System and method for providing consumer rewards

• US 8,732,005 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2007
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rewards Network Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Rewards Network Incorporated
• Inventors: Schmeyer, Frank F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lastra, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US11/866,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20080249813A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,562 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.1
• US Class Current: 705/14.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0232 Frequent usage rewards other than merchandise, cash or travel
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/00 Systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes, not involving significant data processing

Abstract

An automated consumer rewards/incentive program that accepts a registration of a consumer. The registration entitles the consumer to receive the benefits of the incentive program. To track the fulfillment of reward earning criteria established by member businesses, the registration includes information indicative of a credit card of the consumer. The system uses the credit card information to determine when member customers perform a transaction at a member business. When a member customer performs a transaction at a member business using the registered credit card, the system and method examines the credit card transactional information to determine if the consumer fulfilled the requirements of the incentive program for the member business. If the transactional information indicates that the consumer fulfilled the criteria of the rewards program of the member business, the consumer is rewarded in accordance with the benefits of the incentive program.

Claims

1. A computer-readable media having instructions disposed therein for providing benefits associated with an incentive program to a member consumer when the member consumer conducts a transaction using a registered credit card with one of a plurality of member business that meets a requirement of the incentive program associated with the member business, the instructions comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

receiving credit card transaction information including information identifying a plurality of consumers, information identifying a plurality of businesses, information pertaining to the purchase of goods or services by each of the plurality of consumers from one or more of the plurality of businesses, wherein each said purchase was made using a registered credit card;

determining if one of the consumers identified in the credit card transaction information is the member consumer;

if one of the consumers is the member consumer, determining if the member consumer conducted a transaction with one of the plurality of member businesses;

if the consumer is the member consumer and the member consumer conducted a transaction with one of the plurality of member businesses, rewarding the member consumer with incentive points in accordance with the requirements of the incentive program associated with the respective member business;

transmitting via a computer network information to the member consumer about the incentive points rewarded; and

accepting via the computer network a request from the member consumer to redeem at least a portion of the incentive points associated with the member consumer.

2. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the information identifying the plurality of consumers includes a credit card number for each of the consumers, wherein the instructions further comprise a series of computer readable program steps to effect comparing the credit card number for each of the consumers against a credit card number associated with the member consumer.

3. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise a series of computer readable program steps to effect comparing the information identifying each of the businesses against a list of member businesses.

4. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise a series of computer readable program steps to effect receiving the transaction information from a credit card processor.

5. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise a series of computer readable program steps to effect, if the consumer is the member consumer and the member consumer conducted a transaction with one of the plurality of member businesses, determining if the transaction meets the requirements of the incentive program associated with the member business, wherein the member consumer is only rewarded if the transaction does meet the requirements.

6. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise a series of computer readable program steps to effect transmitting via the computer network an advertisement to the member consumer for one of the plurality of member businesses that is associated with a reward for conducting a future transaction.

7. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise a series of computer readable program steps to effect receiving via the computer network a review from the member consumer for one of the plurality of member businesses.

8. A computer-readable media having instructions disposed therein for accepting a reservation from a member consumer and rewarding the member consumer with benefits as defined by an incentive program associated with one of a plurality of member businesses, the instructions comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

accepting via a computer network a registration of the member consumer entitling the member consumer to benefits as defined by the incentive program, wherein the registration includes a credit card associated with the member consumer;

comparing credit card transactional information representative of a plurality of credit card transactions with the registered credit card associated with the member consumer to determine if one of the transactions was performed by the member consumer using their registered credit card at one of the plurality of member businesses, where the credit card transactional information is collected by a credit card processor;

rewarding the member consumer with benefits as defined by the associated incentive program when the member consumer performed a transaction using their registered credit card at one of the plurality of member businesses; and

accepting via the computer network one or more reservations from the member consumer to visit one of the plurality of member businesses.

9. The computer readable media as recited in claim 8, wherein the benefits includes incentive points, wherein the instructions further comprise a series of computer readable program steps to effect accepting via the computer network a request from the consumer to redeem at least a portion of the incentive points associated with the member consumer.

10. The computer readable media as recited in claim 9, wherein the request includes a selection, wherein the selection is associated with a number of incentive points, wherein the instructions further comprise a series of computer readable program steps to effect validating that the number of incentive points associated with the member consumer is equal to or greater than the number of incentive points associated with the selection.

