System and method for administering a loyalty program and processing payments

• US 9,224,154 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2014
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Modiv Media, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Modiv Media (Catalina Marketing Corporation)
• Inventors: Wesley, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): STANFORD, CHRISTOPHER J
• Application Number:
  US14/337,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20140330631A1
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/343 Cards including a counter
• 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 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system and method for administration of a customer loyalty program at a point of sale terminal. The system, in one embodiment, contains a database of customer records for the loyalty program where each customer record contains information about a customer'"'"'s payment device and information about a customer'"'"'s mobile device. The system may locate a customer record in a database based on payment device or mobile device information captured at the point of sale terminal and apply any applicable loyalty program discounts. The system may then forward the payment device information to a third-party payment processor for payment processing. The system may print out a receipt at the point of sale terminal indicating any discounts and containing a promotional message. The system may also send a promotional message to the customer'"'"'s mobile device using the mobile device information stored in the customer'"'"'s record.

Claims

1. A method of providing payment card-linked offers based on a single loyalty program account of a user that is associated with a plurality of payment card numbers related to the user, the method being implemented by a computer having one or more physical processors programmed by one or more computer program instructions to perform the method, the method comprising:

storing, by the computer, an association of a single loyalty program account that is related to the user and a plurality of payment card numbers that are related to the user, wherein the plurality of payment card numbers comprise a first payment card number that identifies a first payment card account of the user and a second payment card number that identifies a second payment card account of the user;

receiving, by the computer, the first payment card number in association with a first transaction;

identifying, by the computer, the single loyalty program account based on the first payment card number;

identifying, by the computer, a first reward based on the single loyalty program, wherein the first reward comprises a first discount off a first total amount associated with the first transaction;

causing, by the computer, the first reward to be provided by deducting the first discount from the first total amount to generate an adjusted total amount and transmitting a payment request to a third party payment processor that includes the adjusted total amount;

receiving, by the computer, the second payment card number in association with a second transaction different from the first transaction;

identifying, by the computer, the single loyalty program account based on the second payment card number;

identifying, by the computer, a second reward based on the single loyalty program; and

causing, by the computer, the second reward to be provided.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

identifying a mobile device of the user based on the first payment card number, the second payment card number, or the single loyalty account;

determining a promotion for the user; and

communicating the promotion to the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the promotion comprises:

obtaining a previous purchase history of the user, wherein the promotion is determined based on the previous purchase history.

4. The method of claim 2, the method further comprising:

receiving an identification of one or more items associated with the first transaction, wherein the promotion is determined based on the one or more items.

5. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining a second discount for the user; and

storing the second discount in association with the single loyalty account, wherein the second discount is to be provided responsive to a subsequent transaction associated with one or more of the plurality of payment card numbers.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second discount is determined based on the first transaction or a previous purchase history of the user.

7. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving a third payment card number in association with a third transaction;

determining that the third payment card number is not associated with a loyalty program account; and

providing an invitation to sign up for a new loyalty program account responsive to the determination that the third payment card number is not associated with a loyalty program account, wherein the invitation comprises a prompt to associate one or more payment cards with the new loyalty program account.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first payment card number comprises a credit card number, a debit card number, or a stored value card number.

9. A system of providing payment card-linked offers based on a single loyalty program account of a user that is associated with a plurality of payment card numbers related to the user, the system comprising:

a computer having one or more physical processors programmed by computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the computer to;

store an association of a single loyalty program account that is related to the user and a plurality of payment card numbers that are related to the user, wherein the plurality of payment card numbers comprise a first payment card number that identifies a first payment card account of the user and a second payment card number that identifies a second payment card account of the user;

receive the first payment card number in association with a first transaction;

identify the single loyalty program account based on the first payment card number;

identify a first reward based on the single loyalty program, wherein the first reward comprises a first discount off a first total amount associated with the first transaction;

cause the first reward to be provided, wherein to cause the first reward to be provided, the computer is further programmed to deduct the first discount from the first total amount to generate an adjusted total amount and transmit a payment request to a third party payment processor that includes the adjusted total amount;

receive the second payment card number in association with a second transaction different from the first transaction;

identify the single loyalty program account based on the second payment card number;

identify a second reward based on the single loyalty program; and

cause the second reward to be provided.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer is further programmed to:

identify a mobile device of the user based on the first payment card number, the second payment card number, or the single loyalty account;

determine a promotion for the user; and

communicate the promotion to the mobile device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein to determine the promotion, the computer is further programmed to:

obtain a previous purchase history of the user, wherein the promotion is determined based on the previous purchase history.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the computer is further programmed to:

receive an identification of one or more items associated with the first transaction, wherein the promotion is determined based on the one or more items.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer is further programmed to:

determine a second discount for the user; and

store the second discount in association with the single loyalty account, wherein the second discount is to be provided responsive to a subsequent transaction associated with one or more of the plurality of payment card numbers.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the second discount is determined based on the first transaction or a previous purchase history of the user.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer is further programmed to:

receive a third payment card number in association with a third transaction;

determine that the third payment card number is not associated with a loyalty program account; and

provide an invitation to sign up for a new loyalty program account responsive to the determination that the third payment card number is not associated with a loyalty program account, wherein the invitation comprises a prompt to associate one or more payment cards with the new loyalty program account.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the first payment card number comprises a credit card number, a debit card number, or a stored value card number.

