Method and system for providing rewards to a portable computing device at the point of sale

• US 8,285,588 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2011
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Signature Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Signature Systems LLC
• Inventors: Postrel, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Kito R
• Application Number:
  US13/089,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20110196729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/17, 705/35, 705/41
• US Class Current: 705/14.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• 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 20/227 characterised in that multiple accounts are available, e.g. to the payer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/26 Debit schemes, e.g. "pay now"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/34 using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3572 Multiple accounts on card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3574 Multiple applications on card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0223 based on inventory
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• 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 30/0229 Multi-merchant loyalty card systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0231 Awarding of a frequent usage incentive independent of the monetary value of a good or service purchased, or distance travelled
• 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 40/00 : Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles

Abstract

Providing rewards to a user by storing a user profile in memory of a computing device, the user profile including profile data including prior purchase history by the user including details of a plurality of transactions that have been previously executed by the user. The profile data is analyzed in accordance with a scoring algorithm to provide a score that is indicative of the relative value of the user, and the user is provided with a reward in accordance with the user'"'"'s score as indicated by the scoring algorithm. The reward provided to the user may be a coupon, a rebate, a discount or reward points.

Claims

1. A method of providing rewards to a user comprising:

a. storing a user profile in memory of a portable computing device, the user profile comprising (i) prior purchase history data comprising details of a plurality of transactions that have been previously executed by the user, and (ii) user data which may only be accessed by a merchant terminal if allowed by the user; and

b. a merchant terminal interacting with the portable computing device by;

(i) accessing the purchase history data from the portable computing device;

(ii) analyzing the purchase history data in accordance with a scoring algorithm to provide a score that is indicative of the relative value of the user;

(iii) accessing the user data from the portable computing device if allowed by the user; and

(iv) providing the user with a reward in accordance with the (A) user'"'"'s score as indicated by the scoring algorithm and (B) the user data allowed by the user to be accessed by the merchant terminal, wherein the merchant terminal provides relatively greater rewards to users that allow relatively more user data to be accessed by the merchant terminal and relatively lesser rewards to users that allow relatively less data be accessed by the merchant terminal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the scoring algorithm provides a low score if the user'"'"'s prior purchase history indicates that the user has executed purchases of items with low margins.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the scoring algorithm provides a high score if the user'"'"'s prior purchase history indicates that the user has executed purchases of items with high margins.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the reward provided to the user comprises a coupon, a rebate, a discount or reward points.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the computing device is a smart card.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the merchant terminal provides the user with a reward by uploading the reward into the memory of the smart card.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the merchant terminal further interacts with the portable computing device by redeeming the reward provided to the user during a purchase transaction with a merchant.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the reward is redeemed by presenting the computing device to a merchant terminal during the purchase transaction.

9. A reward system comprising:

a. a portable computing device comprising memory, said memory storing a user profile comprising (i) prior purchase history data comprising details of a plurality of transactions that have been previously executed by the user, and (ii) user data which may only be accessed by a merchant terminal if allowed by the user;

b. a merchant terminal programmed to interact with the portable computing device to

(i) access the purchase history data from the portable computing device;

(ii) analyze the purchase history data in accordance with a scoring algorithm to provide a score that is indicative of the relative value of the user;

(iii) access the user data from the portable computing device if allowed by the user; and

(iv) provide the user with a reward in accordance with (A) the user'"'"'s score as indicated by the scoring algorithm and (B) the user data allowed by the user to be accessed by the merchant terminal, wherein the merchant terminal provides relatively greater rewards users that allow relatively more user data to accessed by the merchant terminal and relatively lesser rewards users that allow relatively less data to be accessed by the merchant terminal.

10. The reward system of claim 9 wherein the scoring algorithm provides a low score if the user'"'"'s prior purchase history indicates that the user has executed purchases of items with low margins.

11. The reward system of claim 9 wherein the scoring algorithm provides a high score if the user'"'"'s prior purchase history indicates that the user has executed purchases of items with high margins.

12. The reward system of claim 9 wherein the reward provided to the user comprises a coupon, a rebate, a discount or reward points.

13. The reward system of claim 9 wherein the portable computing device is a smart card.

14. The reward system of claim 13 wherein the merchant terminal provides the user with a reward by uploading the reward into the memory of the smart card.

15. The reward system of claim 9 wherein the merchant terminal is further programmed to redeem the reward provided to the user.