Transaction aggregator for closed processing

• US 8,626,705 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2010
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Barrett, Melyssa, Winters, Michelle, Amaro, Leigh
• Primary Examiner(s): BURKE, JEFF A
• Application Number:
  US12/832,699
• Publication Number:
  US 20110106840A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,279 Days
• Field of Search: 707/600, 707/603
• US Class Current: 707/603
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Systems and methods for determining aggregated transaction level data for specific group characteristics are provided. Aggregated transaction level data can be used for target marketing campaigns by looking at past and potential spending habits of populations with group characteristics specified in the transaction data aggregates. The aggregates can also be used to measure the effectiveness of a particular marketing campaign by correlating the spending patters of a particular group with sales resulting from the campaign.

Claims

1. A method for deriving aggregated transaction data comprising:

sending, by an aggregator server, a transaction data inquiry file from the aggregator server to a transaction database of a financial transaction processing network;

receiving, by the aggregator server, a transaction data response file from the transaction database, the transaction data response file comprising financial information;

parsing, by the aggregator server, the transaction data response file according to the transaction data inquiry file;

determining, by the aggregator server, a first transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file, wherein the first transaction aggregate indicates a ratio of online to in-store purchases within a geographic region;

determining, by the aggregator server, a second transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file, wherein the second transaction aggregate indicates a total number of consumers with a revolving balance on a credit card account within the geographic region;

determining, by the aggregator server, a third transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file, wherein the third transaction aggregate indicates a total spent in a merchant category within a predetermined amount of time within the geographic region; and

determining, by the aggregator server, a fourth transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file, wherein the fourth transaction aggregate indicates an average amount spent at a merchant within the predetermined amount of time within the geographic region.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining of the first transaction aggregate is based on a demographic characteristic.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a fifth transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file, wherein the fifth transaction aggregate indicates a percentage of total credit card purchases made within the merchant category;

determining a sixth transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file, wherein the sixth transaction aggregate indicates a percentage of credit card purchases made at an online store of the merchant within the geographic region;

determining a seventh transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file, wherein the seventh transaction aggregate indicates a ratio of online to in-store purchases at the merchant category within the geographic region;

and

determining an eighth transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file, wherein the eighth transaction aggregate indicates a classification of consumers within the geographic region.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the geographic region comprises a zip code.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a transaction level aggregate request file from an information requester and wherein the transaction data inquiry file is based on the transaction level aggregate request file.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining of the first transaction aggregate is based on a group characteristic that comprises an IP address range.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the IP address is correlated to one or more zip codes.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the zip codes are based on the location of one or more information requesters.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first transaction aggregate is further based on a group characteristic.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the first transaction aggregate is associated with one or more user identifiers.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining a fifth transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file using the aggregator server, wherein the fifth transaction aggregate is based on a group characteristic.

12. A transaction aggregator for deriving aggregated transaction level data comprising a server computer comprising:

(a) a processor;

(b) a non-transitory computer readable storage medium coupled to the processor, the computer readable storage medium comprising code that, when executed by the processor, causes the server computer at least to perform;

sending a transaction data inquiry file to a transaction database of a financial transaction processing network,

receiving a transaction data response file from the transaction database, the transaction data response file comprising financial information,

parsing the transaction data response file according to the transaction data inquiry file;

determining a first transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file, wherein the first transaction aggregate indicates a ratio of online to in-store purchases within a geographic region;

determining a second transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file, wherein the second transaction aggregate indicates a total number of consumers with a revolving balance on a credit card account within the geographic region;

determining a third transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file, wherein the third transaction aggregate indicates a total spent in a merchant category within a predetermined amount of time within the geographic region; and

determining a fourth transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file, wherein the fourth transaction aggregate indicates an average amount spent at a merchant within the predetermined amount of time within the geographic region.

13. The transaction aggregator of claim 12 wherein the determining of the first transaction aggregate is based on a demographic characteristic.

14. The transaction aggregator of claim 12 wherein the code, when executed by the processor, further causes the server computer to:

determine a fifth transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file, wherein the fifth transaction aggregate indicates a percentage of total credit card purchases made within the merchant category;

determine a sixth transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file, wherein the sixth transaction aggregate indicates a percentage of credit card purchases made at an online store of the merchant within the geographic region;

determine a seventh transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file, wherein the seventh transaction aggregate indicates a ratio of online to in-store purchases at the merchant category within the geographic region;

and

determine an eighth transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file, wherein the eighth transaction aggregate indicates a classification of consumers within the geographic region.

