System and method for prepaid rewards

• US 9,412,102 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2012
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Wolf, David, Tiku, Sripriya V., Roen, Scott M., Russo, Jennifer M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Luis A
• Application Number:
  US13/593,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20120316945A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,447 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.34, 705/14.36, 705/14.3, 705/14.38, 705/14.17, 705/14.1, 705/39, 705/26.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• 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 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0234 Rebates after completed purchase

Abstract

A system and method provide rewards or loyalty incentives to card member customers. The system includes an enrolled card member customer database, an enrolled merchant database, a participating merchant offer database and a registered card processor. The enrolled card member customer database includes transaction accounts of card member customers enrolled in a loyalty incentive program. If the purchase qualifies for a rebate credit, the registered card processor provides the rebate credit to an account of the enrolled card member customer. The registered card processor also provides for electronic notification of rewards offers or credit to prepaid cards, in response to purchases conforming to a specific set of merchant criteria. The system provides a coupon-less way for merchants to provide incentive discounts and/or credits to enrolled customers, along with notifying customers of other available incentive offers.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

registering, by a computer based system, a transaction account with a rewards program,

wherein the user of the transaction account is identified in response to the registering;

assigning, by the computer based system, a rewards program identifier to the transaction account;

receiving, by the computer based system, a prepaid transaction account code that corresponds to a prepaid transaction account,

wherein the prepaid transaction account code does not particularly identify a user of the prepaid transaction account;

registering, by the computer based system and in response to the receiving, the prepaid transaction account with the rewards program based on the prepaid transaction account code,

linking, by the computer based system and in response to the registering, the prepaid transaction account, the transaction account and a social networking channel profile,

providing, by the computer based system and in response to the linking, notifications through a social networking channel of offers for the prepaid transaction account and rewards earned on the transaction account;

selecting, by the computer based system and in response to the registering the prepaid transaction account with the rewards program, the transaction account to receive rewards for transactions initiated by the prepaid transaction account that are eligible for the rewards,

wherein the rewards are credited to the transaction account based on the rewards program identifier being associated with the transaction account and the prepaid transaction account;

receiving, by the computer based system and from a merchant, an authorization request for a transaction including transaction information, wherein the transaction was initiated with the prepaid transaction account;

determining, by the computer based system and in response to the receiving the authorization request, an offer of the plurality of offers for the prepaid transaction account based on the monitoring the transactions associated with the prepaid transaction account, wherein the offer applies to the transaction;

determining, by the computer based system, that the transaction information satisfies a rule associated with the offer, wherein the offer is associated with the rewards program;

determining, by the computer based system, a reward credit amount based on the transaction information and in response to the transaction information complying with the rule from the offer;

transmitting, by the computer based system and through the social networking channel, a notice of the reward credit amount;

authorizing, by the computer based system, the transaction based on the transaction information received from the merchant; and

crediting, by the computer based system, the reward credit amount to the transaction account in response to the authorizing the transaction initiated by the prepaid transaction account.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the reward is a merchant reward, and is funded by the merchant.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the rule is provided by the merchant and the rule defines a basis for providing the offer from the merchant.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the reward is provided by a transaction account issuer.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising evaluating, by the computer based system, at least one of a first activity associated with the prepaid account or a second activity associated with the transaction account against a set of offer rules.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising transmitting, by the computer based system, the offer in response to at least one of the first activity or the second activity conforming with at least a portion of the offer rules, wherein the offer is a merchant sponsored offer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the reward has a monetary value.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction information is real time spend data and includes requests for authorization and transactions that have been posted to the prepaid transaction account.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the prepaid transaction account is available for purchase from a merchant participating in the rewards program.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the prepaid transaction account code anonymously associates the prepaid transaction account with the reward program.

11. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a computer based system, causes the computer based system to be capable of performing a method comprising:

registering, by the computer based system, a transaction account with a rewards program,

wherein the user of the transaction account is identified in response to the registering;

assigning, by the computer based system, a rewards program identifier to the transaction account;

receiving, by the computer based system, a prepaid transaction account code that corresponds to a prepaid transaction account,

wherein the prepaid transaction account code does not particularly identify a user of the prepaid transaction account;

registering, by the computer based system and in response to the receiving, the prepaid transaction account with the rewards program based on the prepaid transaction account code,

linking, by the computer based system and in response to the registering, the prepaid transaction account, the transaction account and a social networking channel profile,

providing, by the computer based system and in response to the linking, notifications through a social networking channel of offers for the prepaid transaction account and rewards earned on the transaction account;

selecting, by the computer based system and in response to the registering the prepaid transaction account with the rewards program, the transaction account to receive rewards for transactions initiated by the prepaid transaction account that are eligible for the rewards,

wherein the rewards are credited to the transaction account based on the rewards program identifier being associated with the transaction account and the prepaid transaction account;

receiving, by the computer based system and from a merchant, an authorization request for a transaction including transaction information, wherein the transaction was initiated with the prepaid transaction account;

determining, by the computer based system and in response to the receiving the authorization request, an offer of the plurality of offers for the prepaid transaction account based on the monitoring the transactions associated with the prepaid transaction account, wherein the offer applies to the transaction;

determining, by the computer based system, that the transaction information satisfies a rule associated with the offer, wherein the offer is associated with the rewards program;

determining, by the computer based system, a reward credit amount based on the transaction information and in response to the transaction information complying with the rule from the offer;

transmitting, by the computer based system and through the social networking channel, a notice of the reward credit amount;

authorizing, by the computer based system, the transaction based on the transaction information received from the merchant; and

crediting, by the computer based system, the reward credit amount to the transaction account in response to the authorizing the transaction initiated by the prepaid transaction account.

12. A system comprising:

a processor;

a tangible network interface communicating with a non-transitory memory;

the non-transitory memory communicating with the processor; and

the processor, when executing a computer program, being capable of performing operations comprising;

registering, by the processor, a transaction account with a rewards program,

wherein the user of the transaction account is identified in response to the registering;

assigning, by the processor, a rewards program identifier to the transaction account;

receiving, by the processor, a prepaid transaction account code that corresponds to a prepaid transaction account,

wherein the prepaid transaction account code does not particularly identify a user of the prepaid transaction account;

registering, by the processor and in response to the receiving, the prepaid transaction account with the rewards program based on the prepaid transaction account code,

linking, by the processor and in response to the registering, the prepaid transaction account, the transaction account and a social networking channel profile,

providing, by the processor and in response to the linking, notifications through a social networking channel of offers for the prepaid transaction account and rewards earned on the transaction account;

selecting, by the processor and in response to the registering the prepaid transaction account with the rewards program, the transaction account to receive rewards for transactions initiated by the prepaid transaction account that are eligible for the rewards,

wherein the rewards are credited to the transaction account based on the rewards program identifier being associated with the transaction account and the prepaid transaction account;

receiving, by the processor and from a merchant, an authorization request for a transaction including transaction information, wherein the transaction was initiated with the prepaid transaction account;

determining, by the processor and in response to the receiving the authorization request, an offer of the plurality of offers for the prepaid transaction account based on the monitoring the transactions associated with the prepaid transaction account, wherein the offer applies to the transaction;

determining, by the processor, that the transaction information satisfies a rule associated with the offer, wherein the offer is associated with the rewards program;

determining, by the processor, a reward credit amount based on the transaction information and in response to the transaction information complying with the rule from the offer;

transmitting, by the processor and through the social networking channel, a notice of the reward credit amount;

authorizing, by the processor, the transaction based on the transaction information received from the merchant; and

crediting, by the processor, the reward credit amount to the transaction account in response to the authorizing the transaction initiated by the prepaid transaction account.