Rewards program website permitting conversion/transfer of non-negotiable credits to entity independent funds

• US 8,684,265 B1
• Filed: 11/20/2012
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JBSHBM, LLC
• Original Assignee: Brian K. Buchheit, Sean I. Mcghie
• Inventors: McGhie, Sean I., Buchheit, Brian K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Labaze, Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US13/681,479
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/375, 235/379, 235/487, 235/486, 705/14.1, 705 1411- 1414, 705/14.31, 705/39, 463/25
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/06 Private payment circuits, e.g. involving electronic currency used among participants of a common payment scheme
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/381 Currency conversion
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0228 On-line clearing houses
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

A set of Web pages are provided for a Web site for a different loyalty program of a commerce partner. Non-negotiable credits are identified that are earned by a member as part of a loyalty program of an entity. During a Web session involving the member and the Web site, a request is received to transfer or convert a quantity of the non-negotiable credits to entity independent funds. The entity independent funds are different loyalty points of the different loyalty program. During the Web session at least a subset of the non-negotiable credits are transferred or converted into entity independent funds that the commerce partner accepts for commerce partner goods or services. The commerce partner goods or services are available for member purchase via the Web site. Non-negotiable credits are not accepted for the commerce partner goods or services.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

during a Web session involving interactions between a member and a Web site of a commerce partner, using user identification information to determine user account information for the member, wherein the member is a member of a loyalty program of an entity, wherein member is a member of a different loyalty program of the commerce partner, wherein the user identification information is used to identify account information for the loyalty program and is used to identity account information of the different loyalty program;

during the Web session, identifying non-negotiable credits earned from previous interactions with the loyalty program of the entity, wherein the non-negotiable credits are loyalty points of the loyalty program, wherein the non-negotiable credits are redeemable for a restricted list of goods or services that are provided by the entity;

during the Web session, converting a quantity of the non-negotiable credits to a quantity of entity independent funds, wherein the converting is performed by the Web site, which is operated by a different legal entity than the entity, wherein the entity independent funds are loyalty points of the different loyalty program of the commerce partner, wherein the commerce partner redeems the entity independent funds for a commerce partner goods or for commerce partner services, wherein at least a portion of the commerce partner goods or the commerce partner services are not included in the restricted list;

during the Web session, adding the quantity of entity independent funds from the converting to an existing quantity of entity independent funds of a funds account maintained for the member as part of the different loyalty program;

during the Web session, permitting access, to entity independent funds of the funds account;

during the Web session, applying at least a portion of the entity independent funds of the funds account to one or more purchases for commerce partner goods or commerce partner services, wherein the commerce partner goods or commerce partner services of the one or more purchases are not included in the restricted list, wherein the Web site does not accept the non-negotiable credits for the commerce partner goods or commerce partner services in absence of the converting, wherein the identifying of non-negotiable credits is performed by computing equipment having at least one processor executing program instructions that are digitally encoded in at least one storage device, wherein the converting is performed by computing equipment having at least one processor executing program instructions that are digitally encoded in at least one storage device, wherein the permitting of access to the quantity of negotiable funds is performed by computing equipment having at least one processor executing program instructions that are digitally encoded in at least one storage device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the Web site is an e-commerce Web site for the different loyalty program enabling members to redeem the entity independent funds for commerce partner goods or for commerce partner services.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the commerce partner functions as a conversion agency that converts non-negotiable credits into entity independent funds.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the commerce partner is a vender that provides the commerce partner goods or commerce partner services to members as part of the different loyalty program.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the entity compensates the commerce partner for converting the non-negotiable funds by providing the commerce partner with cash or credit, wherein the commerce partner uses the cash or credit from the entity to offset costs for providing the member with the commerce partner goods or with the commerce partner services.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the entity charges the member a fee in either cash or in quantities of the non-negotiable credits for each conversion of the non-negotiable credits to the entity independent funds.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the commerce partner charges the member a fee in either cash or in quantities of the entity independent funds for each conversion of the non-negotiable credits to the entity independent funds.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the commerce partner agrees to permit transfers or conversions of quantities of non-negotiable credits to entity independent funds in accordance with a fixed credits to funds ratio, wherein the commerce partner receives compensation by agreement from the entity for conversions of non-negotiable credits into entity independent funds.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the loyalty program of the entity is an airline, hotel, or credit card loyalty program, wherein the different loyalty program of the commerce partner is an airline, hotel, or credit card loyalty program.

