U.S. patent application number 13/627678 was filed with the patent office on 2013-03-28 for systems and methods for enrolling consumers in loyalty programs.
This patent application is currently assigned to FIRST DATA CORPORATION. The applicant listed for this patent is FIRST DATA CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Todd Nuzum, Vijay Kumar Royyuru.
Application Number | 20130080236 13/627678 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47912273 |
Filed Date | 2013-03-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130080236 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Royyuru; Vijay Kumar ; et
al. |
March 28, 2013 |
Systems and Methods for Enrolling Consumers in Loyalty Programs
Abstract
Embodiments of the disclosure can relate to systems and methods
for enrolling consumers in loyalty programs. Certain embodiments of
the disclosure can relate to automatic enrollment of consumers in
loyalty programs. In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method
for enrolling a consumer in a loyalty program can be provided. The
method can include establishing, by a merchant device,
communication with a consumer device; determining, by the merchant
device, that loyalty information is not stored on the consumer
device; and providing, by the merchant device to the consumer
device, loyalty information.
Inventors: |
Royyuru; Vijay Kumar;
(Norristown, PA) ; Nuzum; Todd; (Omaha,
NE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
FIRST DATA CORPORATION; |
Greenwood Village |
CO |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
FIRST DATA CORPORATION
Greenwood Village
CO
|
Family ID: |
47912273 |
Appl. No.: |
13/627678 |
Filed: |
September 26, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61539206 |
Sep 26, 2011 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
705/14.27 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 20/3278 20130101;
G06Q 30/00 20130101; G06Q 20/405 20130101; G06Q 40/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/14.27 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 30/02 20120101
G06Q030/02 |
Claims
1. A computer-implemented method for enrolling a consumer in a
loyalty program, the method comprising: establishing, by a merchant
device, communication with a consumer device; determining, by the
merchant device, that loyalty information is not stored on the
consumer device; and providing, by the merchant device to the
consumer device, loyalty information.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein establishing
communication with a consumer device comprises establishing
communication during a point of sale payment transaction.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
directing, by the merchant device, generation of a new loyalty
account for a consumer associated with the consumer device, wherein
providing loyalty information to the consumer device comprises
providing loyalty information associated with the new loyalty
account.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
identifying, by the merchant device, an existing loyalty account
for a consumer associated with the consumer device, wherein
providing loyalty information to the consumer device comprises
providing loyalty information associated with the existing loyalty
account.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein providing
loyalty information comprises providing at least one of (i) a
loyalty account number or (ii) a loyalty application.
6. A system for enrolling a consumer in a loyalty program, the
system comprising: at least one memory configured to store
computer-executable instructions; and at least one processor
configured to access the at least one memory and execute the
computer-executable instructions to: establish communication with a
consumer device; determine that loyalty information is not stored
on the consumer device; and provide loyalty information.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein computer-executable instructions
to establish communication with a consumer device comprises
computer-executable instructions to establish communication during
a point of sale payment transaction.
8. The system of claim 6, further comprising computer-executable
instructions to: direct generation of a new loyalty account for a
consumer associated with the consumer device, wherein providing
loyalty information comprises providing loyalty information
associated with the new loyalty account.
9. The system of claim 6, further comprising computer-executable
instructions to: identify an existing loyalty account for a
consumer associated with the consumer device, wherein providing
loyalty information comprises providing loyalty information
associated with the existing loyalty account.
10. The system of claim 6, wherein computer-executable instructions
to provide loyalty information comprises computer-executable
instructions to provide at least one of (i) a loyalty account
number or (ii) a loyalty application.
11. A method for enrolling a consumer in a loyalty program, the
method comprising: establishing communication with a consumer
device; determining that loyalty information is not stored on the
consumer device; and providing loyalty information.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein establishing communication with
a consumer device comprises establishing communication during a
point of sale payment transaction.
13. The method of claim 11, further comprising: directing
generation of a new loyalty account for a consumer associated with
the consumer device, wherein providing loyalty information
comprises providing loyalty information associated with the new
loyalty account.
14. The method of claim 11, further comprising: identifying an
existing loyalty account for a consumer associated with the
consumer device, wherein providing loyalty information comprises
providing loyalty information associated with the existing loyalty
account.
15. The method of claim 11, wherein providing loyalty information
comprises providing at least one of (i) a loyalty account number or
(ii) a loyalty application.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Ser. No.
61/539,206, titled "Systems and Methods for Processing Payment
Transactions," filed on Sep. 26, 2011, the contents of which are
incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0002] Embodiments of the disclosure relate generally to consumer
loyalty programs, and more specifically to the automatic enrollment
of consumers in loyalty programs.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0003] A wide variety of merchants offer loyalty and incentive
programs to consumers, such as loyalty rewards programs. Typically,
consumers that have enrolled for a loyalty program are required to
carry and present a bar-coded loyalty card at a merchant location.
Even consumers that have adopted electronic and contactless payment
devices, such as smart cards, contactless cards, and mobile payment
devices (e.g., transaction-enabled mobile phones, etc.), are
typically required to carry bar-coded loyalty card. Additionally,
the process for enrolling a new customer in a loyalty program is
often time consuming and cumbersome. The time that it takes for a
consumer to manually complete a form and provide the form to a
merchant may be a deterrent to enrollment. Accordingly, there is an
opportunity for improved system and methods for enrolling consumers
in loyalty programs.