11. The computer readable media as recited in claim 10, wherein the instructions further comprise a series of computer readable program steps to effect, when the number of incentive points associated with the member consumer is not equal to or greater than the number of incentive points associated with the selection, transmitting via the computer network a suggestion to the member consumer of an alternate selection that is associated with a number of incentive points that is equal to or less than the number of incentive points associated with the member consumer.

12. The computer readable media as recited in claim 10, wherein the instructions further comprise a series of computer readable program steps to effect transmitting via the computer network a confirmation to the member consumer that at least a portion of the incentive points associated with the member consumer was redeemed for the selection.

13. The computer readable media as recited in claim 10, wherein the number of incentive points associated with the selection is dynamic, wherein wherein the instructions further comprise a series of computer readable program steps to effect applying a business rule to determine the current number of incentive points associated with the selection.

14. The computer readable media as recited in claim 8, wherein the instructions further comprise a series of computer readable program steps to effect transmitting via the computer network reservation information to the member consumer, wherein the reservation information comprises a day, time, and member business associated with at least one pending reservation associated with the member consumer.

15. The computer readable media as recited in claim 14, wherein the instructions further comprise a series of computer readable program steps to effect accepting via the computer network a modification from the member consumer to at least one pending reservation associated with the member consumer.

16. The computer readable media as recited in claim 14, further comprise a series of computer readable program steps to effect transmitting a reminder via the computer network to the member consumer of one or more reservations associated with the member consumer.

17. A computer-readable media having instructions disposed therein for allowing a member business to coordinate reservations by a plurality member consumers and to manage benefits as defined by an incentive program associated with the member business, the instructions comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

accepting via a computer network a registration for each of the plurality of member consumers entitling each the plurality of member consumer to benefits of the incentive program, wherein the registration includes a credit card associated with each of the plurality of member consumers;

comparing credit card transactional information representative of a plurality of credit card transactions with the registered credit card associated with each of the plurality of member consumers to determine if one of the transactions was performed by one of the plurality of member consumers with the member business using their registered credit card, where credit card transactional information is collected by a credit card processor;

when one of the plurality of member consumers performed a transaction with the member business using their registered credit card, rewarding the member consumer with benefits as defined by the incentive program; and

accepting via the computer network a modification from the member business to the incentive program.

18. The computer readable media as recited in claim 17, wherein said modification includes an effective date, wherein the instructions further comprise a series of computer readable program steps to effect making the modification to the incentive program effective on the effective date.

19. The computer readable media as recited in claim 17, wherein the instructions further comprise a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

accepting via the computer network a first incentive associated with a first criteria and a second incentive associated with a second criteria from the member business;

wherein said rewarding the member consumer further comprises a series of computer program steps to effect determining whether the first criteria or the second criteria is met, wherein said rewarding further comprises rewarding the first incentive when the first criteria is met and rewarding the second incentive when the second criteria is met.

20. The computer readable media as recited in claim 17, wherein the instructions further comprise a series of computer readable program steps to effect accepting via the computer network one or more black-out dates from the member business, wherein the member consumer is not rewarded with benefits when the transaction with the member business occurred on the one or more black out dates.

21. The computer readable media as recited in claim 17, wherein the instructions further comprise a series of computer readable program steps to effect accepting via the computer network an expiration date from the member business, wherein the member consumer is not rewarded with benefits when the transaction with the member business occurred after the expiration date.

22. The computer readable media as recited in claim 17, wherein the instructions further comprise a series of computer readable program steps to effect accepting via the computer network a maximum number of participants from the member business, wherein the member consumer is not rewarded with the benefits when the transaction with the member business occurred after the maximum number of participants had been reached.

23. The computer readable media as recited in claim 17, wherein the instructions further comprise a series of computer readable program steps to effect accepting via the computer network one or more reservations to visit the member business from one or more of the plurality of member consumers.

24. The computer readable media as recited in claim 23, wherein the instructions further comprise a series of computer readable program steps to effect transmitting via the computer network reservation information to the member business.

25. The computer readable media as recited in claim 24, wherein the instructions further comprise a series of computer readable program steps to effect accepting via the computer network a change to a number of seats available for reservation by the plurality of member consumers.