System and method for providing international coupon-less discounts

• US 9,542,690 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2012
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• 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: Tiku, Sripriya, Tully, Peter, Wolf, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Luis A
• Application Number:
  US13/439,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20120303430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,742 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.17, 705/14.34, 705/14.58, 705/39, 705/26.1, 705/14.27, 705/14.28, 705/14.49
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/384 using social networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location

Abstract

The systems and methods of the disclosure allow user from various countries to take advantage of offers when they are traveling internationally. Once the purchase associated with the offer is made, the transaction information may be processed by the system, such that, the credit and debit associated with the purchase are transmitted to the transaction account and the merchant. The transaction information may be further processed to determine whether the particular transaction is eligible for a reward. Where the transaction is eligible for a reward, the credit and debit associated with reward are transmitted to the transaction account and the sponsoring entity. The reward may be provided in any suitable currency or in various currencies based on the parameters governing the reward offer.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

associating, by a computer based system, a transaction account of a user and a user profile for the user with a reward program,

wherein the user profile is associated with the transaction account;

monitoring, by the computer based system, a user device of the user to determine a current location of the user device;

monitoring, by the computer based system, a travel system having a travel itinerary for the user;

determining, by the computer based system, a current location of the user based on the current location of the user device;

determining, by the computer based system, a future location of the user based on the monitoring of the travel itinerary;

identifying, by the computer based system, an offer from the reward program, based on the current location and the future location and an activity associated with at least one of the transaction account or the user profile,

wherein the offer provides a discount in a second monetary currency that is different than a first monetary currency,

wherein the first monetary currency is associated with the transaction account,

wherein the second monetary currency is associated with the future location of the user;

associating, by the computer based system and in response to identifying the offer, the offer with the transaction account,

wherein transactions for the transaction account are billed in the first monetary currency;

receiving, by the computer based system, transaction information comprising transaction account information, purchase information and merchant information,

wherein the purchase information includes the offer;

analyzing, by the computer based system, the transaction account information and the purchase information to validate fulfillment of the offer; and

transmitting, by the computer based system, first reward instructions associated with the offer to a global clearing and settlement system module to provide a monetary credit to the transaction account in the first monetary currency and second reward instructions associated with a sponsoring entity to at least one of a merchant account processing module or an administrative account processing module to provide a monetary debit to the merchant in the second monetary currency.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first reward instructions comprise a reward amount provided to the transaction account and the second reward instructions comprise a reward cost associated with the sponsoring entity.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the sponsoring entity is at least one of a transaction account issuer, the merchant, a product manufacturer, a merchant acquirer, and an affiliate.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the computer based system, the sponsoring entity based on the offer, wherein the sponsoring entity is at least one of a transaction account issuer, a product manufacturer, a merchant acquirer, or an affiliate.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the computer based system, the second reward instructions to the administrative account processing module in response to the sponsoring entity being at least one of a transaction account issuer, a product manufacturer, a merchant acquirer, or an affiliate; and

transmitting, by the computer based system, the second reward instructions to the merchant account processing module in response to the sponsoring entity being the merchant.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising,

transmitting, by the computer based system, a credit associated with a reward amount to the transaction account, wherein the reward amount is associated with a transaction identifier on a statement associated with the transaction account, and wherein the transaction identifier corresponds to the transaction;

and

transmitting, by the computer based system, a debit associated with a reward cost to a merchant account.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, analyzing, by the computer based system, the purchase information to determine the geographic region of the merchant associated with the purchase information, wherein the geographic region is at least one of United States or international.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the debit is transmitted through a first account payable module in response to the geographic region being the United States, and wherein the debit is transmitted through a second account payable module in response to the geographic region being the international.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising,

transmitting, by the computer based system, a credit associated with a reward amount to the transaction account, wherein the reward amount is associated with a transaction identifier on a statement associated with the transaction account, and wherein the transaction identifier corresponds to the transaction;

and

transmitting, by the computer based system, a debit associated with a reward cost to a responsibility center associated with the sponsoring entity.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer based system is operated by a transaction account issuer.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer based system is operated by a third party.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchase information is a record of charge.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein a reward amount is provided in the first monetary currency and a reward cost is provided in the second monetary currency.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the reward amount is reported to a user in the first monetary currency.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first monetary currency is defined as a parameter associated with the offer.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein a reward amount is provided in the second monetary currency and a reward cost is provided in the first monetary currency.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the first monetary currency is determined based on a country associated with the transaction account and the second monetary currency is determined based on a country associated with the sponsoring entity.

