System and method for targeted marketing and consumer resource management

• US 9,785,962 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackhawk Network Incorporated (Albertsons Cos., Inc.), Leverage Inc.
• Original Assignee: Blackhawk Network Incorporated (Albertsons Cos., Inc.)
• Inventors: Roberts, Mark E., Mathe, Jennifer K., Nguyen, Khahn
• Primary Examiner(s): Glass, Shay S
• Application Number:
  US13/833,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20130204723A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,670 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/227 characterised in that multiple accounts are available, e.g. to the payer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4037 Remote solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0229 Multi-merchant loyalty card systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0234 Rebates after completed purchase
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for providing targeted marketing to goods and services provides and consumer resource management services to consumers. An example system and method for targeted marketing comprises collecting transaction data from point-of-sale (POS) terminals and using a consumer identifier in the transaction data to access stored information about the consumer. This information may be used to target offers and advertisement to the consumer. In an example system for consumer resource management, a consumer may configure a consumer account on the enterprise infrastructure via a web-site. The consumer may use the consumer account to purchase and configure gift cards that may be used for purchasing goods and services. A universal transaction identifier may be associated with the consumer account and used to purchase goods and services from more than one selected goods and services providers.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving, from a goods and services provider by an enterprise infrastructure, a purchase transaction request associated with a consumer system account administered by the enterprise infrastructure, the request identifying the goods and services provider, a purchase amount, and an identifier associated with the consumer system account, wherein the consumer system account comprises a plurality of balances digitally representing at least one of a plurality of physical gift cards which are issued by at least one of a plurality of providers, wherein the enterprise infrastructure comprises (i) a plurality of virtual local area networks, the virtual local area networks configured for network security, for making the enterprise infrastructure appear local, and for preventing degraded network performance caused by consumers transcending networks between peer networks and (ii) a processor, the processor executing programming and/or executable instructions which cause the enterprise infrastructure to perform the computer implemented method;

accessing, by the enterprise infrastructure, at least one database storage system to map the identifier to at least one of the plurality of providers which is different than the identified goods and services provider, the consumer system account being able to redeem stored values from each of the plurality of providers, wherein the consumer system account is checked by the enterprise infrastructure to determine if a balance associated with the at least one of the plurality of providers which is different than the identified goods and services provider is sufficient to cover the purchase transaction purchase, if sufficient;

causing, by the enterprise infrastructure, the purchase transaction purchase to be processed and the balance associated with at least one of the plurality of providers which is different than the identified goods and services provider to be reduced accordingly.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier associated with the consumer system account is a telephone number.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a visual representation of the consumer system account is displayed on a mobile phone, and wherein the visual representation reflects the balances associated with the providers.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

Authenticating, by the enterprise infrastructure, a purchasing consumer is authorized to use the identifier for the particular purchase.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the identifier used for authenticating the purchasing consumer is a telephone number associated with the consumer system account.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier associated with the consumer system account is an account number obtained by swiping a physical stored-value card at a provider POS terminal or at a swiping device coupled to the POS terminal or via a radio frequency identifying transmitter associated with the POS terminal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification associated with the consumer system account is obtained by scanning an electronic representation of a stored value card.