Use of payment card rewards points for an electronic cash transfer

• US 10,776,809 B1
• Filed: 10/03/2014
• Issued: 09/15/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Inventors: Aaron, Paul, Omi, Keisuke, Dolan, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Coupe, Anita
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pouncil, Darnell A
• Application Number:
  US14/506,541
• Time in Patent Office: 2,174 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/22 Payment schemes or models
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward

Abstract

A computer-implemented technique for applying rewards points associated with a payment card is disclosed. A computer system stores information associated with a person'"'"'s payment card, such as a credit or debit card, including information indicative of rewards points associated with the card. The computer system then receives from a remote device a first message indicative of a transaction between the person and another entity. The transaction includes a payment of a specified amount from the person to the other entity. In some embodiments the transaction has already been completed, and the computer system causes rewards points to be applied to it post-transaction. In other embodiments the transaction has not yet been executed and may be a requested cash transfer. The computer system determines how many rewards points correspond to the specified amount and causes the rewards points to be used for at least a portion of the transaction amount.

Claims

1. A method of using payment card points for a funds transfer, the method comprising:

storing, in one or more records of a database of a server computer system operated by a payment service, credit card information associated with a credit card of a first person, the credit card information including points information indicative of points earned by the credit card of the first person;

receiving, at a first financial institution computer device, from a merchant point-of-sale system associated with a merchant, a first electronic message representing a request by the first person to electronically transfer a specified amount of funds from the first person to the merchant;

in response to receiving the first electronic message, communicating, by the server computer system, with the first financial institution computer device that maintains a first bank account of the first person, a second financial institution computer device that maintains a second bank account corresponding to the merchant point-of-sale system, and a remote computer system of an issuer of the credit card of the first person, to cause the specified amount of funds to be electronically transferred to the second bank account from the first bank account;

after completing transferring funds, receiving, at the server computer system from the first financial institution computer device, a second electronic message indicative of completion of the transfer of the specified amount of funds from the first person to the merchant;

in response to receiving the second electronic message, identifying, by the server computer system, a first number of the points earned by the credit card of the first person that correspond to the specified amount of funds;

transmitting, by the server computer system, an itemized interactive digital receipt to a mobile device of the first person, wherein the itemized interactive digital receipt comprises information about a transaction comprising a plurality of items, points information for the credit card, points values for each of the items, and a user interface allowing selection of one or more of the items;

receiving, by the server computer system from the mobile device, a request to use points for selected items, wherein the request indicates an interaction with the user interface selecting one or more of the items;

computing, by the server computer system, an amount of points corresponding to a sum of the respective points values of the selected items; and

by the server computer system in response to receiving the request to use points, causing the amount of points to be used to satisfy at least a first portion of the specified amount of funds by communicating with the remote computer system of the issuer of the credit card of the first person to cause the amount of points to be deducted from a points balance of the credit card of the first person and to credit the first bank account by an amount corresponding to the amount of points.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing funds corresponding to a second portion of the specified amount of funds to be transferred electronically from the first bank account of the first person to the second bank account of the merchant by use of first debit card information and second debit card information, without using points of the credit card to satisfy the second portion of the specified amount of funds.

3. A method comprising:

storing, in a computer system operated by a payment service, first payment card information associated with a first payment card of a person and second payment card information associated with a second payment card of the person, the first payment card being associated with a first financial account of the person, the second payment card being associated with a second financial account of the person, the first payment card information including points information indicative of points earned by the first payment card;

receiving, at the computer system, from a merchant point-of-sale system, a first electronic message representing a transaction to electronically transfer funds of a specified amount to a merchant financial account;

receiving, at an application on a personal device of the person, an itemized interactive digital receipt comprising information about a transaction comprising a plurality of items, the points information for the first payment card, points values for each of the items, and a user interface allowing selection of one or more of the items;

receiving, by the computer system, from the personal device of the person, a request to use points to fund at least a portion of the funds of the specified amount, wherein the request to use points indicates an interaction with the user interface choosing one or more selected items; and

in response to the request, transmitting, by the computer system, at least an electronic message to at least one remote computer system to cause the funds of the specified amount to be electronically transferred to the merchant financial account, including causing an amount of points corresponding to a sum of the respective points values of the selected items to be used to satisfy at least a first portion of the funds of the specified amount.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein causing the amount of points associated with the first payment card to be used to satisfy at least the first portion of the funds of the specified amount comprises:

using the amount of points to be used for the first portion of the funds of the specified amount; and

using funds from the second financial account to be transferred to the merchant financial account to satisfy a second portion of the funds of the specified amount.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the second payment card is a debit card.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first payment card is a credit card.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein causing the amount of points associated with the first payment card to be used to satisfy at least the first portion of the funds of the specified amount comprises:

using the amount of points to be used for the first portion of the funds of the specified amount; and

using funds from the second financial account to be transferred to the merchant financial account to satisfy a second portion of the funds of the specified amount.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the first electronic message is at least one of an email message, an SMS message or an MMS message, representing the request by the person to electronically transfer the funds of the specified amount from the second financial account to the merchant financial account.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the personal device of the person is a mobile communication device of the person.

