System and method for prepaid rewards

• US 9,558,505 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2010
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• 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: Wolf, David, Tiku, Sripriya V., Roen, Scott M., Russo, Jennifer M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Luis A
• Application Number:
  US12/857,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20100312629A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,360 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. The enrolled merchant database includes a list of merchants participating in the loyalty incentive program. The participating merchant offer database includes loyalty incentive offers from participating merchants. The registered card processor receives a record for charge for a purchase made with an enrolled merchant by an enrolled card member customer and uses the record of charge to determine whether the purchase qualifies for a rebate credit in accordance with a discount offer from the enrolled merchant. 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:

linking, by a computer based system, a prepaid transaction account with a rewards program;

linking, by the computer based system, a transaction account of a user with the rewards program,

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

associating, by the computer based system, a rewards program identifier with the prepaid transaction account and the transaction account in response to the linking at least one of the transaction account or the prepaid transaction account with the rewards program;

selecting, by the computer based system, the transaction account to receive rewards for transactions initiated by the prepaid transaction account that are eligible for the rewards, in response to the linking at least one of the transaction account or the prepaid transaction account with the rewards program,

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;

linking, by the computer based system, the prepaid transaction account with the transaction account to accrue rewards on the transaction account earned using the prepaid transaction account;

monitoring, by the computer based system and in response to the linking to accrue the rewards, transaction information from the prepaid transaction account;

identifying, by the computer based system and in response to the monitoring, the transaction information from the prepaid transaction account for a transaction;

receiving, by the computer based system and from a merchant, an authorization request for the transaction including the 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 a plurality of offers for the prepaid transaction account based on the monitoring the transaction information 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;

selecting, by the computer based system, the offer based on the transaction information satisfying the rule;

linking, by the computer based system and in response to the selecting, the offer with the rewards program identifier;

associating, by the computer based system and in response to the linking the offer, the offer with the transaction account based on the rewards program identifier;

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

transmitting, by the computer based system contemporaneously and in response to the receiving the transaction information, offer notification instructions for the offer to the social network associated with the social network account profile; and

crediting, by the computer based system, a discount associated with the offer to the transaction.

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

3. The method of claim 2, wherein offer rules provided by a merchant define a basis for providing an incentive offer from the merchant.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising crediting, by the computer based system, the reward to the reward account.

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

6. 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.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising transmitting, by the computer based system, an 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.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the reward earned based on the transaction with the prepaid transaction account is credited to the prepaid transaction account.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the reward earned based on the transaction with the prepaid transaction account is a monetary value.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein an owner of the prepaid transaction account is not particularly identified.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, by the computer based system, a transaction account and a loyalty account associated with the transaction account; and

associating, by the computer based system, the prepaid transaction account with the transaction account and the loyalty account.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

monitoring, the computer based system, spend data associated with at least one of the prepaid transaction account or the transaction account;

analyzing, by the computer based system, the spend data; and

assigning, by the computer based system, the prepaid transaction account to at least one of a plurality of populations based on spend data or criteria.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the criteria includes a spending behavior provided by an offering merchant.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the spend data is real time spend data and includes requests for authorization and transactions that have been posted to the prepaid transaction account.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising, transmitting, by the computer based system, a notification of an offer based on the prepaid account being assigned to at least one population.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising, indicating, by the computer based system, on a statement associated with the transaction account, a source of the reward in response to the reward being credited based on the transaction with the prepaid account and the second preference.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the prepaid transaction account is available for purchase from a merchant participating in the rewards program.

18. 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 perform a method comprising:

linking, by the computer based system, a prepaid transaction account with a rewards program;

linking, by the computer based system, a transaction account of a user with the rewards program,

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

associating, by the computer based system, a rewards program identifier with the prepaid transaction account and the transaction account in response to the linking at least one of the transaction account or the prepaid transaction account with the rewards program;

selecting, by the computer based system, the transaction account to receive rewards for transactions initiated by the prepaid transaction account that are eligible for the rewards, in response to the linking at least one of the transaction account or the prepaid transaction account with the rewards program,

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;

linking, by the computer based system, the prepaid transaction account with the transaction account to accrue rewards on the transaction account earned using the prepaid transaction account;

monitoring, by the computer based system and in response to the linking to accrue the rewards, transaction information from the prepaid transaction account;

identifying, by the computer based system and in response to the monitoring, the transaction information from the prepaid transaction account for a transaction;

receiving, by the computer based system and from a merchant, an authorization request for the transaction including the 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 a plurality of offers for the prepaid transaction account based on the monitoring the transaction information 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;

selecting, by the computer based system, the offer based on the transaction information satisfying the rule;

linking, by the computer based system and in response to the selecting, the offer with the rewards program identifier;

associating, by the computer based system and in response to the linking the offer, the offer with the transaction account based on the rewards program identifier;

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

transmitting, by the computer based system contemporaneously and in response to the receiving the transaction information, offer notification instructions for the offer to the social network associated with the social network account profile; and

crediting, by the computer based system, a discount associated with the offer to the transaction.

19. A system comprising:

a network interface communicating with a memory;

the memory communicating with a processor; and

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

linking, by the processor, a prepaid transaction account with a rewards program;

linking, by the processor, a transaction account of a user with the rewards program,

providing, by the processor, notifications of offers for the prepaid transaction account and rewards earned on a transaction account through a social networking channel corresponding to a social network account profile;

associating, by the processor, a rewards program identifier with the prepaid transaction account and the transaction account in response to the linking at least one of the transaction account or the prepaid transaction account with the rewards program;

selecting, by the processor, the transaction account to receive rewards for transactions initiated by the prepaid transaction account that are eligible for the rewards, in response to the linking at least one of the transaction account or the prepaid transaction account with the rewards program,

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;

linking, by the processor, the prepaid transaction account with the transaction account to accrue rewards on the transaction account earned using the prepaid transaction account;

monitoring, by the processor and in response to the linking to accrue the rewards, transaction information from the prepaid transaction account;

identifying, by the processor and in response to the monitoring, the transaction information from the prepaid transaction account for a transaction;

receiving, by the processor and from a merchant, an authorization request for the transaction including the 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 a plurality of offers for the prepaid transaction account based on the monitoring the transaction information 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;

selecting, by the processor, the offer based on the transaction information satisfying the rule;

linking, by the processor and in response to the selecting, the offer with the rewards program identifier;

associating, by the processor and in response to the linking the offer, the offer with the transaction account based on the rewards program identifier;

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

transmitting, by the processor contemporaneously and in response to the receiving the transaction information, offer notification instructions for the offer to the social network associated with the social network account profile; and

crediting, by the processor, a discount associated with the offer to the transaction.