Point of interaction loyalty currency redemption in a transaction
First Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- providing, by a web site via a web page to a web-enable client, a user interface for a network of computers comprising;
a transaction handler configured in an electronic payment processing network that connects separate computers, including;
computers of merchants configured to generate authorization requests for payment transactions between merchants and users in payment accounts issued by issuers;
computers of acquirers of the merchants;
computers of the issuers controlling the payment accounts; and
the transaction handler interconnecting the computers of the acquirers and the computers of the issuers, wherein the electronic payment processing network has a predetermined communication protocol configured for the separate computers to process the payment transactions initiated using the payment accounts, including a payment account of a consumer;
a loyalty aggregator coupled with the transaction handler;
a database coupled with the loyalty aggregator; and
memory storing instructions which when executed by the transaction handler causes the transaction handler to perform the method;
receiving, from the consumer via the user interface, registration data associating the payment account of the consumer and a plurality of loyalty accounts of the consumer;
storing, in the database, the registration data;
receiving, in the transaction handler configured in the electronic payment processing network, an authorization request for a payment transaction initiated on a point of service (POS) terminal of a merchant using the payment account issued by a primary issuer to hold financial currency, wherein the authorization request identifies, in accordance with the predetermined communication protocol,the payment account,a transaction amount to be authorized for the payment transaction in the payment account, anda first redemption amount of funds to be applied to the payment transaction via redeeming loyalty currencies associated with the payment account identified in the authorization request;
wherein the registration data stored in the database indicates that the consumer has multiple different non-financial loyalty currencies held in the loyalty accounts by a plurality of different loyalty issuers, andwherein the plurality of loyalty issuers include the primary issuer and second issuers; and
in response to the authorization request identifying the first redemption amount,communicating by the transaction handler the first redemption amount and the payment account to the loyalty aggregator;
in response to the transaction handler communicating the first redemption amount and the payment account to the loyalty aggregator, computing, by the loyalty aggregator using the registration data in the database, second redemption amounts from the loyalty accounts associated with the payment account;
based on a result of the computing by the loyalty aggregator, communicating by the transaction handler, in accordance with the second redemption amounts, with each respective issuer in the second issuers to cause;
the respective issuer to pay to the primary issuer an equivalent financial currency value of a non-financial loyalty currency value of the customer being held by the respective issuer in return for a corresponding reduction of the non-financial loyalty currency value from a respective loyalty account issued by the respective issuer to the consumer, andthe primary issuer to add an equivalent primary loyalty currency value to a primary loyalty account of the consumer for the equivalent financial currency value received from the respective issuer; and
communicating by the transaction handler, in accordance with the first redemption amount, with the primary issuer to cause the primary issuer to;
send a first financial currency value corresponding to the non-financial loyalty currencies used as financial tender for the payment transaction, andmake a reduction in the primary loyalty account for the first financial currency value sent as financial tender for the payment transaction.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Multiple different non-financial loyalty currencies held by different issuers are used by a consumer as financial tender for a transaction with a merchant. Each issuer pays to a primary issuer the financial currency value of the non-financial loyalty currencies being held in return for a corresponding reduction of the balance of non-financial loyalty currency. For each reduced balance, the primary issuer adds an equivalent primary loyalty currency to a primary loyalty account for the consumer. The primary issuer pays the merchant for the transaction in financial currency and makes an equivalent reduction in the balance of the primary loyalty currency. The financial value of each loyalty currency may be dependent upon its use in a transaction with a competitor of a merchant supplying loyalty currency to the consumer.