SUMMARY
[0004] Embodiments of the disclosure can relate to systems and
methods for enrolling consumers in loyalty programs. Certain
embodiments of the disclosure can relate to automatic enrollment of
consumers in loyalty programs. In one embodiment, a
computer-implemented method for enrolling a consumer in a loyalty
program can be provided. The method can include establishing, by a
merchant device, communication with a consumer device; determining,
by the merchant device, that loyalty information is not stored on
the consumer device; and providing, by the merchant device to the
consumer device, loyalty information.
[0005] In one aspect of an embodiment, the computer-implemented
method wherein establishing communication with a consumer device
can include establishing communication during a point of sale
payment transaction.
[0006] In one aspect of an embodiment, the computer-implemented
method can further include directing, by the merchant device,
generation of a new loyalty account for a consumer associated with
the consumer device, wherein providing loyalty information to the
consumer device comprises providing loyalty information associated
with the new loyalty account.
[0007] In one aspect of an embodiment, the computer-implemented
method can further include identifying, by the merchant device, an
existing loyalty account for a consumer associated with the
consumer device, wherein providing loyalty information to the
consumer device comprises providing loyalty information associated
with the existing loyalty account.
[0008] In one aspect of an embodiment, the computer-implemented
method wherein providing loyalty information can include providing
at least one of (i) a loyalty account number or (ii) a loyalty
application.
[0009] In another embodiment, a system for enrolling a consumer in
a loyalty program can be provided. The system can include at least
one memory configured to store computer-executable instructions;
and at least one processor configured to access the at least one
memory and execute the computer-executable instructions. The
computer-executable instructions can be operable to establish
communication with a consumer device; determine that loyalty
information is not stored on the consumer device; and provide
loyalty information.
[0010] In one aspect of an embodiment, the computer-executable
instructions to establish communication with a consumer device can
include computer-executable instructions to establish communication
during a point of sale payment transaction.
[0011] In one aspect of an embodiment, the computer-executable
instructions can be further operable to direct generation of a new
loyalty account for a consumer associated with the consumer device,
wherein providing loyalty information comprises providing loyalty
information associated with the new loyalty account.
[0012] In one aspect of an embodiment, the computer-executable
instructions can be further operable to identify an existing
loyalty account for a consumer associated with the consumer device,
wherein providing loyalty information comprises providing loyalty
information associated with the existing loyalty account.
[0013] In one aspect of an embodiment, the computer-executable
instructions to provide loyalty information can be further operable
to computer-executable instructions to provide at least one of (i)
a loyalty account number or (ii) a loyalty application.
[0014] In yet another embodiment, a method for enrolling a consumer
in a loyalty program can be provided. The method can include
establishing communication with a consumer device; determining that
loyalty information is not stored on the consumer device; and
providing loyalty information.
[0015] In one aspect of an embodiment, establishing communication
with a consumer device can include establishing communication
during a point of sale payment transaction.
[0016] In one aspect of an embodiment, the method can further
include directing generation of a new loyalty account for a
consumer associated with the consumer device, wherein providing
loyalty information comprises providing loyalty information
associated with the new loyalty account.
[0017] In one aspect of an embodiment, the method can further
include identifying an existing loyalty account for a consumer
associated with the consumer device, wherein providing loyalty
information comprises providing loyalty information associated with
the existing loyalty account.
[0018] In one aspect of an embodiment, providing loyalty
information can include providing at least one of (i) a loyalty
account number or (ii) a loyalty application.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0019] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an example system that
may be utilized in accordance with various embodiments of the
disclosure.
[0020] FIG. 2 illustrates a flow diagram of an example process for
enrolling a consumer in a loyalty program, according to an example
embodiment of the disclosure.
[0021] FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram of another example process
for enrolling a consumer in a loyalty program, according to an
example embodiment of the disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0022] Various embodiments of the disclosure are directed to the
enrollment of consumers for loyalty programs and/or other offers of
a merchant. In certain embodiments, a consumer may utilize a
consumer device (e.g., a mobile device, a smart card, a contactless
device, etc.) to communicate with a merchant device, such as a
point of sale ("POS") terminal or register. During the
communication, the merchant device may automatically enroll the
consumer for a loyalty program of the merchant. For example, the
merchant device may generate or request the generation of a new
loyalty account for the consumer. Loyalty information (e.g., a
loyalty account number, a loyalty application, etc.) may then be
stored on the consumer device for subsequent access. As desired,
loyalty information may additionally be communicated to one or more
service provider systems, such as a network or cloud-based service
provider that provides value added services in association with
payment transactions.
[0023] Additionally, in certain embodiments, traditionally loyalty
devices (e.g., loyalty cards, etc.) may be utilized by a consumer
to provide loyalty information to the merchant device. The merchant
device may utilize at least a portion of the received loyalty
information to provide loyalty information (e.g., a loyalty account
number, a loyalty application, etc.) to a suitable consumer device,
such as a mobile device. As desired, the merchant may also collect
the traditional loyalty device as it is no longer needed for future
transactions.
[0024] Embodiments of the disclosure now will be described more
fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which embodiments of the disclosure are shown. This disclosure may,
however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be
construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather,
these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be
thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the
disclosure to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like
elements throughout.
