System and method for exchanging loyalty points for acquisitions

• US 7,680,688 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2002
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2002
• 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: Rappleyea, Andrew W., Sanoff, Julie, Hessburg, Matthew Benedict, Silverstein, Andrea N., Rodriguez, Sunen
• Primary Examiner(s): RUDY, ANDREW J
• Application Number:
  US10/260,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20030225618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,724 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/26, 705/67, 705/77, 705/42, 705/14.23, 705/14.27, 705/14.28, 705/14.33, 705/14.37, 705/14.38, 705/28, 705/37, 235/375, 235/376, 235/380, 235/381, 235/383, 709/203, 709/218, 709/223, 709/227, 709/228
• US Class Current: 705/14.33
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0237 at kiosk
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for facilitating an acquisition from a merchant, whereby payment for the acquisition is made at least partially through automated redemption of loyalty points from a loyalty account. In particular, information is received at a loyalty point exchange system from the merchant. The information may include loyalty data indicating that the acquisition was paid for using a transaction card account that is to be reimbursed using loyalty points from the loyalty account. The loyalty account is debited by an amount equal to a currency value of the acquisition and the transaction card account is credited the amount charged for the acquisition. Loyalty points may, alternatively, be used to directly pay for purchases without the steps of charging and crediting a transaction card.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for facilitating acquisitions from a merchant, wherein payment for an acquisition is made using at least one transaction card account which is to be at least partially reimbursed using loyalty points from at least one loyalty account, the method comprising the automated steps of:

receiving account data at a merchant computer related to the at least one transaction card account from a user;

receiving information at an exchange system computer from the merchant computer via a network relating to the acquisition, wherein the information comprises the account data and loyalty data, and wherein the loyalty data indicates that the acquisition was at least partially paid for using the at least one transaction card account that is to be at least partially reimbursed using loyalty points from the at least one loyalty account;

authenticating the information;

debiting the at least one transaction card account, in a transaction account system connected to the exchange system by a network, by an amount to be paid for using the at least one transaction card account;

debiting the at least one loyalty account, in a loyalty account system connected to the exchange system by a network, for the acquisition, based on loyalty data corresponding to the acquisition, by an amount of loyalty points equivalent to a currency value of a reimbursement amount that is at least a portion of a total amount of the acquisition; and

crediting the at least one transaction card account by the reimbursement amount for the acquisition.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the acquisition is a purchase of an event ticket and wherein the merchant is a ticket agent.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2 wherein the event ticket is purchased from an exchange.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3 wherein the information in said step of receiving information further comprises an identifier of a purchase price of the event ticket, an identifier of each transaction card being used, and an identifier of each loyalty account being used.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the at least one loyalty account is associated with the at least one transaction card account.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein each transaction card account being used is associated with at least one of:

a credit card, debit card, smart card, stored value card, and a digital wallet.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the exchange system is configured to reject non-qualifying requests for payment using loyalty points.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein a plurality of loyalty accounts are debited for the acquisition.