10. A method comprising:

at least one of one or more computers, which provides a set of Web pages of a Web site for a different loyalty program of a commerce partner, identifying non-negotiable credits earned by a member as part of a loyalty program of an entity, wherein the loyalty program includes a payment artifact, wherein non-negotiable credits of the loyalty program are earned as a result of having charged amounts to an account linked to the payment artifact, the amounts charged being for goods or services purchased using the payment artifact, wherein the non-negotiable credits are stored as digitally encoded information in at least one storage device, wherein the goods or services purchased were purchased from at least one different entity than the entity, wherein said loyalty program of the entity is able to redeem the non-negotiable credits for a restricted list of goods or services;

at least one of one or more computers receiving, during a Web session involving the member and the Web site, a request to transfer or convert a quantity of the non-negotiable credits to entity independent funds, wherein the commerce partner is a company that is not the entity, wherein the entity independent funds are different loyalty points of the different loyalty program; and

during the Web session and responsive to the request to transfer or convert the quantity of non-negotiable funds, at least one of one or more computers transferring or converting at least a subset of the non-negotiable credits into entity independent funds, wherein the commerce partner accepts the subset of non-negotiable credits as payment for commerce partner goods or commerce partner services, wherein the commerce partner provides the commerce partner goods or the commerce partner services for sale though the Web site, wherein the commerce partner goods or commerce partner services are not included in the restricted list of goods and services, wherein in absence of the non-negotiable credits being converted or transferred into the entity independent funds, the Web site of the commerce partner does not accept the non-negotiable credits as payment for the commerce partner goods or for the commerce partner services.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the payment artifact is a credit card or debit card.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein per terms of the loyalty program, the non-negotiable credits have no cash or monetary value, wherein the non-negotiable credits are accrued in proportion to the amount charged to the account.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the non-negotiable credits have a restriction on use related to an expiration date, whereby the non-negotiable credits either have an expiration date, have an expiration date triggered by a previously defined condition related to a status of the account linked to the payment artifact, or the entity has expressly reserved a right of imposing an expiration date on already accrued non-negotiable credits.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the commerce partner agrees to permit transfers or conversions of quantities of non-negotiable credits to entity independent funds in accordance with a fixed credits to funds ratio, wherein the commerce partner receives compensation, per an agreement between the commerce partner and the entity, from the entity for conversions of non-negotiable credits into entity independent funds.

15. A method comprising:

a server for a rewards Web site of a commerce partner receiving during a Web session user identification information for a member of a loyalty program of an entity, said commerce partner providing a different loyalty program for the member;

during the Web session said server using user identification information to determine user account information for a non-negotiable credit account;

during the Web session said server accessing over a network a data store for the non-negotiable credit account of the member, said non-negotiable credit account specifying a quantity of non-negotiable credits said member has earned through previous interactions involving the entity, wherein the non-negotiable credits are loyalty points or frequent flyer miles for the loyalty program, wherein said loyalty program of the entity is able to redeem the non-negotiable credits for a restricted list of goods or services;

during the Web session said server accessing a second data store for a funds account of the member, said funds account specifying a quantity of entity independent funds said member has earned through previous interactions involving the commerce partner, wherein the entity independent funds are loyalty points or frequent flyer miles for the different loyalty program;

during the Web session said server, responsive to a request from the member, causing a subset of the non-negotiable funds to be converted into a new quantity of entity independent funds;

during the Web session said server, causing the non-negotiable credit account of the member to be reduced by at least the subset of non-negotiable funds;

during the Web session said server, adding the new quantity of entity independent funds to said entity independent funds of the funds account; and

