Methods and systems for providing a merchant funded rebate or rewards program
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of providing a merchant funded rebate program, the method comprising:
- enrolling at least one participating member account, the enrolled account capable of being used to make both online internet-based and point of sale purchases with participating merchants funding rebates;
associating at least one rebate account with each participating member;
having at least one participating merchant funding rebates for qualifying purchases made by a participating member from such participating merchant using a member'"'"'s enrolled account;
receiving account purchase transaction information from at least one processor that tracks account purchases to provide account purchase transaction information, said account purchase transaction information associated with at least one participating merchant funding rebates, and including purchase transaction information for at least one enrolled participating member account and at least one non-enrolled account;
monitoring said account purchase transaction information associated with at least one participating merchant funding rebates, via at least one processor that is located at a location or locations other than the location of the merchant funding the rebates, to determine whether or not a purchase transaction was consummated (i) using an enrolled member account and (ii) with a particular participating merchant funding a rebate;
determining, via at least one processor that is located at a location or locations other than the location of the merchant funding the rebates, for those purchase transactions determined to be consummated with a particular participating merchant using an enrolled member account, whether the purchase was a qualifying purchase entitling the participating member to a merchant funded rebate; and
calculating, using a processor, a merchant funded rebate in correlation with a qualifying purchase with a particular participating merchant.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to facilitating retail transactions between registered members and selected merchants who fund rebates on the transactions between themselves and the registered members and the calculation of a rebate or reward in correlation with a qualifying purchase. Account purchase transactions associated with merchants funding rebates are monitored to determine whether or not they were consummated using an enrolled member account. The rebates or rewards earned by a registered member can be applied to a variety of accounts, financial instruments or obligations.
50 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method of providing a merchant funded rebate program, the method comprising:
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enrolling at least one participating member account, the enrolled account capable of being used to make both online internet-based and point of sale purchases with participating merchants funding rebates; associating at least one rebate account with each participating member; having at least one participating merchant funding rebates for qualifying purchases made by a participating member from such participating merchant using a member'"'"'s enrolled account; receiving account purchase transaction information from at least one processor that tracks account purchases to provide account purchase transaction information, said account purchase transaction information associated with at least one participating merchant funding rebates, and including purchase transaction information for at least one enrolled participating member account and at least one non-enrolled account; monitoring said account purchase transaction information associated with at least one participating merchant funding rebates, via at least one processor that is located at a location or locations other than the location of the merchant funding the rebates, to determine whether or not a purchase transaction was consummated (i) using an enrolled member account and (ii) with a particular participating merchant funding a rebate; determining, via at least one processor that is located at a location or locations other than the location of the merchant funding the rebates, for those purchase transactions determined to be consummated with a particular participating merchant using an enrolled member account, whether the purchase was a qualifying purchase entitling the participating member to a merchant funded rebate; and calculating, using a processor, a merchant funded rebate in correlation with a qualifying purchase with a particular participating merchant. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24)
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12. A method of generating rebate information for a merchant funded rebate program, the rebate program including participating members, at least one enrolled account for a participating member, the enrolled account capable of being used to make both online internet-based and point of sale purchases with merchants funding rebates, at least one rebate account in which to apply rebates earned by a participating member, and at least one participating merchant funding rebates for qualifying purchases made by a participating member from such participating merchant using a member'"'"'s enrolled account, the method comprising:
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receiving account purchase transaction information from at least one processor that tracks account purchases to provide account purchase transaction information, said account purchase transaction information associated with at least one participating merchant funding rebates, and including purchase transaction information for at least one enrolled participating member account and at least one non-enrolled account; monitoring said account purchase transaction information associated with at least one participating merchant funding rebates, via at least one processor that is located at a location or locations other than the location of the merchant funding the rebates, to determine whether or not a purchase transaction was consummated (i) using said enrolled member account and (ii) with a particular participating merchant funding a rebate; determining, using at least one processor that is located at a location or locations other than the location of the merchant funding the rebates, for those purchase transactions determined to be consummated with a particular participating merchant using an enrolled member account, whether the purchase was a qualifying purchase entitling the participating member to a merchant funded rebate; and calculating, using a processor, a merchant funded rebate in correlation with a qualifying purchase with a particular participating merchant.
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22. A system for providing a merchant funded rebate program, the rebate program including participating members, at least one enrolled account for a participating member, the enrolled account capable of being used to make both online internet-based and point of sale purchases with merchants funding rebates, at least one rebate account in which to apply rebates earned by participating members, and at least one participating merchant funding rebates for qualifying purchases made by a participating member from such participating merchant using a participating member'"'"'s enrolled account, the system comprising:
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a plurality of networked processors located at a location or locations other than the location of the merchant funding the rebates, said plurality of network processors configured to receive account purchase transaction information from at least one processor that tracks account purchases to provide account purchase transaction information, said account purchase transaction information associated with at least one participating merchant funding rebates, and including purchase transaction information for at least one enrolled participating member account and at least one non-enrolled account; monitor said account purchase transaction information associated with at least one participating merchant funding rebates to determine whether or not a purchase transaction was consummated (i) using an enrolled member account and (ii) with a particular participating merchant funding a rebate; and determine for those purchase transactions determined to be consummated with a particular participating merchant using said enrolled participating member account, whether the purchase was a qualifying purchase entitling the participating member to a merchant funded rebate; and a processor configured to calculate a merchant funded rebate in correlation with a qualifying purchase with a particular participating merchant. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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Specification