10. A computer system operated by a payment service comprising:

one or more processors;

a database accessible to the one or more processors and storing first payment card information associated with a first payment card of a person and second payment card information associated with a second payment card of the person, the first payment card being associated with a first financial account of the person, the second payment card being associated with a second financial account of the person different from the first financial account, the first payment card information including points information indicative of points associated with the first payment card;

a network communication device coupled to the one or more processors, through which to

receive, from a merchant point-of-sale system, a first electronic message representing a transaction to electronically transfer a specified amount of funds from the first financial account to the second financial account,

transmit, to an application of a computing device of the person, an itemized interactive digital receipt comprising information about a transaction comprising a plurality of items, the points information for the first payment card, points values for each of the items, and a user interface allowing selection of one or more of the items, and

receive, from the computing device of the person, a request to use points to fund at least a portion of the specified amount of funds, wherein the request to use points indicates an interaction with the user interface choosing one or more selected items; and

a memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing program code that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the computer system to execute a process that includes

communicating with one or more remote computer systems via a computer network to cause an amount of points corresponding to a sum of the respective points values of the one or more selected items to be used to satisfy the specified amount of funds from the second financial account to a merchant financial account, including transmitting a second electronic message to cause the amount of points to be deducted from the first payment card and transmitting a third electronic message to cause the specified amount of funds to be transferred to the merchant financial account.

11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein said communicating comprises:

using the amount of points to be used for a first portion of the specified amount of funds; and

using funds from the second financial account to be transferred to the merchant financial account to satisfy a second portion of the specified amount of funds.

12. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the second payment card is a debit card.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the first payment card is a credit card.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein said communicating comprises:

using the amount of points to be used for a first portion of the specified amount of funds; and

using funds from the second financial account to be transferred to the merchant financial account to satisfy a second portion of the specified amount of funds.

15. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the first electronic message is at least one of an email message, an SMS message or an MMS message, representing the request by the person to electronically transfer the specified amount of funds from the second financial account to the merchant financial account.

16. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the computing device of the person is a mobile device.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing code that, when executed by one or more processors in a computer system operated by a payment service, cause the computer system to execute operations comprising:

storing first payment card information associated with a first payment card of a person and second payment card information associated with a second payment card of the person, the first payment card being associated with a first financial account of the person, the second payment card being associated with a second financial account of the person, the first payment card information including points information indicative of points earned by the first payment card;

receiving from a merchant point-of-sale system, a first electronic message representing a transaction to electronically transfer a funds of a specified amount to a merchant financial account;

transmitting, to an application on a mobile communication device of the person, an itemized interactive digital receipt comprising information about a transaction comprising a plurality of items, the points information for the first payment card, points values for each of the items, and a user interface allowing selection of one or more of the items;

receiving, from the mobile communication device of the person, a request to use points to fund at least a portion of the funds of the specified amount wherein the request to use points indicates an interaction with the user interface choosing one or more selected items; and

in response to the first electronic message,

transmitting at least a second electronic message to at least one remote computer system to cause the funds of the specified amount to be electronically transferred to the merchant financial account, including causing an amount of points corresponding to a sum of the respective points values of the one or more selected items to be used to satisfy at least a first portion of the funds of the specified amount.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein causing the amount of points associated with the first payment card to be used to satisfy at least the first portion of the funds of the specified amount comprises:

using the amount of points to be used for the first portion of the funds of the specified amount; and

using funds from the second financial account to be transferred to the merchant financial account to satisfy a second portion of the funds of the specified amount.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the second payment card is a debit card.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the first payment card is a credit card.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein causing the amount of points associated with the first payment card to be used to satisfy at least the first portion of the funds of the specified amount comprises:

using the amount of points to be used for the first portion of the specified amount; and

using funds from the second financial account to be transferred to the merchant financial account of the other entity to satisfy a second portion of the funds of the specified amount.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the first electronic message is at least one of an email message, an SMS message or an MMS message, representing the request by the person for the electronic transfer of the funds of the specified amount from the second financial account to the merchant financial account.