Method and system for determining rewards

• US 8,775,241 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2013
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bortolin, Corinne, Farnsworth, Jean Elizabeth, Nelson, Chris S., Gordon, James G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lastra, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/851,723
• Publication Number:
  US 20130290090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.1
• US Class Current: 705/14.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward

Abstract

A system for facilitating reward selection and redemption for a loyalty program is disclosed. The system includes a point-of-sale (POS) device that is capable of monitoring and processing a reward redemption. The POS device informs a participant of the loyalty program as to what rewards are available for redemption. The participant is given an opportunity by the POS device to select the desired reward for redemption. Alternatively, the POS device allows the participant to defer redemption of the available rewards.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a device, a selection of a reward option;

receiving, by the device, a purchase amount for a purchase transaction;

retrieving, by the device, loyalty program information from a loyalty program participant;

identifying, by the device, rewards that are available for redemption based on the loyalty program information;

sorting, by the device, the available rewards in a predetermined order; and

providing, by the device, the rewards in the predetermined order.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined order is based on one of corresponding expiration dates of the rewards or corresponding monetary values of the rewards.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the predetermined order is based on corresponding expiration dates of the rewards if the monetary values corresponding to the rewards are equal.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises:

updating the loyalty program information upon redemption of a selected reward.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the loyalty program information is stored in a smartcard.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying, by the device, a payment option.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the loyalty program information is received from a smartcard used by the loyalty program participant, and wherein identifying rewards and displaying rewards occurs while the device is offline.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the purchase amount is displayed on the device before any redeemable rewards are displayed.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving selection information from the loyalty program participant regarding the displayed rewards; and

processing the selection information to determine whether to effect immediate redemption of a selected reward or defer the rewards for subsequent redemption.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

allowing the loyalty program participant to scroll through the rewards.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the selection information indicates that none of the displayed rewards was selected, and wherein the rewards are thereafter deferred.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises:

displaying a plurality of options for selection by the loyalty program participant, wherein the plurality of options includes a sale option, a void option, and a refund option.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein providing, by the device, the rewards in a predetermined order comprises displaying the rewards in the predetermined order.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the device is a POS terminal.

22. The device of claim 1 wherein the predetermined order is based on one of corresponding expiration dates of the rewards or corresponding monetary values of the rewards.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computer, transaction data from a device;

sending, by the computer, to the device, one or more rewards that are available for redemption, wherein the one or more rewards are based on information related to a loyalty program and the transaction data, and wherein the rewards are sorted and displayed on the device in a predetermined order; and

receiving, by the computer from the device, a reward selection selected by a loyalty program participant, the reward selection based upon the transaction data from the device, the reward selection including one of immediate redemption of the selected reward or deference of the selected reward for subsequent redemption.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the computer and the device operate in conjunction with a payment processing network.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the device is configured to function in cooperation with a smartcard.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the device is a POS device.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the method is performed by a merchant.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the device previously interacted with a smartcard.

21. A device comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable medium coupled to the processor, the computer readable medium comprising code, executable by the processor, to implement a method comprising

receiving, by the device, a selection of a reward option,

receiving, by the device, a purchase amount for a purchase transaction,

retrieving, by the device, loyalty program information from a loyalty program participant,

identifying, by the device, rewards that are available for redemption based on the loyalty program information,

sorting, by the device, the available rewards in a predetermined order, and

providing, by the device, the rewards in the predetermined order.

23. A computer comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable medium coupled to the processor, the computer readable medium comprising code, executable by the processor to implement a method comprising

receiving, by the computer, transaction data from a device,

sending, by the computer, to the device, one or more rewards that are available for redemption, wherein the one or more rewards are based on information related to a loyalty program and the transaction data, and wherein the rewards are sorted and displayed on the device in a predetermined order, and

receiving, by the computer from the device, a reward selection selected by a loyalty program participant, the reward selection based upon the transaction data from the device, the reward selection including one of immediate redemption of the selected reward or deference of the selected reward for subsequent redemption.

24. The computer of claim 23, wherein the computer and the device operate in conjunction with a payment processing network.

25. A system comprising the computer of claim 23 and the device coupled to the computer.