System and method for a card benefit program providing benefits to program members based on program performance

• US 7,360,693 B1
• Filed: 07/20/2006
• Issued: 04/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Sullivan, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Michael G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAIL, ALLYSON NEEL
• Application Number:
  US11/458,881
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 235380-383, 705 10- 14, 705 35- 39
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

The present invention comprises an apparatus and method for a card payment instrument providing that a share of program profits above a pre-designated level is returned to participating recipients at pre-designated intervals such as annually. Participants respond to an offer to participate in the mutual benefit program. After admission to the program, the card issuer tracks the performance according to the desired performance metric for the participants. At certain intervals, such as yearly, the card issuer reports out the financial performance for the period. If the performance exceeded the pre-designated threshold performance, then returns are distributed to participants according to a share methodology. The share methodology can provide that returns are allocated among participants according to various criteria, such as based on non-financial criteria including: periods of inactivity and financial criteria including: spending volume, finance charges, and so forth.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

establishing in a computer database a card payment account for an accountholder which provides returns based on a performance of a card issuer according to one or more performance metrics;

wherein said returns are based on a performance meeting or exceeding the one or more performance metrics during a pre-designated interval;

tracking performance of the account during the interval;

computing the performance of the account for the interval;

comparing the performance of the account during the interval to the one or more performance metrics and computing a return if the one or more performance metrics are met or exceeded.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said performance metrics comprise financial performance metrics.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising the step of computing the performance of an individual cardholder and disqualifying the cardholder from the cardholder'"'"'s portfolio based on one or more disqualifying behavioral parameters.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the step of establishing in said computer database a plurality of portfolios of cardholders, the plurality of portfolios having one or more different performance metrics.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said card payment account comprises a credit card account, a stored value card account, a debit card account, a multi-featured credit-on-debit account, a charge account, or a pre-paid account.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a return is provided as a credit to the account of a participating accountholder.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a return is provided as a deposit to a separate account of a participating accountholder.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a return is provided by issuing a paper check to a participating accountholder.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a return is provided by issuing revised account terms more favorable to the accountholder.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a return is provided as reward points.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a return is provided as frequent flyer miles.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a return is provided as an investment on behalf of a participating accountholder.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

issuing one or more interim reports regarding the performance of the account during the interval to the participating accountholders.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

issuing card payment account statements to participating cardholders that include information of account activity and information of portfolio performance.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the card payment account statements further include information of a projected net return or a projected share return.

16. A system for monitoring card account portfolio performance and issuing performance-based returns, comprising:

an account database storing data of a portfolio of card accounts which are eligible for a return based on the portfolio meeting one or more pre-designated performance metrics for the card issuer over a pre-designated interval;

a card transaction processor for processing transactions against said card accounts;

a system for maintaining performance metrics for the card issuer;

a data extractor module for deriving performance data for one or more participating recipients and comparing derived performance data to said pre-designated performance metrics;

a share allocation module for allocating a return based on results of the comparison across one or more participating recipients based on a share formula; and

a return issuer system for providing allocated shares of the return to the one or more participating recipients.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the said participating recipients comprise card account holders.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the share allocation module computes the performance of an individual cardholder and disqualifies the cardholder from the cardholder'"'"'s portfolio based on a disqualifying parameter.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the account database includes information of accountholders participating in the program making them eligible for a return as well as accountholders not participating in said program.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein said card payment accounts are credit card accounts.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the said participating recipients comprise a partner which sponsors the card payment instruments jointly with the card issuer.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the said participating recipients comprise card issuers.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the said participating recipients comprise card sponsors.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein the said participating recipients comprise card co-brand entities.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein said account database stores data of a plurality of portfolios of card payment accounts, the plurality of portfolios having different financial metrics or different financial thresholds.

26. A system for monitoring card account portfolio performance and issuing performance-based returns, comprising:

an account database storing data of one or more portfolios of card accounts which are each independently eligible for a return based on each portfolio meeting one or more pre-designated performance metrics for a card issuer over a pre-designated interval;

a card transaction processor for processing transactions against the card accounts;

a system for maintaining performance metrics for the card issuer;

a data extractor module for deriving performance data for one or more participating recipients and comparing derived performance data to the pre-designated performance metrics;

a report module issuing card payment account statements to participating recipients that include information of account activity, information of portfolio performance and information of a projected net return or a projected share return;

a share allocation module for allocating a return based on results of the comparison across participating recipients based on a share formula; and

a return issuer system for providing allocated shares of the return to the participating recipients.