[0025] System Overview
[0026] FIG. 1 represents a block diagram of an example system 100
for enrolling a consumer for a loyalty program, according to one
embodiment of the disclosure. In certain embodiments, the system
100 may facilitate the provisioning of loyalty information, such as
loyalty account information and/or a loyalty application, to a
consumer device. As shown in FIG. 1, the system 100 may include one
or more merchant devices 110 (e.g., merchant POS terminals,
merchant registers, merchant computers, etc.), and/or one or more
consumer devices 110. As desired, the system 100 may include a wide
variety of other entities associated with payment transactions,
such as one or more service provider computers 112 and/or one or
more payment account issuer computers (not shown). Any number of
suitable networks, such as the illustrated networks 115, 117 may
facilitate communication between various components of the system
100.
[0027] Additionally, in certain embodiments, a consumer 125 may be
associated with a consumer device 110, and a merchant employee 120
may be associated with a merchant device 105. For example, a
consumer 125 may utilize a consumer device 110 to facilitate a
payment transaction at a merchant location. The merchant device 105
may interact with the consumer device 110 in order to receive
transaction-related information, such as consumer payment account
information. Additionally, in accordance with various embodiments
of the disclosure, a wide variety of loyalty services may be
provided by the merchant device 110 during the interaction with a
consumer device 110. For example, the consumer 125 may be
automatically enrolled for a loyalty program. In certain
embodiments, the consumer 125 may additionally have a loyalty
device 130, such as a bar-code loyalty card, that is provided to
the merchant employee 120 and potentially read by the merchant
device 105. Thus, in the event that the consumer 125 has previously
enrolled in the loyalty program, loyalty information may be
transferred from the loyalty device 130 to the consumer device 110
by the merchant device. Each of the components of FIG. 1 will now
be discussed in further detail.
[0028] With reference to FIG. 1, any number of merchant devices 105
may be provided. In certain embodiments, these merchant devices 105
may include suitable point-of-sale ("POS") devices (e.g., a POS
terminal) and/or merchant reader devices that are located at a
physical merchant location. As desired, each merchant device 105
may include any number of processor-driven devices, including but
not limited to, a server computer, a mainframe computer, one or
more networked computers, a desktop computer, a personal computer,
a laptop computer, a mobile computer, or any other processor-based
device. A merchant device 105 may utilize one or more processors
140 to execute computer-readable instructions that facilitate
reading and/or communication with consumer devices 110, 130, the
processing of received transaction-related and/or loyalty
information, the enrollment of a consumer 125 in a loyalty program,
the transfer of existing loyalty information to a consumer device
110, and/or the generation and/or output of transaction-related
requests (e.g., transaction authorization requests, value added
service ("VAS") requests that are sent to service provider
computers 112, etc.). As a result of executing these
computer-readable instructions, a special purpose computer or
particular machine may be formed that facilitates the provision of
loyalty related services.
[0029] In addition to having one or more processors 140, the
merchant device 105 may further include and/or be associated with
one or more memory devices 141, consumer device readers (not
shown), input/output ("I/O") interface(s) 142, and/or network
interface(s) 143. The memory 141 may be any computer-readable
medium, coupled to the processor(s) 140, such as random access
memory ("RAM"), read-only memory ("ROM"), and/or removable storage
devices. The memory 141 may store a wide variety of data files 144
and/or various program modules, such as an operating system ("OS")
145, one or more transaction processing applications or modules
146, and/or a loyalty application or module 147. The data files 144
may include any suitable data that facilitates the operation of the
merchant device 105 and/or interaction of the merchant device 105
with one or more other components (e.g., a consumer device 110, a
service provider computer 112, etc.) of the system 100. For
example, the data files 144 may include loyalty account generation
information, information associated with consumer device readers,
acquiring platform information, service provider information,
and/or routing information for proposed transactions. The OS 145
may be suitable module that facilitates the general operation of
the merchant device 105, as well as the execution of other program
modules. For example, the OS 145 may be, but is not limited to,
Microsoft Windows.RTM., Apple OSX.TM., Unix, a mainframe computer
operating system (e.g., IBM z/OS, MVS, OS/390, etc.), or a
specially designed operating system. As desired, the merchant
device 105 may additionally include one or more host modules that
facilitate interaction with remote consumer devices 110. For
example, a suitable Web server and/or Web server module may
facilitate online shopping by consumers and/or the receipt of
transaction requests. In certain embodiments of the disclosure,
loyalty services may be provided in association with online
shopping transactions.
[0030] The transaction processing applications or modules 146 may
include any number of suitable software modules and/or applications
that facilitate the receipt of transaction information (e.g.,
purchase transaction information, a purchase amount, information
associated with purchased products, etc.), the receipt of payment
account information from a consumer device, the generation of a
proposed transaction, and/or the output of the proposed
transaction. In one example embodiment, a transaction processing
application 146 may identify transaction information utilize at
least a portion of the transaction information to provide any
number of transaction-related services. For example, the
transaction processing application 146 may identify information
associated with product and/or services to be purchased, as well as
payment account information and/or other transaction-related
information (e.g., coupon information, etc.) from a consumer device
(e.g., a transaction-enabled mobile device, a smart card, a
contactless device, etc.). As desired, the transaction processing
application 146 may invoke and/or request (e.g., request a service
provider computer 112, etc.) the invocation of a wide variety of
VAS associated with a transaction, such as the application of
coupons, etc. The transaction processing application 146 may then
generate a proposed transaction request that is output for routing
and/or delivery to a suitable transaction processor, such as a
payment account issuer. In the event that the transaction is
authorized, the transaction processing application 146 may invoke
and/or request the invocation of a wide variety of VAS following
the transaction, such as receipt delivery services, product
registration services, etc.
