METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR APPLYING A REWARDS PROGRAM PROMOTION TO PAYMENT TRANSACTIONS
First Claim
1. A method for applying promotion codes to a payment transaction using at least one input device in communication with a database, the payment transaction including a purchase made by a cardholder using a payment card over a payment card network, said method comprising the steps of:
- storing promotion data within the database, the promotion data including at least one merchant participating in the payment card network, at least one promotional program offered by the at least one merchant to the cardholder, and promotion codes associated with the at least one promotional program, wherein at least one of the promotional programs offered includes a qualifying number of rewards points for a rewards program;
storing rewards data within the database including a current number of rewards points accumulated by the cardholder as part of the rewards program;
providing access to the promotion data through the at least one input device including each promotional program having a qualifying number of rewards points that is less than the current number of rewards points for the cardholder;
receiving a selected promotional program from the cardholder using the at least one input device; and
automatically applying the promotion codes associated with the selected promotional program to the payment transaction.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for applying promotion codes to a payment transaction using an input device in communication with a database is provided. The payment transaction includes a purchase made by a cardholder using a payment card over a payment card network. The method includes storing promotion data within the database including at least one promotional program having a qualifying number of rewards points for a rewards program, and storing rewards data within the database including a current number of rewards points accumulated by the cardholder. The method further includes providing access to the promotion data through the at least one input device including each promotional program having a qualifying number of rewards points that is less than the current number of rewards points for the cardholder, receiving a selected promotional program from the cardholder, and automatically applying the promotion codes associated with the selected promotional program to the payment transaction.
181 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method for applying promotion codes to a payment transaction using at least one input device in communication with a database, the payment transaction including a purchase made by a cardholder using a payment card over a payment card network, said method comprising the steps of:
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storing promotion data within the database, the promotion data including at least one merchant participating in the payment card network, at least one promotional program offered by the at least one merchant to the cardholder, and promotion codes associated with the at least one promotional program, wherein at least one of the promotional programs offered includes a qualifying number of rewards points for a rewards program; storing rewards data within the database including a current number of rewards points accumulated by the cardholder as part of the rewards program; providing access to the promotion data through the at least one input device including each promotional program having a qualifying number of rewards points that is less than the current number of rewards points for the cardholder; receiving a selected promotional program from the cardholder using the at least one input device; and automatically applying the promotion codes associated with the selected promotional program to the payment transaction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A network-based system for applying processing codes to a payment transaction including a purchase made by a cardholder using a payment card over a payment card network, said system comprising:
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a client system; a database for storing information; and a server system configured to be coupled to said client system and said database, said server further configured to; store promotional data within the database including at least one merchant participating in the payment card network, each promotional program offered by the at least one merchant to the cardholder, and promotion codes associated with each promotional program offered to the cardholder, wherein at least one of the promotional programs offered includes a qualifying number of rewards points for a rewards program; receive rewards data including a current number of rewards points accumulated by the cardholder as part of the rewards program; display the promotion data on the client system including each promotional program offered by the at least one merchant to the cardholder, wherein each promotional program displayed includes a qualifying number of rewards points that is less than the current number of rewards points for the cardholder; receive selection data from the client system, the selection data representing the promotional program selected by the cardholder; and automatically apply the promotion codes associated with the selected promotional program to the payment transaction. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A computer coupled to a database for applying processing codes to a payment transaction performed by a cardholder using a payment card over a payment card network, the computer in communication with an input device, wherein
the database stores promotional data including each merchant participating in the payment card network, each promotional program offered by each merchant to the cardholder, and promotion codes associated with each promotional program offered to the cardholder, wherein at least one of the promotional programs offered includes a qualifying number of rewards points for a rewards program; -
the database further stores rewards data including a current number of rewards points accumulated by the cardholder as part of the rewards program; and the input device accesses the database and displays the promotion data including each promotional program offered by each merchant to the cardholder, wherein each promotional program displayed includes a qualifying number of rewards points that is less than the current number of rewards points for the cardholder, said computer programmed to; receive selection data from the input device, the selection data representing the promotional program selected by the cardholder for application to a payment transaction initiated by the cardholder with the merchant offering the selected promotional program; and automatically apply the promotion codes associated with the selected promotional program to the payment transaction. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for applying processing codes to a payment transaction including a purchase made by a cardholder using a payment card over a payment card network, said program comprising at least one code segment that:
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stores within a database promotion data including at least one merchant participating in the payment card network, each promotional program offered by the at least one merchant to the cardholder, and promotion codes associated with each promotional program offered to the cardholder, wherein at least one of the promotional programs offered includes a qualifying number of rewards points from a rewards program; stores within the database rewards data including a current number of rewards points accumulated by the cardholder as part of the rewards program; enables access to the promotion data via at least one input device including each promotional program having a qualifying number of rewards points that is less than the current number of rewards points for the cardholder; receives selection data from the at least one input device, the selection data representing a promotional program selected by the cardholder; and applies the promotion codes associated with the selected promotional program to the payment transaction initiated by the cardholder. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification