SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CARD-LINKED SERVICES

• US 20150127441A1
• Filed: 11/04/2013
• Published: 05/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Inventors: Feldman, Jason A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,754,275 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.17
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/02 Affine transformations for image registration G06T3/147; for image mosaicing G06T3/4038
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41415 involving a public display, viewable by several users in a public space outside their home, e.g. movie theatre, information kiosk

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for applying a rebate or promotion associated with a transaction account. Offer information representing an offer for a promotion or rebate provided to a purchaser is received, and at least some of the offer information is processed to associate the purchaser with at least one transaction account. Account information representing the at least one transaction account associated with the purchaser is transmitted to a computing device associated with the first party. Transaction information representing a transaction associated with the offer information and the account information is received from a computing device associated with the first party or a second party, and is processed to associate the transaction with the transaction account associated with the purchaser and the promotion or rebate. The rebate or promotion is applied as a function of the transaction information.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for applying a rebate or promotion associated with a transaction account, the method comprising:

receiving, from a computing device associated with a first party, offer information representing an offer for a promotion or rebate provided to a purchaser;

processing, with one or more processors, at least some of the offer information to associate the purchaser with at least one transaction account;

transmitting, to a computing device associated with the first party, account information representing the at least one transaction account associated with the purchaser;

receiving, from a computing device associated with the first party or a second party, transaction information representing a transaction associated with the offer information and the account information;

processing, with one or more processors, the transaction information to associate the transaction with the transaction account associated with the purchaser and the promotion or rebate; and

applying the rebate or promotion as a function of the transaction information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the offer information is received and maintained for access prior to receiving the transaction information, or determined substantially in real-time as a function of an offer received by the user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the offer information is determined based on one or more of an identification of the offer, a number of offers redeemed by the user, and a value of the user to a merchant.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one transaction account is a securely and operatively coupled to a trusted service manager or a transaction card.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the transaction card is at least one of a credit card, a debit card, a rewards card, a gift card, a hotel room key and a membership card.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the transaction card is associated with a database, wherein the database includes characteristic and/or registration information that is usable to be matched to the first user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing the at least some of the offer information comprises:

transmitting, to a computing device associated with a third party, at least some of the offer information;

receiving, from a computing device associated with the third party, purchaser identification information representing at least an identification associated with the purchaser; and

associating the purchaser identification information with the at least one transaction account.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the purchaser identification information includes information representing at least one selected from a group consisting of:

name;

email address;

zip code;

address;

gender;

telephone number;

income;

education;

debt;

at least one family member;

census tract; and

demographics.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing the at least some of the offer information comprises:

accessing one or more databases that include information associated with purchasers and transaction accounts; and

selecting at least some of the information included in the database that corresponds with at least the purchaser.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first party is associated with a social network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first party or the second party is associated with a merchant.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one transaction account comprises at least two transaction accounts, and further comprising:

receiving, from a computing device associated with the first party, a selection of one of the at least two transaction accounts,

wherein the step of applying the rebate or promotion comprises applying the rebate or promotion to the selected one transaction account.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising formatting the account information to include information associated with at least the promotion or rebate and the at least one transaction account.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the account information includes a credit card number and expiration date.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the account information includes information associated with the purchaser.

16. A system for applying a rebate or promotion associated with a transaction account, the system comprising:

one or more processors configured to interact with a computer-readable medium in order to perform operations that include;

receiving, from a computing device associated with a first party, offer information representing an offer for a promotion or rebate provided to a purchaser;

processing at least some of the offer information to associate the purchaser with at least one transaction account;

transmitting, to a computing device associated with the first party, account information representing the at least one transaction account associated with the purchaser;

receiving, from a computing device associated with the first party or a second party, transaction information representing a transaction associated with the offer information and the account information;

processing the transaction information to associate the transaction with the transaction account associated with the purchaser and the promotion or rebate; and

applying the rebate or promotion as a function of the transaction information.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the offer information is received and maintained for access prior to receiving the transaction information, or determined substantially in real-time as a function of an offer received by the user.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the offer information is determined based on one or more of an identification of the offer, a number of offers redeemed by the user, and a value of the user to a merchant.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one transaction account is a securely and operatively coupled to a trusted service manager or a transaction card.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the transaction card is at least one of a credit card, a debit card, a rewards card, a gift card, a hotel room key and a membership card.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the transaction card is associated with a database, wherein the database includes characteristic and/or registration information that is usable to be matched to the first user.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to process the at least some of the offer information by:

transmitting, to a computing device associated with a third party, at least some of the offer information;

receiving, from a computing device associated with the third party, purchaser identification information representing at least an identification associated with the purchaser; and

associating the purchaser identification information with the at least one transaction account.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the purchaser identification information includes information representing at least one selected from a group consisting of:

name;

email address;

zip code;

address;

gender;

telephone number;

income;

education;

debt;

at least one family member;

census tract; and

demographics.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to process the at least some of the offer information by:

accessing one or more databases that include information associated with purchasers and transaction accounts; and

selecting at least some of the information included in the database that corresponds with at least the purchaser.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein the first party is associated with a social network.

26. The system of claim 16, wherein the first party or the second party is associated with a merchant.

27. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one transaction account comprises at least two transaction accounts, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to receive, from a computing device associated with the first party, a selection of one of the at least two transaction accounts, and

and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to apply the rebate or promotion by applying the rebate or promotion to the selected one transaction account.

28. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to format the account information to include information associated with at least the promotion or rebate and the at least one transaction account.

29. The system of claim 16, wherein the account information includes a credit card number and expiration date.

30. The system of claim 16, wherein the account information includes information associated with the purchaser.

31. A computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more data processing apparatus, cause the one or more data processing apparatus to perform operations for applying a rebate or promotion associated with a transaction account, comprising:

receiving, from a computing device associated with a first party, offer information representing an offer for a promotion or rebate provided to a purchaser;

processing, with the one or more data processing apparatus, at least some of the offer information to associate the purchaser with at least one transaction account;

transmitting, to a computing device associated with the first party, account information representing the at least one transaction account associated with the purchaser;

receiving, from a computing device associated with the first party or a second party, transaction information representing a transaction associated with the offer information and the account information;

processing, with the one or more data processing apparatus, the transaction information to associate the transaction with the transaction account associated with the purchaser and the promotion or rebate; and

applying the rebate or promotion as a function of the transaction information.