[0031] The loyalty application 147 or loyalty module may include
any number of suitable software modules and/or applications that
facilitate the enrollment of consumers in loyalty programs and/or
the processing of loyalty information. In certain embodiments, the
loyalty application 147 may identify consumers that have not been
enrolled in a loyalty program of the merchant, and the loyalty
application 147 may determine whether the consumers may be enrolled
for the loyalty program (and/or whether the consumer qualifies for
any other special offers). In the event that a consumer may be
enrolled in a loyalty program, the loyalty application 147 may
generate or request the generation (e.g., request from a service
provider computer 112) of a loyalty account for the consumer. The
loyalty application 147 may then communicate and/or direct
communication (e.g., communication from a service provider computer
112) of loyalty information to a consumer device 110. For example,
the loyalty application 147 may communicate a loyalty account
number and/or a loyalty application to a consumer device 110 for
storage on the consumer device 110 (e.g., storage on general
memory, storage in a secure element, etc.).
[0032] Additionally, in certain embodiments, the loyalty
application 147 may identify situations in which consumers have
previously been enrolled in a loyalty program; however, loyalty
information is not stored on certain consumer devices 110, such as
a mobile device. For example, the loyalty application 147 may
determine whether loyalty information is available from one or more
other sources, such as a consumer loyalty device 130 (e.g., a
bar-coded loyalty card, etc.) or an external database. In the event
that loyalty information is available from another source, the
loyalty application 147 may communicate or direct communication of
identified loyalty information to a consumer device 110. For
example, loyalty information read from a loyalty card may be
transferred to another consumer device 110, such as a mobile
device. Additionally, as desired, the loyalty application 147 may
direct the merchant employee 120 to collect the loyalty card from
the consumer 125 as the loyalty card is no longer necessary for
future transactions.
[0033] One example of the operations that may be performed by the
loyalty application 147 is described in greater detail below with
reference to FIG. 2.
[0034] With continued reference to the merchant device 105, one or
more consumer device readers (not shown) may be provided in certain
embodiments. A consumer device reader may facilitate communication
with a consumer device 110, 130 at a point of sale. For example, a
consumer device reader may facilitate the reading of payment
account information and/or other information (e.g., loyalty account
information, coupon information, etc.) from a consumer device 110,
130. A wide variety of different types of consumer device readers
may be utilized as desired in various embodiments of the
disclosure, including but not limited to, magnetic stripe readers,
radio frequency readers, near field communication readers, etc. In
certain embodiments, a reader may be incorporated into the merchant
device 105. In other embodiments, a reader may be in communication
with the merchant device 105.
[0035] The one or more I/O interfaces 142 may facilitate
communication between the merchant device 105 and one or more
input/output devices; for example, one or more user interface
devices, such as a display, a keypad, a mouse, a pointing device, a
control panel, a touch screen display, a remote control, a
microphone, a speaker, a consumer device reader, etc., that
facilitate user interaction with the merchant device 105. The one
or more network and/or communication interfaces 143 may facilitate
connection of the merchant device 105 to one or more suitable
networks, for example, the network(s) 115, 117 illustrated in FIG.
1. In this regard, the merchant device 105 may receive and/or
communicate information to other components of the system 100.
[0036] Additionally, with continued reference to FIG. 1, any number
of consumer devices 110 may be provided. Examples of suitable
consumer devices 110 include, but are not limited to, contactless
transaction devices (e.g., transaction devices including a
contactless chip, etc.), smart cards, mobile devices (e.g., mobile
phones, smart phones, etc.), etc. According to an aspect of the
disclosure, a consumer device 110 may be a suitable device that is
capable of bidirectional interaction with a merchant device 105 in
association with a payment or purchase transaction. During a
purchase request, various payment account information and/or other
information (e.g., loyalty information if available, etc.) may be
provided to a merchant device 105 by the consumer device 110. As
desired, a consumer 125 may also have other devices that may be
presented to a merchant employee 120, such as a separate loyalty
device 130. Examples of separate loyalty devices 130 include, but
are not limited to, bar-coded loyalty cards and/or bar-coded
loyalty tabs.
[0037] As desired, a consumer device 110 may include any number of
processor-driven devices, including but not limited to, a mobile
computer, an application-specific circuit, a minicomputer, a
microcontroller, and/or any other processor-based device. A
consumer device 110 may utilize one or more processors 150 to
execute computer-readable instructions that facilitate the general
operation of the consumer device 110 (e.g., call functionality,
etc.) and/or communication with a merchant device 105 for payment
transaction purposes. As a result of executing these
computer-readable instructions, a special purpose computer or
particular machine may be formed that facilitates the provision of
transaction-related services on behalf of a consumer.
[0038] In addition to having one or more processors 150, the
consumer device 110 may further include and/or be associated with
one or more memory devices 151, input/output ("I/O") interface(s)
152, and/or network interface(s) 153. The memory 151 may be any
computer-readable medium, coupled to the processor(s) 150, such as
random access memory ("RAM"), read-only memory ("ROM"), and/or
removable storage devices. The memory 151 may store a wide variety
of data files 154 and/or various program modules, such as an
operating system ("OS") 156 and/or one or more transaction
applications or modules 157. In certain embodiments, a consumer
device 110 may include one or more secure elements 155 configured
to securely store and/or access information, such as payment
account information and/or other transaction-related information.