during the Web session said server redeeming a subset of the entity independent funds for commerce partner goods or commerce partner services available through the Web site, wherein said commerce partner goods or commerce partner services are not included in the restricted list of goods or services, wherein the Web site does not accept the non-negotiable credits as payment for the commerce partner goods or for the commerce partner services, in absence of the non-negotiable credits being converted by the Web site into entity independent funds.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the commerce partner is compensated with cash or credit for converting the non-negotiable funds to offset costs for providing the member with the commerce partner goods or with the commerce partner services, wherein commerce partner receives the cash or credit from the entity or from a financial institution that has acted on behalf of the entity.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein per the loyalty program the member is charged a fee in either cash or in quantities of the non-negotiable credits for each conversion of the non-negotiable credits to the entity independent funds.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the commerce partner charges the member a fee in either cash or in quantities of the entity independent funds for each conversion of the non-negotiable credits to the entity independent funds.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the commerce partner agrees to permit transfers or conversions of quantities of non-negotiable credits to entity independent funds in accordance with a fixed credits to funds ratio, wherein the commerce partner receives compensation, per an agreement between the commerce partner and the entity, from the entity for conversions of non-negotiable credits into entity independent funds.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the loyalty program of the entity is an airline, hotel, or credit card loyalty program, wherein the different loyalty program of the commerce partner is an airline, hotel, or credit card loyalty program.

21. A computer program product comprising:

one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums, to;

during a Web session involving interactions between a member and a Web site of a commerce partner, use user identification information to determine user account information for the member, wherein the member is a member of a loyalty program of an entity, wherein member is a member of a different loyalty program of the commerce partner, wherein the user identification information is used to identify account information for the loyalty program and is used to identity account information of the different loyalty program;

during the Web session, identify non-negotiable credits earned from previous interactions with the loyalty program of the entity, wherein the non-negotiable credits are loyalty points of the loyalty program, wherein the non-negotiable credits are redeemable for a restricted list of goods or services that are provided by the entity;

during the Web session, convert a quantity of the non-negotiable credits to a quantity of entity independent funds, wherein the converting is performed by the Web site, which is operated by a different legal entity than the entity, wherein the entity independent funds are loyalty points of the different loyalty program of the commerce partner, wherein the commerce partner redeems the entity independent funds for a commerce partner goods or for commerce partner services, wherein at least a portion of the commerce partner goods or the commerce partner services are not included in the restricted list;

during the Web session, add the quantity of entity independent funds from the converting to an existing quantity of entity independent funds of a funds account maintained for the member as part of the different loyalty program;

during the Web session, permit access to entity independent funds of the funds account; and

during the Web session, apply at least a portion of the entity independent funds of the funds account to one or more purchases for commerce partner goods or commerce partner services, wherein the commerce partner goods or commerce partner services of the one or more purchases are not included in the restricted list, wherein the Web site does not accept the non-negotiable credits for the commerce partner goods or commerce partner services in absence of the converting.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the Web site is an e-commerce Web site for the different loyalty program enabling members to redeem the entity independent funds for commerce partner goods or for commerce partner services.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the commerce partner functions as a conversion agency that converts non-negotiable credits into entity independent funds.

24. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the commerce partner is a vender that provides the commerce partner goods or commerce partner services to members as part of the different loyalty program.

25. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the entity compensates the commerce partner for converting the non-negotiable funds by providing the commerce partner with cash or credit, wherein the commerce partner uses the cash or credit from the entity to offset costs for providing the member with the commerce partner goods or with the commerce partner services.

26. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the entity charges the member a fee in either cash or in quantities of the non-negotiable credits for each conversion of the non-negotiable credits to the entity independent funds.

27. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the commerce partner charges the member a fee in either cash or in quantities of the entity independent funds for each conversion of the non-negotiable credits to the entity independent funds.

28. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the commerce partner agrees to permit transfers or conversions of quantities of non-negotiable credits to entity independent funds in accordance with a fixed credits to funds ratio, wherein the commerce partner receives compensation by agreement from the entity for conversions of non-negotiable credits into entity independent funds.

29. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the loyalty program of the entity is an airline, hotel, or credit card loyalty program, wherein the different loyalty program of the commerce partner is an airline, hotel, or credit card loyalty program.

