Systems and methods to apply benefit of offers

• US 9,922,338 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ovick, Joseph Bjorn, Carlson, Mark, Hagey, Ryan, Reid, Margaret, Stan, Patrick, Wright, Patrick, Koganti, Krishna Prasad, Powell, Glenn, Kumnick, Phillip Lyle
• Primary Examiner(s): Long, Fonya
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thuy N
• Application Number:
  US13/804,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20130254008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,832 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds

Abstract

To automate the redemption of offer benefits, data associating offers and payment accounts is stored in the data warehouse of a first transaction handler. If a payment account to which an offer is associated is in the payment processing network of a second transaction handler separate from the first transaction handler, the system uses a payment processor that is in both the payment processing network of the first transaction handler and the payment processing network of the second transaction handler to communicate with the first transaction handler to detect the authorization request in the payment account that satisfies the benefit redemption requirements of the respective offer and apply the offer benefit to the transaction when the authorization request is detected.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

providing a computing apparatus in an electronic payment processing system having;

a first electronic payment processing network having;

a first transaction handler configured to route authorization requests for payment transactions made in first payment accounts in the first electronic payment processing network to first issuer processors of the first payment accounts, and

a data warehouse coupled with the first transaction handler and storing data associating offers associating payment accounts;

a second electronic payment processing network having a second transaction handler configured to route authorization requests for payment transactions made in second payment accounts in the second electronic payment processing network to second issuer processors of the second payment accounts;

a plurality of transaction terminals configured to initiate payment transactions in the first electronic payment processing network and in the second electronic payment processing network, wherein an authorization request initiated by a transaction terminal for a transaction in a payment account in the second electronic payment processing network is required to be handled by the second transaction handler; and

the computing apparatus coupled to the first electronic payment processing network, the second electronic payment processing network, and the transaction terminal;

receiving, by the computing apparatus from the transaction terminal, the authorization request for authorization of the transaction in the payment account, wherein the payment account identified in the authorization request requires that the authorization request be processed by the second transaction handler in the second electronic payment processing network;

determining, by the computing apparatus, whether the transaction is relevant to benefit redemption of the offers identified in the data warehouse of the first transaction handler in the first electronic payment processing network;

determining, by the computing apparatus, whether to route the authorization request to the first electronic payment processing network or the second transaction handler, based on whether or not the transaction is relevant to benefit redemption of the offers identified in the data warehouse of the first transaction handler in the first electronic payment processing network; and

in response to a determination that the transaction is relevant to benefit redemption of a first offer in the offers,

transmitting, by the computing apparatus, the authorization request to the first transaction handler in the first electronic payment processing network, the authorization request identifying the payment account in the second electronic payment processing network, wherein the authorization request causes the first transaction handler to;

identify a benefit of an offer stored, in the data warehouse, in association with an identifier of the payment account;

apply the benefit of the offer to the transaction to generate a modified transaction in the payment account;

obtain authorization for the modified transaction from the second transaction handler in the second electronic payment processing network; and

generate an authorization response to the authorization request and provide in the authorization response offer information identifying the benefit applied to the transaction;

receiving, by the computing apparatus from the first transaction handler configured in the first electronic payment processing network, the authorization response for the authorization request, the authorization response including the offer information provided by the first transaction handler; and

providing, by the computing apparatus to the transaction terminal, the authorization response as a response to the authorization request received from the transaction terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the offer information includes a benefit amount of the offer applicable to the transaction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the offer information includes an indication of whether a sponsor processor of the first offer has approved an amount of the benefit applicable to the transaction.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the offer information includes a security parameter;

and the method further comprises;

communicating, using the security parameter, with a portal coupled with the first transaction handler to identify information regarding the offer having the benefit applicable to the transaction.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the security parameter comprises one of:

an encryption key for establishing a communication channel connected to the portal;

a description key for receiving information from the portal; and

an identifier representing the payment account in offer communications with the portal.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the offer information includes an indication of whether a sponsor processor of the offer has approved an amount of benefit applicable to the transaction.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, in the computing apparatus, an offer trigger identifying a subset of offer redemption requirements of an offer;

wherein the transaction is determined to be relevant to benefit redemption of the offers when the transaction satisfies the subset of offer redemption requirements specified in the offer trigger.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating with a portal coupled with the data warehouse and the first transaction handler to determine whether the benefit of the offer is applicable to the transaction.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

combining an authorization response from the second transaction handler and a result of the communicating with the first transaction handler to generate a second authorization response; and

transmitting the second authorization response to the transaction terminal for the transaction.