The secure elements 155 may be stored in the memory 151 and/or
included as a separate component of the consumer device 110. For
example, a secure element 155 may be a separate chip that is
configured to communicate with primary computing functionality for
the consumer device 110. As desired, one or more of the transaction
applications 157 may be stored on a secure element 155.
Additionally, in certain embodiments, a wide variety of suitable
loyalty information 158, such as loyalty account information and/or
loyalty applications, may be stored in the memory 151 and/or on one
or more secure elements 155.
[0039] The data files 154 may include any suitable data that
facilitates the operation of the consumer device 110 and/or
interaction of the consumer device 110 with one or more other
components (e.g., a merchant device 105, a service provider
computer 112, etc.) of the system 100. For example, the data files
154 may include information associated with accessing the secure
elements 155, information associated with invoking transaction
applications 157, and/or information that facilitates interaction
with merchant devices 105. The OS 155 may be suitable module that
facilitates the general operation of the consumer device 110, as
well as the execution of other program modules. For example, the OS
155 may be, but is not limited to, a suitable mobile OS or a
specially designed operating system. As desired, the consumer
device 110 may additionally include one or more communication
modules that facilitate interaction with merchant devices 105. For
example, a suitable near field communication module, radio
frequency module, Bluetooth module, or other suitable communication
module may be utilized.
[0040] The transaction applications 157 may include one or more
suitable software modules and/or applications configured to
interact with a merchant device 105 in conjunction with a payment
transaction. In one example operation, a transaction application
157 may establish communication with a merchant device 105. As
desired a consumer PIN or other consumer authentication mechanism
may be initiated in order to verify the identity of the consumer.
Additionally, the transaction application 157 may provide a wide
variety of transaction related information to the merchant device
105, such as payment account information, payment device
identification information (e.g., a mobile telephone number, etc.),
consumer identification information, coupons and/or offers to be
redeemed, loyalty information (e.g., a loyalty account number, if
available), and/or loyalty enrollment preferences. A proposed
transaction may be generated and/or processed by the merchant
device 105 and, in certain embodiments, a wide variety of
information (e.g., electronic receipts, warranty information,
product registration information, etc.) may be returned to the
transaction application 157 for storage and/or presentation to the
consumer 125. In certain embodiments, the merchant device 105 may
communicate with a service provider computer 112, an acquiring
platform, an issuer system, and/or other devices in order to
facilitate the back-end processing of a transaction (e.g.,
authorization, settlement, value added services, etc.). In other
embodiments, the consumer device 110 and/or the transaction
application 157 may communicate with one or more of these entities
in conjunction with transaction processing. For example, the
transaction application 157 may provide payment account information
to a service provider computer 112 rather than to the merchant
device 105. Indeed, a wide variety of different transaction
processing flows and/or methods may be utilized as desired in
various embodiments.
[0041] As desired, a wide variety of suitable loyalty information
158 may be stored on the consumer device 110. In certain
embodiments, loyalty information 158 may be stored prior to the
initiation of a payment transaction, and the loyalty information
158 may be utilized in association with a payment transaction. In
other embodiments, loyalty information 158 may be provided to the
consumer device 110 by a merchant device 105, and at least a
portion of the loyalty information 158 may be stored by the
consumer device 110. For example, a merchant device 105 may
facilitate the automatic enrollment of the consumer 125 for a
loyalty program, and generated loyalty information 158 may be
provided to the consumer device 110 for storage. A wide variety of
different loyalty information 158 may be stored on a consumer
device 110 as desired in various embodiments of the disclosure,
including but not limited to, loyalty account information for
consumer loyalty accounts with various merchants, loyalty
applications or modules (e.g., specific loyalty applications that
are invoked to provide loyalty information to a merchant device
105, etc.), and/or consumer preferences for enrolling the consumer
in loyalty programs (e.g., a blanket instruction to automatically
enroll the consumer in available programs, pre-approved merchants
for automatic enrollment, and/or instructions to prompt the
consumer for approval prior to enrolling the consumer in a loyalty
program.
[0042] The one or more I/O interfaces 152 may facilitate
communication between the consumer device 110 and one or more
input/output devices; for example, one or more user interface
devices, such as a display, a keypad, a touch screen display, a
microphone, a speaker, etc., that facilitate user interaction with
the consumer device 110. The one or more network and/or
communication interfaces 153 may facilitate connection of the
consumer device 110 to one or more suitable networks, for example,
the network(s) 115, 117 illustrated in FIG. 1. In this regard, the
consumer device 110 may receive and/or communicate information to
other components of the system 100.
[0043] As desired, any number of service provider computers 112 may
be utilized as desired in various embodiments of the disclosure. A
service provider computer 112 may provide a wide variety of
transaction-related and/or loyalty-related services, including but
not limited to, the provision of VAS, the generation of loyalty
account information, and/or the routing of a proposed transaction
to an issuer for approval and/or settlement purposes. In certain
embodiments, a service provider computer 112 may include similar
components as those discussed above for the merchant device 105.
For example, a service provider computer 112 may include any number
of processors, memories, I/O interfaces, and/or
network/communication interfaces.