30. A computer program product comprising:

one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums, to;

provide a set of Web pages of a Web site for a different loyalty program of a commerce partner;

identify non-negotiable credits earned by a member as part of a loyalty program of an entity, wherein the loyalty program includes a payment artifact, wherein non-negotiable credits of the loyalty program are earned as a result of having charged amounts to an account linked to the payment artifact, the amounts charged being for goods or services purchased using the payment artifact, wherein the non-negotiable credits are stored as digitally encoded information in at least one storage device, wherein the goods or services purchased were purchased from at least one different entity than the entity, wherein said loyalty program of the entity is able to redeem the non-negotiable credits for a restricted list of goods or services;

receive, during a Web session involving the member and the Web site, a request to transfer or convert a quantity of the non-negotiable credits to entity independent funds, wherein the commerce partner is a company that is not the entity, wherein the entity independent funds are different loyalty points of the different loyalty program; and

during the Web session and responsive to the request to transfer or convert the quantity of non-negotiable funds, transfer or convert at least a subset of the non-negotiable credits into entity independent funds, wherein the commerce partner accepts the subset of non-negotiable credits as payment for commerce partner goods or commerce partner services, wherein the commerce partner provides the commerce partner goods or the commerce partner services for sale though the Web site, wherein the commerce partner goods or commerce partner services are not included in the restricted list of goods and services, wherein in absence of the non-negotiable credits being converted or transferred into the entity independent funds, the Web site of the commerce partner does not accept the non-negotiable credits as payment for the commerce partner goods or for the commerce partner services.

31. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the payment artifact is a credit card or debit card.

32. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein per terms of the loyalty program, the non-negotiable credits have no cash or monetary value, wherein the non-negotiable credits are accrued in proportion to the amount charged to the account.

33. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the non-negotiable credits have a restriction on use related to an expiration date, whereby the non-negotiable credits either have an expiration date, have an expiration date triggered by a previously defined condition related to a status of the account linked to the payment artifact, or the entity has expressly reserved a right of imposing an expiration date on already accrued non-negotiable credits.

34. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the commerce partner agrees to permit transfers or conversions of quantities of non-negotiable credits to entity independent funds in accordance with a fixed credits to funds ratio, wherein the commerce partner receives compensation, per an agreement between the commerce partner and the entity, from the entity for conversions of non-negotiable credits into entity independent funds.

35. A computer program product comprising:

one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums, to;

during a Web session and at a server for a rewards Web site of a commerce partner, receive user identification information for a member of a loyalty program of an entity, said commerce partner providing a different loyalty program for the member;

during the Web session and at the server, determine user account information for a non-negotiable credit account using user identification information;

during the Web session and at the server, access over a network a data store for the non-negotiable credit account of the member, said non-negotiable credit account specifying a quantity of non-negotiable credits said member has earned through previous interactions involving the entity, wherein the non-negotiable credits are loyalty points or frequent flyer miles for the loyalty program, wherein said loyalty program of the entity is able to redeem the non-negotiable credits for a restricted list of goods or services;

during the Web session and at the server, access a second data store for a funds account of the member, said funds account specifying a quantity of entity independent funds said member has earned through previous interactions involving the commerce partner, wherein the entity independent funds are loyalty points or frequent flyer miles for the different loyalty program;

during the Web session and at the server, responsive to a request from the member, cause a subset of the non-negotiable funds to be converted into a new quantity of entity independent funds;

during the Web session and at the server, cause the non-negotiable credit account of the member to be reduced by at least the subset of non-negotiable funds;

during the Web session and at the server, add the new quantity of entity independent funds to said entity independent funds of the funds account; and

during the Web session said server redeeming a subset of the entity independent funds for commerce partner goods or commerce partner services available through the Web site, wherein said commerce partner goods or commerce partner services are not included in the restricted list of goods or services, wherein the Web site does not accept the non-negotiable credits as payment for the commerce partner goods or for the commerce partner services, in absence of the non-negotiable credits being converted by the Web site into entity independent funds.

36. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein the commerce partner is compensated with cash or credit for converting the non-negotiable funds to offset costs for providing the member with the commerce partner goods or with the commerce partner services, wherein commerce partner receives the cash or credit from the entity or from a financial institution that has acted on behalf of the entity.

37. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein per the loyalty program the member is charged a fee in either cash or in quantities of the non-negotiable credits for each conversion of the non-negotiable credits to the entity independent funds.

38. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein the commerce partner charges the member a fee in either cash or in quantities of the entity independent funds for each conversion of the non-negotiable credits to the entity independent funds.

39. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein the commerce partner agrees to permit transfers or conversions of quantities of non-negotiable credits to entity independent funds in accordance with a fixed credits to funds ratio, wherein the commerce partner receives compensation, per an agreement between the commerce partner and the entity, from the entity for conversions of non-negotiable credits into entity independent funds.

40. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein the loyalty program of the entity is an airline, hotel, or credit card loyalty program, wherein the different loyalty program of the commerce partner is an airline, hotel, or credit card loyalty program.

41. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums;

program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums, wherein the one or more processors execute the program instructions to;

during a Web session involving interactions between a member and a Web site of a commerce partner, use user identification information to determine user account information for the member, wherein the member is a member of a loyalty program of an entity, wherein member is a member of a different loyalty program of the commerce partner, wherein the user identification information is used to identify account information for the loyalty program and is used to identity account information of the different loyalty program;

during the Web session, identify non-negotiable credits earned from previous interactions with the loyalty program of the entity, wherein the non-negotiable credits are loyalty points of the loyalty program, wherein the non-negotiable credits are redeemable for a restricted list of goods or services that are provided by the entity;

during the Web session, convert a quantity of the non-negotiable credits to a quantity of entity independent funds, wherein the converting is performed by the Web site, which is operated by a different legal entity than the entity, wherein the entity independent funds are loyalty points of the different loyalty program of the commerce partner, wherein the commerce partner redeems the entity independent funds for a commerce partner goods or for commerce partner services, wherein at least a portion of the commerce partner goods or the commerce partner services are not included in the restricted list;

during the Web session, add the quantity of entity independent funds from the converting to an existing quantity of entity independent funds of a funds account maintained for the member as part of the different loyalty program;

during the Web session, permit access to entity independent funds of the funds account; and

during the Web session, apply at least a portion of the entity independent funds of the funds account to one or more purchases for commerce partner goods or commerce partner services, wherein the commerce partner goods or commerce partner services of the one or more purchases are not included in the restricted list, wherein the Web site does not accept the non-negotiable credits for the commerce partner goods or commerce partner services in absence of the converting.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the Web site is an e-commerce Web site for the different loyalty program enabling members to redeem the entity independent funds for commerce partner goods or for commerce partner services.

43. The system of claim 41, wherein the commerce partner functions as a conversion agency that converts non-negotiable credits into entity independent funds.

44. The system of claim 41, wherein the commerce partner is a vender that provides the commerce partner goods or commerce partner services to members as part of the different loyalty program.

45. The system of claim 41, wherein the entity compensates the commerce partner for converting the non-negotiable funds by providing the commerce partner with cash or credit, wherein the commerce partner uses the cash or credit from the entity to offset costs for providing the member with the commerce partner goods or with the commerce partner services.

46. The system of claim 41, wherein the entity charges the member a fee in either cash or in quantities of the non-negotiable credits for each conversion of the non-negotiable credits to the entity independent funds.

47. The system of claim 41, wherein the commerce partner charges the member a fee in either cash or in quantities of the entity independent funds for each conversion of the non-negotiable credits to the entity independent funds.

48. The system of claim 41, wherein the commerce partner agrees to permit transfers or conversions of quantities of non-negotiable credits to entity independent funds in accordance with a fixed credits to funds ratio, wherein the commerce partner receives compensation by agreement from the entity for conversions of non-negotiable credits into entity independent funds.

49. The system of claim 41, wherein the loyalty program of the entity is an airline, hotel, or credit card loyalty program, wherein the different loyalty program of the commerce partner is an airline, hotel, or credit card loyalty program.

50. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums;

program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums, wherein the one or more processors execute the program instructions to;

provide a set of Web pages of a Web site for a different loyalty program of a commerce partner;

identify non-negotiable credits earned by a member as part of a loyalty program of an entity, wherein the loyalty program includes a payment artifact, wherein non-negotiable credits of the loyalty program are earned as a result of having charged amounts to an account linked to the payment artifact, the amounts charged being for goods or services purchased using the payment artifact, wherein the non-negotiable credits are stored as digitally encoded information in at least one storage device, wherein the goods or services purchased were purchased from at least one different entity than the entity, wherein said loyalty program of the entity is able to redeem the non-negotiable credits for a restricted list of goods or services;

receive, during a Web session involving the member and the Web site, a request to transfer or convert a quantity of the non-negotiable credits to entity independent funds, wherein the commerce partner is a company that is not the entity, wherein the entity independent funds are different loyalty points of the different loyalty program; and

during the Web session and responsive to the request to transfer or convert the quantity of non-negotiable funds, transfer or convert at least a subset of the non-negotiable credits into entity independent funds, wherein the commerce partner accepts the subset of non-negotiable credits as payment for commerce partner goods or commerce partner services, wherein the commerce partner provides the commerce partner goods or the commerce partner services for sale though the Web site, wherein the commerce partner goods or commerce partner services are not included in the restricted list of goods and services, wherein in absence of the non-negotiable credits being converted or transferred into the entity independent funds, the Web site of the commerce partner does not accept the non-negotiable credits as payment for the commerce partner goods or for the commerce partner services.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein the payment artifact is a credit card or debit card.