18. The method of claim 1, receiving, by the computer based system, a selection of an offer currency and an associated offer threshold from a plurality of currencies by the sponsoring entity, wherein the offer threshold is defined in the offer currency.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction information further comprises social media channel data, and wherein the transaction account is associated with the social media channel.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

parsing, by the computer based system, the transaction information into a merchant portion and a transaction account portion;

transmitting, by the computer based system, a purchase credit to a merchant associated with the merchant information based on the merchant portion.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions, the sequences of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a computer based system, cause the computer based system to perform operations comprising:

associating, by the computer based system, a transaction account of a user and a user profile for the user with a reward program,

wherein the user profile is associated with the transaction account;

monitoring, by the computer based system, a user device of the user to determine a current location of the user device;

monitoring, by the computer based system, a travel system having a travel itinerary for the user;

determining, by the computer based system, a current location of the user based on the current location of the user device;

determining, by the computer based system, a future location of the user based on the monitoring of the travel itinerary;

identifying, by the computer based system, an offer from the reward program, based on the current location and the future location and an activity associated with at least one of the transaction account or the user profile,

wherein the offer provides a discount in a second monetary currency that is different than a first monetary currency,

wherein the first monetary currency is associated with the transaction account,

wherein the second monetary currency is associated with the future location of the user;

associating, by the computer based system and in response to identifying the offer, the offer with the transaction account,

wherein transactions for the transaction account are billed in the first monetary currency;

receiving, by the computer based system, transaction information comprising transaction account information, purchase information and merchant information,

wherein the purchase information includes the offer;

analyzing, by the computer based system, the transaction account information and the purchase information to validate fulfillment of the offer; and

transmitting, by the computer based system, first reward instructions associated with the offer to a global clearing and settlement system module to provide a monetary credit to the transaction account in the first monetary currency and second reward instructions associated with a sponsoring entity to at least one of a merchant account processing module or an administrative account processing module to provide a monetary debit to the merchant in the second monetary currency.

22. A computer based system comprising:

a processor;

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

the processor, when executing a computer program, perform operations comprising;

associating, by the processor, a transaction account of a user and a user profile for the user with a reward program,

wherein the user profile is associated with the transaction account;

monitoring, by the processor, a user device of the user to determine a current location of the user device;

monitoring, by the processor, a travel system having a travel itinerary for the user;

determining, by the processor, a current location of the user based on the current location of the user device;

determining, by the processor, a future location of the user based on the monitoring of the travel itinerary;

identifying, by the processor, an offer from the reward program, based on the current location and the future location and an activity associated with at least one of the transaction account or the user profile,

wherein the offer provides a discount in a second monetary currency that is different than a first monetary currency,

wherein the first monetary currency is associated with the transaction account,

wherein the second monetary currency is associated with the future location of the user;

associating, by the processor and in response to identifying the offer, the offer with the transaction account,

wherein transactions for the transaction account are billed in the first monetary currency;

receiving, by the processor, transaction information comprising transaction account information, purchase information and merchant information,

wherein the purchase information includes the offer;

analyzing, by the processor, the transaction account information and the purchase information to validate fulfillment of the offer; and

transmitting, by the processor, first reward instructions associated with the offer to a global clearing and settlement system module to provide a monetary credit to the transaction account in the first monetary currency and second reward instructions associated with a sponsoring entity to at least one of a merchant account processing module or an administrative account processing module to provide a monetary debit to the merchant in the second monetary currency.