| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 705140320 | Frequent usage reward other than merchandise, cash, or travel | 18 |
| 20090313110 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SUPPORTING SELECTION OF REWARD PROGRAM - A method for supporting a member in selecting one of reward programs includes providing a database storing item information that indicates, for each item, a name, and a reward program awarding a reward point, presenting the item information to the member, storing, in a multiple-service card, for each member, selected item information indicating items selected by the member by giving priorities thereto, obtaining, when a member is awarded a reward point in a shop, the selected item information of the member from the multiple-service card, determining that, among reward programs that award a reward point redeemable for any of the items indicated in the selected item information and are available in the shop, one of the reward programs awarding a reward point necessary to obtain an item placed in a highest priority is suitable for the member, and presenting the reward program thus determined to the member. | 12-17-2009 |
| 20100004992 | METHOD, SYSTEM AND COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR PROVIDING A LOYALTY ENGINE FOR AUTOMATED CAUSE MARKETING - A method, system and computer program for providing a loyalty engine for automated cause marketing. The method includes a loyalty program system administrator linking merchants and charities to the loyalty system. Members register with the loyalty engine through loyalty system which is accessible via the Internet. Once the merchants and the charities are linked and the members are registered, by operation of the loyalty engine, the merchants can create a customized loyalty program defined by a plurality of merchant defined rules for administering their loyalty program. The merchant defined rules instruct the loyalty engine as to which charities should receive in-kind donations in connection with one or more transactions by a member that is associated to the loyalty program. Once a loyalty system defined time period or donation threshold has been achieved, the loyalty system releases the donation in-kind to the specific charity. A system is also provided that consists of a server computer including the loyalty engine and the charity utility. The charity utility provides the functions of the method and is linked to a server computer that is connected to the Internet. The computer program of the invention is a web application that enables the members, charities, and merchants to access the functions of the invention via a web browser. | 01-07-2010 |
| 20100057553 | System and Method for Performing a Real Time Redemption Transaction by Leveraging a Payment Network - A method and system for performing a redemption transaction by leveraging a payment network provides a way to conduct redemption transaction without requiring changes to merchant or acquirer infrastructure. The cardholder initiates a transaction using a redemption card. An intermediary receives the transaction data, determines whether the loyalty points account associated with the redemption card has sufficient points to cover the transaction, and initiates a secondary payment transaction against a secondary payment account. Alternatively, these functions may be performed by the issuer. | 03-04-2010 |
| 20100161402 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MARKETING A WIRELESS NETWORK - A system and method for marketing a wireless network provided by a communications service provider may include storing merchant data records about merchants who receive communications services from the communication services provider. The merchant data records including merchant identification, communications services being received, and billing information. A request for a merchant data record may be received, and a discount may be applied to the merchant for receiving communications services from the communications service provider in response to receiving an indication that a merchant is providing wireless network access to customers in an establishment of the merchant. In one embodiment, the indication may be an entry that the merchant has posted a sign or other indicator that displays the name and/or logo of the communications service provider. | 06-24-2010 |
| 20100174598 | METHODS, SYSTEMS AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIA FOR REDEEMING AND DELIVERING ELECTRONIC LOYALTY REWARD CERTIFICATES USING A MOBILE DEVICE - Methods, systems, and computer readable media for redeeming and delivering electronic loyalty reward certificates using a mobile device are disclosed. In one example, the method includes utilizing a loyalty reward certificate selection device to generate electronic loyalty reward certificate selection information and providing the loyalty reward certificate selection information and a recipient mobile device identifier to a loyalty management server. Electronic loyalty reward certificate data derived from the loyalty reward certificate selection information and the recipient mobile device identifier is received from the loyalty management server. The method also includes establishing a communications link with a mobile device corresponding to the recipient mobile device identifier and provisioning the electronic loyalty reward certificate data on the mobile device over the communications link via over the air (OTA) communications. | 07-08-2010 |