52. The system of claim 50, wherein per terms of the loyalty program, the non-negotiable credits have no cash or monetary value, wherein the non-negotiable credits are accrued in proportion to the amount charged to the account.

53. The system of claim 50, wherein the non-negotiable credits have a restriction on use related to an expiration date, whereby the non-negotiable credits either have an expiration date, have an expiration date triggered by a previously defined condition related to a status of the account linked to the payment artifact, or the entity has expressly reserved a right of imposing an expiration date on already accrued non-negotiable credits.

54. The system of claim 50, wherein the commerce partner agrees to permit transfers or conversions of quantities of non-negotiable credits to entity independent funds in accordance with a fixed credits to funds ratio, wherein the commerce partner receives compensation, per an agreement between the commerce partner and the entity, from the entity for conversions of non-negotiable credits into entity independent funds.

55. A system comprising:

one or more processors in a server for a rewards Web site of a commerce partner;

one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums;

program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums, wherein the one or more processors execute the program instructions to;

during a Web session and at the server, receive user identification information for a member of a loyalty program of an entity, said commerce partner providing a different loyalty program for the member;

during the Web session and at the server, determine user account information for a non-negotiable credit account using user identification information;

during the Web session and at the server, access over a network a data store for the non-negotiable credit account of the member, said non-negotiable credit account specifying a quantity of non-negotiable credits said member has earned through previous interactions involving the entity, wherein the non-negotiable credits are loyalty points or frequent flyer miles for the loyalty program, wherein said loyalty program of the entity is able to redeem the non-negotiable credits for a restricted list of goods or services;

during the Web session and at the server, access a second data store for a funds account of the member, said funds account specifying a quantity of entity independent funds said member has earned through previous interactions involving the commerce partner, wherein the entity independent funds are loyalty points or frequent flyer miles for the different loyalty program;

during the Web session and at the server, responsive to a request from the member, cause a subset of the non-negotiable funds to be converted into a new quantity of entity independent funds;

during the Web session and at the server, cause the non-negotiable credit account of the member to be reduced by at least the subset of non-negotiable funds;

during the Web session and at the server, add the new quantity of entity independent funds to said entity independent funds of the funds account; and

during the Web session said server redeeming a subset of the entity independent funds for commerce partner goods or commerce partner services available through the Web site, wherein said commerce partner goods or commerce partner services are not included in the restricted list of goods or services, wherein the Web site does not accept the non-negotiable credits as payment for the commerce partner goods or for the commerce partner services, in absence of the non-negotiable credits being converted by the Web site into entity independent funds.

56. The system of claim 55, wherein the commerce partner is compensated with cash or credit for converting the non-negotiable funds to offset costs for providing the member with the commerce partner goods or with the commerce partner services, wherein commerce partner receives the cash or credit from the entity or from a financial institution that has acted on behalf of the entity.

57. The system of claim 55, wherein per the loyalty program the member is charged a fee in either cash or in quantities of the non-negotiable credits for each conversion of the non-negotiable credits to the entity independent funds.

58. The system of claim 55, wherein the commerce partner charges the member a fee in either cash or in quantities of the entity independent funds for each conversion of the non-negotiable credits to the entity independent funds.

59. The system of claim 55, wherein the commerce partner agrees to permit transfers or conversions of quantities of non-negotiable credits to entity independent funds in accordance with a fixed credits to funds ratio, wherein the commerce partner receives compensation, per an agreement between the commerce partner and the entity, from the entity for conversions of non-negotiable credits into entity independent funds.

60. The system of claim 55, wherein the loyalty program of the entity is an airline, hotel, or credit card loyalty program, wherein the different loyalty program of the commerce partner is an airline, hotel, or credit card loyalty program.