SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO PROVIDE A USER INTERFACE FOR REDEMPTION OF LOYALTY REWARDS

• US 20150120429A1
• Filed: 10/24/2014
• Published: 04/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Salmon, Diane C., VonDerheide, James Alan, DiGioacchino, Laura, Scheidelman, Edward, Kim, Nancy L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,990,646 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.33
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/42 Confirmation, e.g. check or permission by the legal debtor of payment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward

Abstract

A system includes a rule engine to determine details of loyalty reward currency redemption from one or more reward accounts as part of the processing of a payment transaction in a payment account of a user. The redemption details are determined based on user preferences and rules of the loyalty programs, and transmitted to the user during the authorization of the payment transaction. During the authorization and/or within a time window after the authorization, but before the settlement of the payment transaction, the user may provide a confirmation message that may accept, reject, or modify the redemption details. A transaction handler is configured to authorize and/or settle the payment transaction, as modified by the redemption details initially computed by the rule engine and subsequently confirmed, rejected or modified by the user via an optional confirmation message.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

storing, in a computing apparatus, data associating

a user profile of a user, the user profile identifying a plurality of loyalty programs of the user, and preferences and rules for redeeming loyalty currencies of the user from the loyalty programs,

a payment account of the user, and

a communication reference of the user;

receiving, in the computing apparatus, an authorization request for a payment transaction in the payment account;

in response to the authorization request, determining, by the computing apparatus, details of redemption of loyalty currencies from the loyalty programs in accordance with the preferences and rules identified in the user profile;

transmitting, by the computing apparatus in parallel with processing of the authorization request, a redemption notification to the communication reference associated with the payment account, the redemption notification configured to provide the details of the redemption of the loyalty currencies from the loyalty programs; and

providing, via the computing apparatus and based on the redemption notification, a user interface prompting the user to confirm the details of the redemption of the loyalty currencies from the loyalty programs.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the redemption notification includes a user interface element selectable by the user to generate a confirmation message transmitted from a computing device of the user to the computing apparatus.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the confirmation message accepts the details for the redemption;

and in response to the confirmation message, the computing apparatus is configured to redeem loyalty rewards from the loyalty programs according to the details for the redemption and apply the loyalty rewards to the payment transaction.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the computing device of the user comprises a mobile phone;

and the communication reference includes a phone number of the mobile phone.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the redemption notification includes a user interface element selectable by the user when the redemption notification is presented on a computing device of the user;

in response to a user selection of the user interface element, the user interface element causes the computing device of the user to communicate with the computing apparatus to present the user interface prompting the user to confirm the details of the redemption of the loyalty currencies.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the user interface prompting the user to confirm the details of the redemption of the loyalty currencies includes an option to modify the details of the redemption of the loyalty currencies to generate a modified redemption plan.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

in response to receiving, within a predetermined time period from the redemption notification, the modified redemption plan received via the user interface presented on the user device,

redeeming, by the computing apparatus, loyalty rewards from the loyalty programs according to the modified redemption plan, and

applying, by the computing apparatus, the loyalty rewards to the payment transaction.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the loyalty rewards are applied to the payment transaction during authorization of the payment transaction.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the loyalty rewards are applied to the payment transaction during settlement of the payment transaction.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

in response to having not received a redemption plan within a predetermined time period from transmission of the redemption notification

redeeming, by the computing apparatus, loyalty rewards from the loyalty programs according to the details of the redemption of the loyalty currencies, and

applying, by the computing apparatus, the loyalty rewards to the payment transaction.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the loyalty rewards are applied to the payment transaction during authorization of the payment transaction.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the loyalty rewards are applied to the payment transaction during settlement of the payment transaction.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the preferences and rules include a preference of the user, the preference specifying whether or not the details of the redemption of the loyalty currencies computed by the computing apparatus are considered to be accepted by the user if no confirmation or modification is received from the user in response to the redemption notification.

14. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

prior to receiving the modified redemption plan via the user interface presented on the user device,

redeeming, by the computing apparatus, loyalty rewards from the loyalty programs according to the details of the redemption of the loyalty currencies computed by the computing apparatus in accordance with the preferences and rules identified in the user profile, and

applying, by the computing apparatus, the loyalty rewards to authorization of the payment transaction; and

after receiving the modified redemption plan via the user interface presented on the user device,

modifying, by the computing apparatus, redemption of loyalty rewards from the loyalty programs according to the modified redemption plan, and

applying, by the computing apparatus, loyalty rewards to settlement of the payment transaction according to the modified redemption plan.

15. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining, by the computing apparatus during a first time period from the redemption notification, whether not a first user input responsive to the redemption notification is received; and

after receiving the first user input during the first time period, processing authorization of the payment transaction in accordance with the user input.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining, by the computing apparatus during a second time period from the redemption notification, whether not a second user input responsive to the redemption notification is received; and

after receiving the second user input during the second time period, processing settlement of the payment transaction in accordance with the second user input.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein in absence of a user input during the first time period, processing loyalty benefit redemption for authorization of the payment transaction in accordance with a default action identified in the user profile.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the default action is based at least in part on a merchant with which the payment transaction is made, or a transaction amount of the payment transaction.

19. A non-transitory computer-storage medium storing instructions configured to instruct a computing apparatus to at least:

store, in a computing apparatus, data associating

a user profile of a user, the user profile identifying a plurality of loyalty programs of the user, and preferences and rules for redeeming loyalty currencies of the user from the loyalty programs,

a payment account of the user, and

a communication reference of the user;

receive, in the computing apparatus, an authorization request for a payment transaction identified in the payment account;

in response to the authorization request, determine, by the computing apparatus, details of redemption of loyalty currencies from the loyalty programs in accordance with the preferences and rules in the user profile;

transmit, by the computing apparatus in parallel with processing of the authorization request, a redemption notification to the communication reference associated with the payment account, the redemption notification configured to provide the details of the redemption of the loyalty currencies from the loyalty programs; and

provide, via the computing apparatus and based on the redemption notification, a user interface prompting the user to confirm the details of the redemption of the loyalty currencies from the loyalty programs.

20. A computing apparatus comprising:

at least one microprocessor; and

memory storing instructions configured to instruct the at least one microprocessor to at least;

store, in a computing apparatus, data associating

a user profile of the user, the user profile identifying a plurality of loyalty programs of a user, and preferences and rules for redeeming loyalty currencies of the user from the loyalty programs,

a payment account of the user, and

a communication reference of the user;

receive, in the computing apparatus, an authorization request for a payment transaction in the payment account;

in response to the authorization request, determine, by the computing apparatus, details of redemption of loyalty currencies from the loyalty programs in accordance with the preferences and rules identified in the user profile;

transmit, by the computing apparatus in parallel with processing of the authorization request, a redemption notification to the communication reference associated with the payment account, the redemption notification configured to provide the details of the redemption of the loyalty currencies from the loyalty programs; and

provide, via the computing apparatus and based on the redemption notification, a user interface prompting the user to confirm the details of the redemption of the loyalty currencies from the loyalty programs.