[0044] Although not illustrated in FIG. 1, as desired in various
embodiments, any number of issuer and/or financial institution
systems may be provided. An issuer system may facilitate the
backend processing of a proposed transaction. For example, an
issuer system may facilitate the approval and/or settlement of a
proposed transaction. In certain embodiments, a proposed
transaction may be routed to an issuer system via a suitable
transaction network (e.g., a debit network, a credit network,
etc.), and the issuer system may evaluate the proposed transaction.
An approval or rejection of the proposed transaction may then be
output for communication to a merchant device 105. The issuer
system may then facilitate the settlement of the proposed
transaction.
[0045] A wide variety of suitable networks and/or communication
channels 115, 117 may be utilized in association with embodiments
of the disclosure. Certain networks and/or channels 115 may
facilitate communication between consumer devices 110 and merchant
devices 105. These networks 115 may include wireless networks, RF
networks, Bluetooth-enabled networks, NFC connections, etc. Other
networks 117 may facilitate communication between remote devices.
For example, one or more telecommunication networks, cellular
networks, wide area networks (e.g., the Internet) and/or
transaction networks (e.g., branded networks (e.g., a VISA network,
etc.), debit and/or PIN networks, and/or a wide variety of other
suitable transaction networks) may facilitate communication between
various components of the system 100. Due to network connectivity,
various methodologies as described herein may be practiced in the
context of distributed computing environments. It will also be
appreciated that the various networks may include a plurality of
networks, each with devices such as gateways and routers for
providing connectivity between or among networks. Additionally,
instead of, or in addition to, a network, dedicated communication
links may be used to connect various devices in accordance with an
example embodiment.
[0046] The system 100 shown in and described with respect to FIG. 1
is provided by way of example only. Numerous other operating
environments, system architectures, and device configurations are
possible. Other system embodiments can include fewer or greater
numbers of components and may incorporate some or all of the
functionality described with respect to the system components shown
in FIG. 1. Accordingly, embodiments of the disclosure should not be
construed as being limited to any particular operating environment,
system architecture, or device configuration.
[0047] Operational Overview
[0048] FIG. 2 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method 200
for enrolling a consumer in a loyalty program, according to an
example embodiment of the disclosure. In certain embodiments, the
operations of the method 200 may be performed by a suitable
merchant device and/or merchant employee, such as the merchant
device 105 and/or merchant employee 120 illustrated in FIG. 1. The
method 200 may begin at block 205.
[0049] At block 205, communication between the merchant device 105
and a consumer device, such as the consumer device 110 illustrated
in FIG. 1, may be established. For example, communication between
the merchant device 105 and the consumer device 110 in conjunction
with a payment transaction (e.g., a checkout payment transaction at
a point of sale, etc.) may be established. A wide variety of
suitable communication techniques may be utilized as desired to
establish communication, including but not limited to, radio
frequency ("RF") communications, near field communication ("NFC"),
Bluetooth communication, Wi-Fi communication, etc.
[0050] At block 210, the merchant device 105 may communicate
merchant identification information (e.g., a merchant name, a
merchant identifier, etc.) to the consumer device 110.
Additionally, the merchant device 105 may communicate a request for
stored loyalty information (e.g., a loyalty account number, etc.)
to the consumer device 110. In this regard, the consumer device 110
may identify stored information associated with the merchant, such
as a merchant-specific payment account, merchant payment
preferences (e.g., coupon redemption preferences, payment account
selection preferences, etc.), and/or stored loyalty information
(e.g., a loyalty application, a loyalty account number, etc.). The
consumer device 110 may then communicate a wide variety of
transaction-related information to the merchant device 105, such as
payment account information, coupon information, and/or loyalty
information (if available).
[0051] At block 215, the merchant device 105 may determine whether
loyalty information has been received from the consumer device 110.
For example, the merchant device 105 may determine whether a
loyalty account number has been received from the consumer device
110 or whether communication has been established with a loyalty
application executed by the consumer device 110. If it is
determined at block 215 that loyalty information has been received
from the consumer device 110 at block 215, then operations may
continue at block 220, and at least a portion of the received
loyalty information (e.g., a loyalty account number, etc.) may be
utilized in association with a transaction. For example, rewards
points may be issued to the consumer 125 by a merchant system or by
a service provider computer, such as the service provider computer
112 illustrated in FIG. 1. As another example, available reward
redemptions may be identified and applied to a transaction. As
desired, loyalty information (e.g., awarded points, etc.) may then
be returned to the consumer device 110, and the method 200 may end
following block 220.
[0052] If, however, it is determined at block 215 that loyalty
information has not been received from the consumer device 110,
then operations may continue at block 225. At block 225, a
determination may be made as to whether loyalty information is
available from another source 225. For example, a determination may
be made as to whether loyalty information is available from or has
been received from another consumer device, such as a bar-code
loyalty card presented by the consumer 125. As another example, a
determination may be made as to whether loyalty information may be
accessed from memory (e.g., local memory, an external data source,
etc.) based upon consumer information (e.g., a phone number, an
address, a consumer name, etc.). If it is determined at block 225
that loyalty information is available from another source, then
operations may continue at block 230.