| 20110035269 | GEOGRAPHIC LOYALTY SYSTEM AND METHOD - The invention facilitates a loyalty system which is associated with pre-determined geographic locations and/or services and goods offered in a specific geographic area. The system is configured with one product platform with a modularized approach to facilitate the development of market specific rewards and communication materials. The loyalty points may be earned within a specific geographic location, then redeemed in one geographic location, a subset of locations or without restrictions. Similarly, the loyalty points may be earned in one geographic location, a subset of locations or without restrictions, then redeemed only in a specific geographic location. The geographic features of the system may be implemented using existing data that is associated with geographic areas such as, for example, zip codes, retailer identification codes, service establishment codes and/or the like. The geographic area information may be associated with the consumer, merchant, processing system and/or any other part of the overall system. | 02-10-2011 |
| 20110087536 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CAREER ASSISTANCE - A system and method for offering services and benefits to transaction account holders desiring access to career assistance tools and related services is disclosed. The system may include identifying a qualifying transaction account, providing access to the career assistance program to a qualifying transaction account holder, and annotating the identified qualifying transaction account associated with the qualifying transaction account holder with an indicator of participation in the career assistance program. The identified qualifying transaction account may be determined to meet a predetermined criteria. The career assistance program may include career counseling and career placement advice. | 04-14-2011 |
| 20110225033 | System And Method For Providing Consumer Rewards - An automated consumer rewards/incentive program that accepts a registration of a consumer. The registration entitles the consumer to receive the benefits of the incentive program. To track the fulfillment of reward earning criteria established by member businesses, the registration includes information indicative of a credit card of the consumer. The system may track member consumer credit card transactions without receiving personal information for non-members by using a one way hash function. The system uses the credit card information to determine when member customers perform a transaction at a member business. When a member customer performs a transaction at a member business using the registered credit card, the system and method examines the credit card transactional information to determine if the consumer fulfilled the requirements of the incentive program for the member business. If the transactional information indicates that the consumer fulfilled the criteria of the rewards program of the member business, the consumer is rewarded in accordance with the benefits of the incentive program. | 09-15-2011 |
| 20120150614 | DIGITAL DOWNLOADING JUKEBOX WITH REVENUE-ENHANCING FEATURES - Certain exemplary embodiments described herein relate to digital downloading jukebox systems of the type that typically include a central server and remote jukebox devices that communicate with the central server for royalty accounting and/or content updates. More particularly, certain exemplary embodiments relate to jukebox systems that have revenue-enhancing features such as for example, music recommendation engines and bartender loyalty programs. Such innovative techniques help to both increase per jukebox revenue as well as keep jukebox patrons engaged with the jukebox. | 06-14-2012 |
| 20120179533 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING A MORTGAGE REBATE TRANSACTION CARD ACCOUNT - A method and system of managing a mortgage rebate transaction card account in which a transaction card provider computes a mortgage rebate amount based on the amount of charges incurred against the account and periodically arranges for application of the mortgage rebate amount against a mortgage loan balance for the cardholder. The account is provided by the transaction card provider in connection with either a pre-existing mortgage loan of the cardholder or a prospective mortgage loan of the cardholder. Further, the account can be provided in connection with a mortgage loan from any mortgage lender regardless of the existence or non-existence of an affiliation or association between the transaction card provider and the mortgage lender. | 07-12-2012 |
| 20120278156 | Optimal Trading in Online Loyalty Point Exchanges - A mechanism is provided for completing a loyalty program transaction. The mechanism forms a coalition of a plurality of customers, including the requesting customer. Each customer within the plurality of customers requests to exchange loyalty points for a reward in a loyalty program. Each customer within the plurality of customers participates in a plurality of loyalty programs. Combined loyalty points of the plurality of customers in the plurality of loyalty programs are sufficient to be exchanged for the rewards requested by the plurality of customers. The mechanism further completes a transaction for each customer within the plurality of customers to exchange an amount of loyalty points in a respective one of the plurality of loyalty programs for a reward, such that completing the transactions for the plurality of customers results in a number of residual points. The mechanism further distributes the number of residual points among the plurality of customers. | 11-01-2012 |
