SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR NETWORKED LOYALTY PROGRAM

• US 20110302020A1
• Filed: 08/12/2011
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Ariff, Fauziah B., Voltmer, Theodore S., Antonucci, Donna A., Greenhut, Scott M., Hayes, John, Sneddon, Kendall, Ciccarone, Christine D., Ewell, Jason, Lam, Johnson, Zaiac, Joanne, Lang, Laura, Bharwani, Seraj, Zeisser, Michel P., Fernandes, Joseph, Segal, Elizabeth Hilton
• Granted Patent: US 8,626,582 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.28
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/6562 Manganese
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/8913 Cobalt and noble metals
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 37/0205 in several steps
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 37/0226 Oxidation of the substrate, e.g. anodisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0208 Trade or exchange of goods or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0219 based on funds or budget
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0227 Frequent usage incentive value reconciliation between diverse systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0228 On-line clearing houses
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0229 Multi-merchant loyalty card systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0232 Frequent usage rewards other than merchandise, cash or travel
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 : constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 : Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 : at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 : Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 : based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 : Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 : Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 : Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 : Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 : Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements

Abstract

The present invention provides a system for implementing a loyalty program on a network-wide level. The system associates UPC and SKU data on a network level to reward consumers and/or to analyze the data for a variety of business purposes, such as market segmentation analyses and/or analyses relating to consumer spending behaviors or patterns, for example. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the network may comprise any number of participants, including consumers (such primary and supplementary members of an aggregate consumer account), retailers (and any of their employees), manufacturers, third-party providers, and the like. In accordance with one aspect, the system enables participation by supplementary members who are associated with a primary member and, in this manner, facilitates the tracking of supplementary member purchasing behavior, reward points earning behavior, and reward points redemption behavior. In accordance with another aspect, the system permits instant enrollment of consumers at a retailer point-of-sale using information that the retailer has previously gathered from the consumer. In accordance with another aspect, the system facilitates the compilation of a purchaser profile, which may be used for a variety of purposes, including various types of marketing analyses.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

associating, by a computer-based system for associating transaction data, a manufacturer item identifier with at least one of a consumer identifier and purchase data, wherein a transaction file comprises at least one of said consumer identifier and said purchase data; and

standardizing, by said computer-based system, said transaction file by associating a retailer item identifier and said manufacturer item identifier, wherein said standardizing characterizes an item across a plurality of retailers.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing, by said computer-based system, an analysis that is dependent upon said transaction file.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing, by said computer-based system, an analysis that is dependent upon said transaction file and at least one of a retailer identifier, a manufacturer identifier and a consumer profile.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating, by said computer-based system, reward points dependent upon said transaction file.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said item is at least one of a product, service, information, experience and access.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating, by said computer-based system, reward points dependent upon said transaction file and based upon a points ratio determined by at least one of:

a retailer, a manufacturer, and a third-party provider.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising issuing reward points, dependent upon said transaction file, to a reward account associated with said consumer identifier.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising issuing reward points, dependent upon said transaction file, to an aggregate consumer account.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising issuing reward points, dependent upon said transaction file, to an aggregate consumer account that encompasses individuals selected by a primary member from at least one of a household, a business, a charitable organization, and a group designated by said primary member.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising issuing reward points, dependent upon said transaction file, in real-time at a point-of-sale.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising offering an award for redeeming said reward points in real-time at a point-of-sale.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said award is from a universal awards catalog with awards offered by a plurality of merchants.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said universal awards catalog is customized for a consumer based upon relevance to said consumer.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said relevance comprises at least one of a consumer'"'"'s demographics information, market segment, capacity for points accumulation total accumulated reward points, previously purchased products, purchasing behavior, reward points earning behavior, reward points redemption behavior and profile information.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said consumer identifier is associated with a consumer profile that comprises at least one of:

a date on which a consumer made a particular purchase, a frequency of purchases, a quantity of purchases, purchasing behavior, reward points earning behavior, and reward points redemption behavior and a total transaction price.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said purchase data further comprises at least one of:

an item purchased, an item price, a number of items purchased, a total transaction price, a payment vehicle, a date, a store identifier, and an employee identifier.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising deriving a standard identifier based upon said standardizing.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a consumer profile reflecting a consumer'"'"'s purchases across a plurality of retailers.

19. An article of manufacture including a non-transitory, tangible computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computer-based system for associating transaction data, cause said computer-based system to perform operations comprising:

associating, by said computer-based system, a manufacturer item identifier with at least one of a consumer identifier and purchase data, wherein a transaction file comprises at least one of said consumer identifier and said purchase data; and

standardizing, by said computer-based system, said transaction file by associating a retailer item identifier and said manufacturer item identifier, wherein said standardizing characterizes an item across a plurality of retailers.

20. A system comprising:

a processor for associating transaction data,

a tangible, non-transitory memory configured to communicate with said processor, said tangible, non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by said processor, cause said processor to perform operations comprising;

associating, by said processor, a manufacturer item identifier with at least one of a consumer identifier and purchase data, wherein a transaction file comprises at least one of said consumer identifier and said purchase data; and

standardizing, by said processor, said transaction file by associating a retailer item identifier and said manufacturer item identifier, wherein said standardizing characterizes an item across a plurality of retailers.