Online reward point exchange method and system

• US 8,407,087 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2010
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signature Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Signature Systems LLC
• Inventors: Postrel, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): VANDERHORST, MARIA VICTORIA
• Application Number:
  US12/703,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20100280896A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380
• US Class Current: 705/14.29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0228 On-line clearing houses
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

An online reward exchange system and method of operation, which includes an exchange computer that interoperates via a computer network with user computers, reward point issuer computers, and merchant computers. The merchants'"'"' products may be purchased by a user by requesting via a user computer, merchant'"'"'s point of sale device, or mobile device an issuer(s) to redeem reward points in exchange for payment to the merchant for the product. The exchange computer is the gateway to the system and manages various transactions such as providing online product catalogs to users that list the merchants products, as well as displaying to the user the reward points he has available in his reward programs with the issuers. Once a user selects a desired product the exchange computer can mediate or manage the purchase transaction in which reward points are redeemed by the selected issuer and consideration is conveyed to the merchant in exchange for the merchant providing the product to the user.

Claims

1. A method for operating an online reward exchange system comprising:

an exchange computer receiving user registration from a user computer operated by a user, the user registration comprising reward account information for at least one reward program in which the user is previously enrolled, said reward program operated by an issuer via an issuer computer and providing reward points to the reward account stored in association with the issuer computer as a result of a transaction previously executed between the user and the issuer;

the exchange computer receiving a merchant registration from a merchant computer operated by a merchant, the merchant registration comprising (i) product information that identifies at least one product to be offered for sale to the user via the exchange computer, and (ii) a designation of at least one of a plurality of issuers registered with the exchange computer with which the merchant agrees to execute a reward redemption transaction when requested by the user computer;

the exchange computer receiving an issuer registration from the issuer computer operated by the issuer, the issuer registration comprising a designation of at least one of a plurality of merchants registered with the exchange computer with which the issuer agrees to execute a reward redemption transaction when requested by the user; and

the exchange computer executing a reward redemption transaction for a product selected by the user for purchase from a merchant selected by the user from the plurality of merchants, by redeeming reward points from a reward account held by an issuer selected by the user from the plurality of issuers, only if

the merchant selected by the user has previously agreed to execute a reward redemption transaction with the issuer selected by the user, and

the issuer selected by the user has previously agreed to execute a reward redemption transaction with the merchant selected by the user.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the exchange computer communicating with each of the issuer computers with which the user is enrolled with a reward account with said issuer computer;

the exchange computer receiving reward account information from each of said issuer computers for said user;

the exchange computer calculating a promotional wallet for the user, said promotional wallet comprising a total redeemable value for all of the user'"'"'s reward accounts stored in the plurality of issuer computers; and

the exchange computer displaying to the user via the user computer said user'"'"'s promotional wallet.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of

an unregistered user viewing via an unregistered user computer a web page from an issuer computer of a registered issuer, said unregistered user being previously enrolled in a reward program of said registered issuer;

the unregistered user selecting via the unregistered user computer a link on the web page that automatically links the unregistered user computer to the exchange computer; and

the exchange computer automatically registering said unregistered user by using reward account information transmitted from the issuer computer to the exchange computer.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the unregistered user entering via the unregistered user computer additional reward account information for a plurality of additional issuers with which the user is previously enrolled.

5. The method of claim 1 in which the exchange computer executes the reward redemption transaction by the steps of:

the exchange computer requesting the issuer computer associated with the selected reward account to (I) reduce the reward account associated with the user by a quantity of reward points selected by the user for execution of the reward redemption transaction, and (II) convey consideration to the exchange computer corresponding to the quantity of reward points selected by the user for execution of the reward redemption transaction; and

the exchange computer conveying consideration to the merchant computer selected by the user in exchange for the associated merchant providing to the user the selected product.

6. The method of claim 1 in which the exchange computer executes the reward redemption transaction by requesting the merchant to execute the reward redemption transaction by the steps of:

a. the exchange computer transmitting to the merchant computer (I) an identification of the product selected by the user and (ii) an identification of the reward issuer selected by the user and a quantity of reward points selected by the user for redemption for the product;

b. the merchant computer requesting the issuer computer associated with the selected reward account to (I) reduce the reward account associated with the user by the quantity of reward points selected by the user for execution of the reward redemption transaction, and (II) convey consideration to the merchant computer corresponding to the quantity of reward points selected by the user for execution of the reward redemption transaction;

c. the issuer computer conveying consideration to the merchant in exchange for the merchant providing to the user the selected product.

7. An online reward exchange system comprising an exchange computer programmed to

receive a user registration from a user computer operated by a user, the user registration comprising reward account information for at least one reward program in which the user is previously enrolled, said reward program operated by an issuer via an issuer computer and providing reward points to the reward account stored in association with the issuer computer as a result of a transaction previously executed between the user and the issuer;

receive a merchant registration from a merchant computer operated by a merchant, the merchant registration comprising (i) product information that identifies at least one product to be offered for sale to the user via the exchange computer, and (ii) a designation of at least one of a plurality of issuers registered with the exchange computer with which the merchant agrees to execute a reward redemption transaction when requested by the user;

receive an issuer registration from the issuer computer operated by the issuer, the issuer registration comprising a designation of at least one of a plurality of merchants registered with the exchange computer with which the issuer agrees to execute a reward redemption transaction when requested by the user; and

execute a reward redemption transaction for a product selected by the user for purchase from a merchant selected by the user from the plurality of merchants, by redeeming reward points from a reward account held by an issuer selected by the user from the plurality of issuers, only if

the merchant selected by the has previously agreed to execute a reward redemption transaction with the issuer selected by the user, and

the issuer selected by the user has previously agreed to execute a reward redemption transaction with the merchant selected the user.

8. The online reward exchange system of claim 7 wherein the exchange computer is further programmed to:

communicate with each of the issuer computers with which the user is enrolled with a reward account with said issuer computer;

receive reward account information from each of said issuer computers for said user;

calculate a promotional wallet for the user, said promotional wallet comprising a total redeemable value for all of the user'"'"'s reward accounts stored in the plurality of issuer computers; and

display to the user via the user computer said user'"'"'s promotional wallet.

9. The online reward exchange system of claim 7 in which the exchange computer is further programmed to execute the reward redemption transaction by:

requesting the issuer computer associated with the selected reward account to (I) reduce the reward account associated with the user by a quantity of reward points selected by the user for execution of the reward redemption transaction, and (II) convey consideration to the exchange computer corresponding to the quantity of reward points selected by the user for execution of the reward redemption transaction; and

conveying consideration to the merchant computer selected by the user in exchange for the associated merchant providing to the user the selected product.

10. The online reward exchange system of claim 7 in which

the exchange computer is further programmed to execute the reward redemption transaction to be executed by requesting the merchant to execute the purchase transaction by transmitting to the merchant computer (I) an identification of the product selected by the user and (ii) an identification of the reward issuer selected by the user and a quantity of reward points selected by the user for redemption for the product;

the merchant computer is further programmed to request the issuer computer associated with the selected reward program to (I) reduce the reward account associated with the user by the quantity of reward points selected by the user for execution of the reward redemption transaction, and (II) convey consideration to the merchant computer corresponding to the quantity of reward points selected by the user for execution of the reward redemption transaction; and

the issuer computer is further programmed to convey consideration to the merchant in exchange for the merchant providing to the user the selected product.