer program;

a memory; and

the computer program configured to;

receive a first financial transaction authorization request comprising first purchase data, wherein said first purchase data comprises a first transaction account code, a first purchase amount, and a first service establishment code;

associate said first service establishment code with a first merchant proprietor rewards account code;

associate said first transaction account code with a second merchant proprietor rewards account code;

calculate a first reward amount and a second reward amount;

credit a first merchant proprietor rewards account with at least a portion of said first reward amount, wherein said first merchant proprietor rewards account is associated with said first merchant proprietor rewards account code;

credit a second merchant proprietor rewards account with at least a portion of said second reward amount, wherein said second merchant proprietor rewards account is associated with said second merchant proprietor rewards account code;

receive a second financial transaction authorization request comprising second purchase data, wherein said second purchase data comprises a second transaction account code, a second purchase amount, and a second service establishment code;

associate said second service establishment code with said second merchant proprietor rewards account code;

associate said second transaction account code with said first merchant proprietor rewards account code;

calculate a third reward amount and a fourth reward amount; and

,

credit said second merchant proprietor rewards account with at least a portion of said third reward amount; and

credit said first merchant proprietor rewards account with at least a portion of said fourth reward amount.

12. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with processing instructions for implementing a method, said processing instructions directing a computer to perform the steps of:

receiving first financial transaction authorization request comprising first purchase data, wherein said first purchase data comprises a first transaction account code, a first purchase amount, and a first service establishment code;

associating said first service establishment code with a first merchant proprietor rewards account code;

associating said first transaction account code with a second merchant proprietor rewards account code;

calculating a first reward amount and a second reward amount;

crediting a first merchant proprietor rewards account with at least a portion of said first reward amount, wherein said first merchant proprietor rewards account is associated with said first merchant proprietor rewards account code;

crediting a second merchant proprietor rewards account with at least a portion of said second reward amount, wherein said second merchant proprietor rewards account is associated with said second merchant proprietor rewards account code;

receiving a second financial transaction authorization request comprising second purchase data, wherein said second purchase data comprises a second transaction account code, a second purchase amount, and a second service establishment code;

associating said second service establishment code with said second merchant proprietor rewards account code;

associating said second transaction account code with said first merchant proprietor rewards account code;

calculating a third reward amount and a fourth reward amount; and

,

crediting said second merchant proprietor rewards account with at least a portion of said third reward amount; and

crediting said first merchant proprietor rewards account with at least a portion of said fourth reward amount.

13. A method for establishing a merchant reward program, said method comprising the steps of:

processing, by a computer for establishing a merchant reward program, an application for a merchant proprietor transaction account having an associated merchant proprietor reward account, wherein said application is received from a merchant proprietor;

assigning, by said computer and in response to said application being approved, a transaction account number to said merchant proprietor and a service establishment number to a service establishment associated with said merchant proprietor; and

,

associating, by said computer, said transaction account number with said service establishment number;

awarding, by said computer, a first reward amount to said merchant proprietor reward account based upon purchase transactions by said merchant proprietor using said transaction account number and a second reward amount to said merchant proprietor reward account based upon transaction requests associated with said service establishment number.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising processing purchase data comprising a consumer account code, a purchase amount, and a service establishment code.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising associating said consumer account code with a plurality of said service establishment codes.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising associating said consumer account code with a plurality of said transaction account numbers.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising processing said application for a merchant proprietor transaction account through a capture agency using an account decisioning and approval system.