| 20130054342 | ADVERTISING BONUS SYSTEM - A bonus points system and a corresponding method are disclosed. First, the bonus points system records user activities on a first computer system managing a first online service that is accessible to all users. Second, the bonus points system awards points to a user when a predetermined activity is recorded. Third, the bonus points system exchanges points between the two computer systems when receiving an exchange request. Fourth, the bonus points system grants the user access to a second online service in the second computer system based on an amount of points of the user in the second computer system. The bonus points system allows an advertiser to buy points to display ads and award points to users performing the predetermined activity on the displayed ads. The second computer system is configured to manage points related to the second online service that is accessible to paid users. | 02-28-2013 |
| 20130073370 | Method and Apparatus for Issuing Municipal Credit Cards for Future Tax Credits and Other Incentives - A system and method for offering tax incentives for credit card usage includes partnering, between a municipality and a credit card issuer, to issue a credit card sponsored by the municipality, wherein the municipality receives a percentage of every transaction charged to the card, tracking, by a reporting and tracking computer, card usage by the users via transactions charged to the card, and offering, from a municipality computer, tax incentives, by the municipality, to users based on card usage. | 03-21-2013 |
| 20130085834 | VENUE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD - A venue management system and method that effectively integrates and automates access control systems, membership and/or loyalty programs, and similar programs and systems to allow a sports team or other organization to more effectively monitor and track ticket holders' attendance histories, purchase histories, spending patterns and other behaviors and to provide rewards and other incentives more closely tied to these behaviors. | 04-04-2013 |
| 20140164091 | Multi-Merchant Payment System Using Shopper Identifiers - A device and method of electronic payment that enables an e-commerce server to maintain a database comprising records for shopper accounts, enable a shopper to interactively create a shopper account and to interactively deposit a specified amount of money in the shopper account, to provide the shopper with a unique shopper identifier that corresponds to the shopper account, to paying a merchant from the shopper account for a purchase at the merchant's e-commerce website by the shopper, where the shopper used the unique shopper identifier as a means of payment. | 06-12-2014 |
| 20140278896 | METHODS FOR CALCULATING ADVERTISEMENT EFFECTIVENESS - One variation of a method for calculating advertisement effectiveness includes: posting an advertisement for a product to a social feed within a social networking system; tracking a view of the advertisement by a user; determining a proximity of the user to a store of a merchant; in accordance with a privacy setting of the user, selecting personal data of the user from data stored in the social networking system, the personal data including an identity of the user and an interest of the user; in response to the determined proximity of the user to the store, transmitting the selected personal data to the store; and, in response to a transaction between the user and the store, assessing an effectiveness of the advertisement according to a determined correlation between the transaction and the view of the advertisement by the user. | 09-18-2014 |
| 20150095132 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ADMINISTERING INVESTMENT PORTFOLIOS BASED ON INFORMATION CONSUMPTION - The disclosed embodiments include systems and methods for administering actual and virtual investment portfolios based on social media activities associated with and information consumed by one or more users. The disclosed embodiments may be configured to obtain digital activity data identifying an interaction between the user and one or more social networks, and further, one or more elements of electronic content accessed by the user. The disclosed embodiments may also be configured to identify a loyalty program associated with the user, and a geographic region associated with the user. The disclosed embodiments may also be configured to identify one or more first securities based on the digital activity data, an investment risk tolerance of the user, and at least one or the loyalty program or the geographic region, and to transmit information identifying a first set of the one or more first securities to a user device. | 04-02-2015 |
| 20160063465 | TASK-BASED PAYMENT FOR CONTENT - Methods and systems of paying for content, such as, for example, audio and/or video content, are presented. In an example method, a task to be executed using at least one device resource associated with a user device is provided. Also, the task is to be executed during streaming of a content item. The streaming of the content item to the user device is caused to terminate in response to a determination that the execution of the task using the at least one device resource has been terminated. | 03-03-2016 |