15. The transaction aggregator of claim 12 wherein the geographic region comprises a zip code.

16. The transaction aggregator of claim 12 wherein the code, when executed by the processor, causes the server computer to receive a transaction level aggregate request file from a first information requester and wherein the transaction data inquiry file is based on the transaction level aggregate request file.

17. The transaction aggregator of claim 12 wherein the determining of the first transaction aggregate is based on a first group characteristic that comprises an IP address range.

18. The transaction aggregator of claim 17 wherein the IP address is correlated to one or more zip codes.

19. The transaction aggregator of claim 18 wherein the zip codes are based on the location of one or information requesters.

20. The transaction aggregator of claim 12 wherein the first transaction aggregate is further based on a second group characteristic.

21. The transaction aggregator of claim 12 wherein the code, when executed by the processor, causes the server computer at least to determine a fifth transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file using the aggregator server, wherein the fifth transaction aggregate is based on a group characteristic.

22. An apparatus comprising:

means for sending a transaction data inquiry file to a transaction database of a financial transaction processing network;

means for receiving a transaction data response file from the transaction database, the transaction data response file comprising financial information;

means for parsing the transaction data response file according to the transaction data inquiry file;

means for determining a first transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file, wherein the first transaction aggregate indicates a ratio of online to in-store purchases within a geographic region;

means for determining a second transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file, wherein the second transaction aggregate indicates a total number of consumers with a revolving balance on a credit card account within the geographic region;

means for determining a third transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file, wherein the third transaction aggregate indicates a total spent in a merchant category within a predetermined amount of time within the geographic region; and

means for determining a fourth transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file, wherein the fourth transaction aggregate indicates an average amount spent at a merchant within the predetermined amount of time within the geographic region.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising:

means for determining a fifth transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file, wherein the fifth transaction aggregate indicates a percentage of total credit card purchases made within the merchant category;

means for determining a sixth transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file, wherein the sixth transaction aggregate indicates a percentage of credit card purchases made at an online store of the merchant within the geographic region;

means for determining a seventh transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file, wherein the seventh transaction aggregate indicates a ratio of online to in-store purchases at the merchant category within the geographic region;

and

means for determining an eighth transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file, wherein the eighth transaction aggregate indicates a classification of consumers within the geographic region.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising means for determining a fifth transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file, wherein the fifth transaction aggregate is based on a group characteristic.

25. A method for deriving aggregated transaction data comprising:

sending, by an aggregator server, a transaction data inquiry file from the aggregator server to a transaction database of a financial transaction processing network;

receiving, by the aggregator server, a transaction data response file from the transaction database, the transaction data response file comprising financial information;

parsing, by the aggregator server, the transaction data response file according to the transaction data inquiry file;

determining, by the aggregator server, a first transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file based on a group characteristic that comprises an IP address range correlated to one or more zip codes, wherein the first transaction aggregate indicates a ratio of online to in-store purchases within a geographic region comprising a zip code;

determining a second transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file, wherein the second transaction aggregate indicates a total number of consumers with a revolving balance on a credit card account within the geographic region;

determining, by the aggregator server, a third transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file, wherein the third transaction aggregate indicates a total spent in a merchant category within a predetermined amount of time within the geographic region;

determining a fourth transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file, wherein the fourth transaction aggregate indicates a percentage of total credit card purchases made within the merchant category;

determining a fifth transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file, wherein the fifth transaction aggregate indicates a percentage of credit card purchases made at an online store of a merchant within the geographic region;

determining a sixth transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file, wherein the sixth transaction aggregate indicates a ratio of online to in-store purchases at the merchant category within the geographic region;

determining, by the aggregator server, a seventh transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file, wherein the seventh transaction aggregate indicates an average amount spent at the merchant within the predetermined amount of time within the geographic region; and

determining an eighth transaction aggregate from the parsed transaction data response file, wherein the eighth transaction aggregate indicates a classification of consumers within the geographic region.