System and method for matching a savings opportunity using census data

• US 10,594,870 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2011
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Truaxis, Inc. (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Truaxis, Inc. (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Inventors: Satyavolu, Ramakrishna, Kothari, Samir, Daredia, Shehzad, Nakshatrala, Bala Krishna, Shanmugam, Saravana Perumal
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tien C
• Application Number:
  US13/180,533
• Publication Number:
  US 20120010932A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,172 Days
• Field of Search: 705 1417, 705 1425, 705 10, 705 26, 705 40, 705 35, 705 38, 705 37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8011 using class of subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/805 Bidding
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/84 Types of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/85 characterised by the type of condition triggering a notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/851 Determined tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/018 On-line real-time billing, able to see billing information while in communication, e.g. via the internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0184 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions, volume discounts, cell discounts, group billing, frequent calling destination(s) or user history list
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 : Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/74 : Rating aspects, e.g. rating parameters or tariff determination apects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7407 : class of subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 : Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7457 : Biding
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/81 : Notifying aspects, e.g. notifications or displays to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8129 : Type of notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/815 : Notification when a specific condition, service or event is met

Abstract

A system and method for matching a savings opportunity using census data includes gathering transaction data from a user'"'"'s financial account and analyzing the transaction data for a savings opportunity indication. Third party census data related to a geographic location of the user may be used in addition to the savings opportunity indication to match a savings opportunity from a database of savings opportunities to the user. The savings opportunity is displayed in association with a statement of the user'"'"'s financial account.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving by at least one computer;

(1) transaction data from a user'"'"'s financial account that is maintained on behalf of the user,

(2) criteria, set by a merchant, and related to at least one transaction data characteristic desired by the merchant, and

(3) census data, from a third party computer, related to the user;

matching a savings opportunity from a database of savings opportunities to the user based on a comparison of the transaction data to the criteria and the third party census data, the matched savings opportunity being from the merchant;

displaying the matched savings opportunity in association with an electronic account statement of the user'"'"'s financial account;

tracking a response, received at the at least one computer and from the user, to the displayed matched savings opportunity, wherein the response indicates whether the user accepted the displayed matched savings opportunity, wherein the response includes a request for additional information about the matched savings opportunity, the request for additional information including expand/collapse behavior related to obtaining the additional information about the matched savings opportunity;

matching a purchase reward to the user based on the expand/collapse behavior;

when the response indicates the user does not accept the displayed matched savings opportunity, generating a geo-enhanced savings opportunity;

tracking mobile device location information, generated by a mobile device of the user and using the at least one computer, and transmitting the geo-enhanced savings opportunity to the mobile device when the mobile device location information indicates the mobile device is in a location area defined by the merchant to alert the user of the geo-enhanced savings opportunity,

receiving, at the mobile device of the user, the geo-enhanced savings opportunity when the mobile device location information indicates the mobile device is in the location area defined by the merchant; and

filtering, in a mobile application on the mobile device, for presentation to the user, available savings opportunities displayed in a graphical user interface of the mobile application based on geographic proximity to the merchant, the available savings opportunities including the geo-enhanced savings opportunity.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising gathering a past response to a savings opportunity indication and analyzing it, wherein the matched savings opportunity is based on both the transaction data and the past response data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic account statement is at least one of an online statement, an online graphical user interface associated with the user'"'"'s financial account, an online bill pay area, a dialog box associated with the user'"'"'s financial account, and a mobile statement.

4. The method of claim 1, the transaction data including at least one of a merchant name, a merchant category, a merchant location, a store number, a transaction amount, a transaction frequency, a zip code, a store category, a transaction description, and a total spending amount.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more criteria set by the merchant is selected from the group consisting of total spending amount with the merchant or another merchant, a number of transactions with the merchant or another merchant, a number of transactions within a category, total spending during a period of time, a particular transaction, a particular set of transactions, and a transaction at a particular merchant location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s financial account is at least one of a credit card account, a bank account, a checking account, a savings account, a personal finance program account, and a loan account.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the savings opportunity comprises an offer to perform a bill analysis.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the savings opportunity is a coupon or a barcode presented on a mobile device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the coupon is an online redemption coupon code.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the third party census data is selected from the group consisting of geographic location, ethnic makeup, population educational level and income level.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the savings opportunity is an automatic discount on a subsequent transaction.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the savings opportunity is a credit on a subsequent transaction.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the savings opportunity is a pre-paid offer.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the savings opportunity is a merchant loyalty program.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the merchant loyalty program is implemented through the use of a transaction card associated with the financial account.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the merchant loyalty program is implemented by providing the user with at least one of a printed coupon, a bar code coupon presented on a mobile device, and a credit on a merchant loyalty card.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s financial account comprises a plurality of financial institution accounts maintained on behalf of the user.