Incentive program awarding points per-mile-driven

• US 8,694,370 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2012
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pender, Frank R., Gray, Heather Cornwell, Leighton, Douglas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): VANDERHORST, MARIA VICTORIA
• Application Number:
  US13/431,387
• Publication Number:
  US 20120245992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1.1, 705/56
• US Class Current: 705/14.27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems

Abstract

Embodiments in accordance with the present invention relate to incentive programs awarding loyalty points based at least in part upon the number of miles driven in a motor vehicle. Reward points may be earned by having the vehicle serviced at authorized locations. At the time of servicing, the authorized location notes a current vehicle odometer reading, and the odometer reading is communicated to an administrator of the loyalty program. The odometer reading is used to calculate a number of miles driven since the last authorized servicing, and the number of mile driven is then converted into loyalty points to be credited to a consumer of the vehicle. Thus, incentives for servicing only at authorized locations are provided to the consumer.

Claims

1. A method of providing an incentive to a possessor of a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining, by a server computer, a number of miles driven in the vehicle, by comparing a current odometer reading associated with the vehicle with a prior odometer reading associated with the vehicle;

converting the determined number of miles driven in the vehicle into loyalty points; and

crediting the loyalty points into a loyalty account associated with the possessor of the vehicle,

wherein the loyalty account is associated with a payment card.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the payment card is selected from the group consisting of a credit card and a debit card.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the payment card is co-branded with an entity other than a manufacturer of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the entity other than the manufacturer of the vehicle is selected from the group consisting of a rental car company, a gasoline company and a provider of specific services.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the payment card is co-branded with a manufacturer of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the current odometer reading occurs during servicing of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of miles driven is determined by the current reading of the odometer at only a location authorized by the manufacturer of the vehicle, and wherein the location authorized by the manufacturer comprises a dealership.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising imposing a limit on a maximum number of miles driven since a previous odometer reading.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising accessing, by the server computer operated by the loyalty program administrator, the odometer of the vehicle over a communications network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is selected from the group consisting of an automobile, a motorcycle, and a recreational vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the possessor is selected from the group comprising an owner, a lessor, and a renter of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the server computer operated by the loyalty program administrator, the current odometer reading.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the server computer operated by the loyalty program administrator receives the current odometer reading over a communications network.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating, by the server computer, the one or more points by using a reduced multiplier of the number of miles driven in the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the current reading is communicated from a location authorized by a manufacturer of the vehicle to the loyalty program administrator on a paper-based form.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the possessor is a renter of the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the current odometer reading is part of a service record.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the payment card is a credit card.

19. A method for providing an incentive to a possessor of a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving, by a server computer at a location authorized by a manufacturer of the vehicle, data related to a number of miles driven in the vehicle;

maintaining, on a database operated by the server computer at the location authorized by the manufacturer of the vehicle, a record of total cumulative miles driven in the vehicle, including a previously recorded number of miles previously driven in the vehicle;

transmitting, by the server computer at the location authorized by the manufacturer of the vehicle, the data to a server computer operated by a loyalty program administrator;

receiving, by the server computer at the location authorized by the manufacturer of the vehicle, a reward based on the number of miles incrementally driven in the vehicle from the server computer operated by the loyalty program administrator; and

providing, by the server computer at the location authorized by the manufacturer of the vehicle, the reward to the possessor of the vehicle, wherein the reward includes one or more points to be credited to a loyalty program account associated with the possessor of the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

imposing a limit on the number of incremental miles that are eligible for the reward.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising collecting, by the server computer at the location authorized by the manufacturer of the vehicle, information relating to the number of incremental miles during servicing of the vehicle at the location authorized by a sponsor of the loyalty program.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the database is accessible by the manufacturer of the vehicle and the location authorized by the manufacturer of the vehicle.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the number of miles incrementally driven in the vehicle equals the number of miles driven in vehicle minus the number of previously recorded miles for the vehicle.

24. A server computer comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer readable medium, the non-transitory computer readable medium storing code capable of being executed by the processor to implement a method, the method comprising:

receiving, by the server computer, data related to a number of miles driven in the vehicle;

maintaining, on a database operated by the server computer, a record of total cumulative miles driven in the vehicle, including a previously recorded number of miles previously driven in the vehicle;

transmitting, by the server computer, the data to a server computer operated by a loyalty program administrator;

receiving, by the server computer, a reward based on the number of miles incrementally driven in the vehicle from the server computer operated by the loyalty program administrator; and

providing, by the server computer, the reward to the possessor of the vehicle, wherein the reward includes one or more points to be credited to a loyalty program account associated with the possessor of the vehicle.

25. The system of claim 24, the method further comprising:

imposing a limit on the number of miles that are eligible for of the reward.

26. The system of claim 24, the method further comprising collecting, by the server computer, information relating to the number of incremental miles during servicing of the vehicle at a location authorized by a sponsor of the loyalty program.

27. A server computer for providing an incentive to a possessor of a vehicle, the server computer comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer readable medium, the non-transitory computer readable medium storing code executable by the processor to implement a method, the method comprising:

determining, by a server computer, a number of miles driven in the vehicle, by comparing a current odometer reading associated with the vehicle with a prior odometer reading associated with the vehicle;

converting the determined number of miles driven in the vehicle into loyalty points; and

crediting the loyalty points into a loyalty account associated with the possessor of the vehicle,

wherein the loyalty account is associated with a payment card.

28. The server computer of claim 27, further comprising imposing a limit on a maximum number of miles driven since the previous odometer reading.

29. A method comprising:

driving a vehicle, a number of miles, to a location authorized by a manufacturer of the vehicle;

receiving servicing from the location authorized by a manufacturer of the vehicle, wherein the servicing includes collecting data including an odometer reading in the vehicle, wherein the collected data is transmitted by a server computer, which determines a reward based on comparing the odometer reading in the vehicle and a prior odometer reading; and

receiving the reward based upon the odometer reading, wherein the reward comprises one or more points accumulated in a loyalty account associated with a possessor of the vehicle.