[0053] At block 230, loyalty information (e.g., a loyalty account
number, existing loyalty points, loyalty rewards, etc.) may be
identified for use in association with the transaction. As desired,
rewards points may be issued to the consumer 125, available reward
redemptions may be identified and applied to a transaction, and/or
other loyalty processing may be provided. Additionally, loyalty
information may be identified for provisioning to the consumer
device 110 in the event that provisioning is permitted by the
consumer 125. At block 235, the merchant employee 120 may ask the
consumer 125 to turn over any existing loyalty devices (e.g.,
loyalty cards, etc.) and the merchant employee 120 may offer to
provision loyalty information to the consumer device 110. In the
event that the consumer 125 turns over an existing loyalty device,
the loyalty device may be collected and optionally destroyed or
disposed of by the merchant employee 120. Operations may then
continue at block 255 described in greater detail below.
[0054] If, however, it is determined at block 225 that loyalty
information is not available from another source, then operations
may continue at block 240. At block 240, one or more enrollment
parameters for the consumer device 110 may be identified, and at
least a portion of the enrollment parameters may be evaluated in
order to determine, at block 245, whether enrollment of the
consumer in a loyalty program for the merchant has been enabled.
For example, enrollment parameters associated with the automatic
enrollment of the consumer in a loyalty program may be evaluated in
order to determine whether automatic enrollment has been enabled
and/or authorized. As another example, enrollment parameters may be
evaluated in order to determine whether consumer permission is
required for enrollment, and the consumer may be prompted (e.g.,
prompted by the consumer device, prompted by the merchant employee
120, etc.) for authorization to enroll the consumer in a loyalty
program. A determination may then be made as to whether enrollment
has been authorized and/or enabled.
[0055] If it is determined at block 245 that enrollment has not
been enabled, then operations of the method 200 may end. If,
however, it is determined at block 245 that enrollment has been
enabled, then operations may continue at block 250. At block 250,
loyalty information may be generated for the consumer 125. For
example, a new loyalty account may be opened on behalf of the
consumer 125, and a loyalty account number associated with the
account may be identified. As another example, a loyalty
application that may be executed by the consumer device 110 may be
identified. In certain embodiments, the identification and/or
generation of loyalty information may be carried out by the
merchant device 105. In other embodiments, the merchant device 105
may communicate with a third-party, such as a suitable service
provider computer 112, to facilitate the generation and/or
identification of loyalty information. For example, a request to
generate a new loyalty account may be communicated to a service
provider computer 112, and new account information may be returned
by the service provider computer 112 to the merchant device
105.
[0056] At block 255, which may be reached from block 235 or block
255, loyalty information (e.g., a loyalty account number, a loyalty
application, etc.) may be provided by the merchant device 105 to
the consumer device 110 via a suitable communication session. For
example, loyalty information may be provisioned to the consumer
device 110. In this regard, the consumer device 110 may store the
loyalty information for subsequent use. For example, a loyalty
application may be stored on device memory. As another example,
loyalty account information may be stored on a secure element 155
of the consumer device 110. Additionally, in certain embodiments,
merchant identification information may also be provided to the
consumer device 110. As desired, the consumer device 110 may
utilize the merchant identification information during a subsequent
access of the loyalty information. For example, a merchant
identifier received in conjunction with a future transaction may be
compared to the previously received merchant identification
information, and the loyalty information may be identified based at
least in part upon a determined correspondence.
[0057] The method 200 may end following either block 220, block
245, or block 255.
[0058] FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram of another example method
300 for enrolling a consumer in a loyalty program, according to an
example embodiment of the disclosure. In certain embodiments, the
operations of the method 300 may be performed by a suitable
consumer device and/or associated consumer, such as the consumer
device 110 and/or consumer 125 illustrated in FIG. 1. The method
300 may begin at block 305.
[0059] At block 305, communication between the consumer device 110
and a merchant device, such as the merchant device 105 illustrated
in FIG. 1, may be established. For example, communication between
the consumer device 110 and the merchant device 105 in conjunction
with a payment transaction (e.g., a checkout payment transaction at
a point of sale, etc.) may be established. A wide variety of
suitable communication techniques may be utilized as desired to
establish communication, including but not limited to, radio
frequency ("RF") communications, near field communication ("NFC"),
Bluetooth communication, Wi-Fi communication, etc.
[0060] At block 310, a request for loyalty information (e.g., a
stored loyalty account number, the invocation of a loyalty
application, etc.) may be received from the merchant device 105. In
certain embodiments, a merchant identifier and/or other merchant
identification information (e.g., a merchant name, etc.) may also
be received. At block 315, a determination may be made as to
whether loyalty information is stored on the consumer device 110
and available for communication to the merchant device 105. If it
is determined at block 315 that loyalty information is available,
then operations may continue at block 320, and at least a portion
of the loyalty information may be returned or communicated to the
merchant device 105. For example, a loyalty account number may be
returned to the merchant device 105. As another example, a loyalty
application may be invoked, and the loyalty application may
facilitate the communication of a loyalty account number and/or
loyalty reward information to the merchant device 105. Operations
of the method 300 may then end following block 320.
[0061] If, however, it is determined at block 315 that loyalty
information is not available, then operations may continue at block
320. At block 320, an indication that loyalty information is not
available may be returned or communicated to the merchant device
105. Operations may then continue at block 330, and a determination
may be made by the merchant and/or merchant device 105 as to
whether loyalty information is available from another source, such
as a loyalty card or from an external database. If it is determined
at block 330 that loyalty information is available from another
source, then operations may continue at block 355 described in
greater detail below. If, however, it is determined at block 330
that loyalty information is not available from another source, then
operations may continue at block 335. The operations of block 330
are not necessarily performed by the consumer device 110.