17. A method of providing payment card-linked offers based on a single loyalty program account of a user that is associated with a plurality of payment card numbers related to the user, the method being implemented by a computer having one or more physical processors programmed by one or more computer program instructions to perform the method, the method comprising:

storing, by the computer, an association of a single loyalty program account that is related to the user and a plurality of payment card numbers that are related to the user, wherein the plurality of payment card numbers comprise a first payment card number that identifies a first payment card account of the user and a second payment card number that identifies a second payment card account of the user;

receiving, by the computer, the first payment card number in association with a first transaction;

identifying, by the computer, the single loyalty program account based on the first payment card number;

identifying, by the computer, a first reward based on the single loyalty program, wherein the first reward comprises a first discount off a first total amount associated with the first transaction;

causing, by the computer, the first reward to be provided by deducting the first discount from the first total amount to generate an adjusted total amount and transmitting the adjusted total amount to a point of sale associated with the first transaction;

receiving, by the computer, the second payment card number in association with a second transaction different from the first transaction;

identifying, by the computer, the single loyalty program account based on the second payment card number;

identifying, by the computer, a second reward based on the single loyalty program; and

causing, by the computer, the second reward to be provided.

18. The method of claim 17, the method further comprising:

identifying a mobile device of the user based on the first payment card number, the second payment card number, or the single loyalty account;

determining a promotion for the user; and

communicating the promotion to the mobile device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein determining the promotion comprises:

obtaining a previous purchase history of the user, wherein the promotion is determined based on the previous purchase history.

20. The method of claim 18, the method further comprising:

receiving an identification of one or more items associated with the first transaction, wherein the promotion is determined based on the one or more items.

21. The method of claim 17, the method further comprising:

determining a second discount for the user; and

storing the second discount in association with the single loyalty account, wherein the second discount is to be provided responsive to a subsequent transaction associated with one or more of the plurality of payment card numbers.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the second discount is determined based on the first transaction or a previous purchase history of the user.

23. The method of claim 17, the method further comprising:

receiving a third payment card number in association with a third transaction;

determining that the third payment card number is not associated with a loyalty program account; and

providing an invitation to sign up for a new loyalty program account responsive to the determination that the third payment card number is not associated with a loyalty program account, wherein the invitation comprises a prompt to associate one or more payment cards with the new loyalty program account.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the first payment card number comprises a credit card number, a debit card number, or a stored value card number.

25. A system of providing payment card-linked offers based on a single loyalty program account of a user that is associated with a plurality of payment card numbers related to the user, the system comprising:

a computer having one or more physical processors programmed by computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the computer to;

store an association of a single loyalty program account that is related to the user and a plurality of payment card numbers that are related to the user, wherein the plurality of payment card numbers comprise a first payment card number that identifies a first payment card account of the user and a second payment card number that identifies a second payment card account of the user;

receive the first payment card number in association with a first transaction;

identify the single loyalty program account based on the first payment card number;

identify a first reward based on the single loyalty program, wherein the first reward comprises a first discount off a first total amount associated with the first transaction;

cause the first reward to be provided, wherein to cause the first reward to be provided, the computer is further programmed to deduct the first discount from the first total amount to generate an adjusted total amount and transmit the adjusted total amount to a point of sale associated with the first transaction;

receive the second payment card number in association with a second transaction different from the first transaction;

identify the single loyalty program account based on the second payment card number;

identify a second reward based on the single loyalty program; and

cause the second reward to be provided.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the computer is further programmed to:

identify a mobile device of the user based on the first payment card number, the second payment card number, or the single loyalty account;

determine a promotion for the user; and

communicate the promotion to the mobile device.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein to determine the promotion, the computer is further programmed to:

obtain a previous purchase history of the user, wherein the promotion is determined based on the previous purchase history.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the computer is further programmed to:

receive an identification of one or more items associated with the first transaction, wherein the promotion is determined based on the one or more items.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the computer is further programmed to:

determine a second discount for the user; and

store the second discount in association with the single loyalty account, wherein the second discount is to be provided responsive to a subsequent transaction associated with one or more of the plurality of payment card numbers.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the second discount is determined based on the first transaction or a previous purchase history of the user.

31. The system of claim 25, wherein the computer is further programmed to:

receive a third payment card number in association with a third transaction;

determine that the third payment card number is not associated with a loyalty program account; and

provide an invitation to sign up for a new loyalty program account responsive to the determination that the third payment card number is not associated with a loyalty program account, wherein the invitation comprises a prompt to associate one or more payment cards with the new loyalty program account.

32. The system of claim 25, wherein the first payment card number comprises a credit card number, a debit card number, or a stored value card number.