357 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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providing, by a web site via a web page to a web-enable client, a user interface for a network of computers comprising; a transaction handler configured in an electronic payment processing network that connects separate computers, including; computers of merchants configured to generate authorization requests for payment transactions between merchants and users in payment accounts issued by issuers; computers of acquirers of the merchants; computers of the issuers controlling the payment accounts; and the transaction handler interconnecting the computers of the acquirers and the computers of the issuers, wherein the electronic payment processing network has a predetermined communication protocol configured for the separate computers to process the payment transactions initiated using the payment accounts, including a payment account of a consumer; a loyalty aggregator coupled with the transaction handler; a database coupled with the loyalty aggregator; and memory storing instructions which when executed by the transaction handler causes the transaction handler to perform the method; receiving, from the consumer via the user interface, registration data associating the payment account of the consumer and a plurality of loyalty accounts of the consumer; storing, in the database, the registration data; receiving, in the transaction handler configured in the electronic payment processing network, an authorization request for a payment transaction initiated on a point of service (POS) terminal of a merchant using the payment account issued by a primary issuer to hold financial currency, wherein the authorization request identifies, in accordance with the predetermined communication protocol, the payment account, a transaction amount to be authorized for the payment transaction in the payment account, and a first redemption amount of funds to be applied to the payment transaction via redeeming loyalty currencies associated with the payment account identified in the authorization request; wherein the registration data stored in the database indicates that the consumer has multiple different non-financial loyalty currencies held in the loyalty accounts by a plurality of different loyalty issuers, and wherein the plurality of loyalty issuers include the primary issuer and second issuers; and in response to the authorization request identifying the first redemption amount, communicating by the transaction handler the first redemption amount and the payment account to the loyalty aggregator; in response to the transaction handler communicating the first redemption amount and the payment account to the loyalty aggregator, computing, by the loyalty aggregator using the registration data in the database, second redemption amounts from the loyalty accounts associated with the payment account; based on a result of the computing by the loyalty aggregator, communicating by the transaction handler, in accordance with the second redemption amounts, with each respective issuer in the second issuers to cause; the respective issuer to pay to the primary issuer an equivalent financial currency value of a non-financial loyalty currency value of the customer being held by the respective issuer in return for a corresponding reduction of the non-financial loyalty currency value from a respective loyalty account issued by the respective issuer to the consumer, and the primary issuer to add an equivalent primary loyalty currency value to a primary loyalty account of the consumer for the equivalent financial currency value received from the respective issuer; and communicating by the transaction handler, in accordance with the first redemption amount, with the primary issuer to cause the primary issuer to; send a first financial currency value corresponding to the non-financial loyalty currencies used as financial tender for the payment transaction, and make a reduction in the primary loyalty account for the first financial currency value sent as financial tender for the payment transaction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions configured to instruct a computing device to perform a method, the method comprising:
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providing a user interface for a network of computers comprising; a transaction handler configured in an electronic payment processing network that connects separate computers using a predetermined communication protocol to process payment transactions initiated using payment accounts, including a payment account of a consumer, the separate computers including; computers of merchants configured to generate authorization requests for the payment transactions between merchants and users in the payment accounts issued by issuers; computers of acquirers of the merchants; computers of the issuers controlling the payment accounts; and the transaction handler interconnecting the computers of the acquirers and the computers of the issuers; a loyalty aggregator coupled with the transaction handler; and a database coupled with the loyalty aggregator; receiving, from the consumer via the user interface, registration data associating the payment account of the consumer and a plurality of loyalty accounts of the consumer; storing, in the database, the registration data; receiving, in the transaction handler configured in the electronic payment processing network, an authorization request for a payment transaction initiated on a point of service (POS) terminal of a merchant using the payment account issued by a primary issuer to hold financial currency, wherein the authorization request identifies, in accordance with the predetermined communication protocol, the payment account, a transaction amount to be authorized for the payment transaction in the payment account, and a first redemption amount of funds to be applied to the payment transaction via redeeming loyalty currencies associated with the payment