[0062] At block 335, a request to enroll the consumer in a loyalty
program of the merchant may be received by the consumer device 110.
At block 340, the consumer may be prompted for authorization to
enroll in a loyalty program of the merchant, and a consumer
response to the prompt (e.g., an authorization, a denial) may be
received. As an alternative to requesting authorization for
enrollment, in certain embodiments, the consumer may establish
preferences for automatic enrollment in loyalty programs. In the
event that automatic enrollment is authorized, it is not necessary
to receive consumer approval at the time of enrollment.
[0063] At block 345, a determination may be made as to whether
enrollment in the loyalty program has been authorized or approved.
For example, a determination may be made as to whether a consumer
has authorized enrollment in response to a prompt. As another
example, a determination may be made as to whether automatic
enrollment has been authorized. As another example, a determination
may be made as to whether one or more automatic enrollment
parameters (e.g., merchant type parameters, merchant parameters,
etc.) have been satisfied. If it is determined at block 345 that
enrollment has not been authorized, then operations may end. If,
however, it is determined at block 345 that enrollment has been
authorized, then operations may continue at block 350.
[0064] At block 350, an enrollment approval indication or an
enrollment approval message may be communicated to the merchant
device 105. For example, an authorization to enroll the consumer in
a loyalty program may be communicated to the merchant device 105
via a suitable communication session. As desired, a wide variety of
consumer information may also be communicated to the merchant
device 105 by the consumer device 110. For example, a consumer
name, consumer address, consumer device identification information
(e.g., a telephone number, etc.), a consumer email address, and/or
other information may be communicated to the merchant device 105.
At least a portion of this information may be utilized in the
generation of a loyalty account for the consumer. For example, an
automated process may be utilized by the merchant device 105 and/or
by a service provider computer, such as the service provider
computer 112 illustrated in FIG. 1, to generate a loyalty account
for the consumer.
[0065] At block 355, which may be reached from either block 330 or
block 350, loyalty information may be received by the consumer
device 110 from the merchant device 105. For example, a loyalty
account number and/or a loyalty application may be received from
the merchant device 105. At least a portion of the received
information may be stored by the consumer device 110 for subsequent
access and/or use in future transactions. For example, loyalty
account information may be stored in a secure element 155 and/or in
general memory of the consumer device 110. As another example, a
loyalty application may be stored for subsequent execution.
[0066] The method 300 may end following either block 320, block
345, or block 355.
[0067] The operations described and shown in the methods 200, 300,
of FIGS. 2-3 may be carried out or performed in any suitable order
as desired in various embodiments of the disclosure. Additionally,
in certain embodiments, at least a portion of the operations may be
carried out in parallel. Furthermore, in certain embodiments, less
than or more than the operations described in FIGS. 2-3 may be
performed.
[0068] The disclosure is described above with reference to block
and flow diagrams of systems, methods, apparatuses, and/or computer
program products according to example embodiments of the
disclosure. It will be understood that one or more blocks of the
block diagrams and flow diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the
block diagrams and the flow diagrams, respectively, can be
implemented by computer-executable program instructions. Likewise,
some blocks of the block diagrams and flow diagrams may not
necessarily need to be performed in the order presented, or may not
necessarily need to be performed at all, according to some
embodiments of the disclosure.
[0069] Various block and/or flow diagrams of systems, methods,
apparatus, and/or computer program products according to example
embodiments of the disclosure are described above. It will be
understood that one or more blocks of the block diagrams and flow
diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and flow
diagrams, respectively, can be implemented by computer-executable
program instructions. Likewise, some blocks of the block diagrams
and flow diagrams may not necessarily need to be performed in the
order presented, or may not necessarily need to be performed at
all, according to some embodiments of the disclosure.
[0070] These computer-executable program instructions may be loaded
onto a special purpose computer or other particular machine, a
processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to
produce a particular machine, such that the instructions that
execute on the computer, processor, or other programmable data
processing apparatus create means for implementing one or more
functions specified in the flow diagram block or blocks. These
computer program instructions may also be stored in a
computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other
programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular
manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable
memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction
means that implement one or more functions specified in the flow
diagram block or blocks. As an example, embodiments of the
disclosure may provide for a computer program product, comprising a
computer-usable medium having a computer-readable program code or
program instructions embodied therein, said computer-readable
program code adapted to be executed to implement one or more
functions specified in the flow diagram block or blocks. The
computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or
other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of
operational elements or steps to be performed on the computer or
other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented
process such that the instructions that execute on the computer or
other programmable apparatus provide elements or steps for
implementing the functions specified in the flow diagram block or
blocks.
[0071] Accordingly, blocks of the block diagrams and flow diagrams
support combinations of means for performing the specified
functions, combinations of elements or steps for performing the
specified functions and program instruction means for performing
the specified functions. It will also be understood that each block
of the block diagrams and flow diagrams, and combinations of blocks
in the block diagrams and flow diagrams, can be implemented by
special purpose, hardware-based computer systems that perform the
specified functions, elements or steps, or combinations of special
purpose hardware and computer instructions.
[0072] Many modifications and other embodiments of the disclosure
set forth herein will be apparent having the benefit of the
teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the
associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the
disclosure is not to be limited to the specific embodiments
disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended
to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although
specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and
descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
* * * * *