account identified in the authorization request; wherein the registration data stored in the database indicates that the consumer has multiple different non-financial loyalty currencies held in the loyalty accounts by a plurality of different loyalty issuers, and wherein the plurality of loyalty issuers include the primary issuer and second issuers; and in response to the authorization request identifying the first redemption amount, communicating by the transaction handler the first redemption amount and the payment account to the loyalty aggregator; in response to the transaction handler communicating the first redemption amount and the payment account to the loyalty aggregator, computing, by the loyalty aggregator using the registration data in the database, second redemption amounts from the loyalty accounts associated with the payment account; based on a result of the computing by the loyalty aggregator, communicating by the transaction handler, in accordance with the second redemption amounts, with each respective issuer in the second issuers to cause; the respective issuer to pay to the primary issuer an equivalent financial currency value of a non-financial loyalty currency value of the customer being held by the respective issuer in return for a corresponding reduction of the non-financial loyalty currency value from a respective loyalty account issued by the respective issuer to the consumer, and the primary issuer to add an equivalent primary loyalty currency value to a primary loyalty account of the consumer for the equivalent financial currency value received from the respective issuer; and communicating by the transaction handler, in accordance with the first redemption amounts, with the primary issuer to cause the primary issuer to; send a first financial currency value corresponding to the non-financial loyalty currencies used as financial tender for the payment transaction, and make a reduction in the primary loyalty account for the first financial currency value sent as financial tender for the payment transaction.
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16. A system comprising:
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a transaction handler configured in an electronic payment processing network that connects separate computers, including; computers of merchants configured to generate authorization requests for payment transactions between merchants and users in payment accounts issued by issuers; computers of acquirers of the merchants; computers of the issuers controlling the payment accounts; and the transaction handler interconnecting the computers of the acquirers and the computers of the issuers, wherein the electronic payment processing network has a predetermined communication protocol configured for the separate computers to process the payment transactions initiated using the payment accounts, including a payment account of a consumer; a loyalty aggregator coupled with the transaction handler; a database coupled with the loyalty aggregator; and a web site configured to provide, via a web page to a web-enable client, a user interface configured to receive registration data associating a payment account of a consumer and a plurality of loyalty accounts of the consumer; wherein the database stores the registration data; wherein the transaction handler is configured to receive an authorization request for a payment transaction initiated on a point of service (POS) terminal of a merchant using the payment account issued by a primary issuer to hold financial currency, wherein the authorization request identifies, in accordance with the predetermined communication protocol, the payment account, a transaction amount to be authorized for the payment transaction in the payment account, and a first redemption amount of funds to be applied to the payment transaction via redeeming loyalty currencies associated with the payment account identified in the authorization request; wherein the registration data stored in the database indicates that the consumer has multiple different non-financial loyalty currencies held in the loyalty accounts by a plurality of different loyalty issuers, and wherein the plurality of loyalty issuers include the primary issuer and second issuers; and wherein, in response to the authorization request identifying the first redemption amount, the transaction handler communicates the first redemption amount and the payment account to the loyalty aggregator; in response to the transaction handler communicating the first redemption amount and the payment account to the loyalty aggregator, the loyalty aggregator computes, using the registration data in the database, second redemption amounts from the loyalty accounts associated with the payment account; based on a result of the computing by the loyalty aggregator, the transaction handler communicates, in accordance with the second redemption amounts, with each respective issuer in the second issuers to cause the respective issuer to pay to the primary issuer an equivalent financial currency value of a non-financial loyalty currency value of the customer being held by the respective issuer in return for a corresponding reduction of the non-financial loyalty currency value from a respective loyalty account issued by the respective issuer to the consumer, and the primary issuer to add an equivalent primary loyalty currency value to a primary loyalty account of the consumer for the equivalent financial currency value received from the respective issuer; and the transaction handler communicates, in accordance with the first redemption amounts, with the primary issuer to cause the primary issuer to; send a first financial currency value corresponding to the non-financial loyalty currencies used as financial tender for the payment transaction, and make a reduction in the primary loyalty account for the first financial currency value sent as financial tender for the transaction.
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Specification