Communication systems and methods to transmit data among a plurality of computing systems in processing benefit redemption

A transaction terminal comprising:

• at least one microprocessor;
• at least one computer network interface connected, via one or more computer networks, to a portal and a first acquirer processor of an electronic payment processing network having a plurality of separate computing systems coupled with computer networks, the plurality of separate computing systems including a plurality of reward hosts, a plurality of acquirer processors, a plurality of issuer processors and a transaction handler interconnecting the plurality of acquirer processors and the plurality of issuer processors;
• a memory storing instructions configured to instruct the at least one microprocessor to:
• transmit, via the at least one computer network interface to the portal, a balance request comprising a user identifier, wherein in response to the balance request, the portal is configured to:
• determine a reward account associated with the user identifier of the balance request;
• transmit a reward balance communication to a first reward host of the plurality of reward hosts based on the reward account associated with the user identifier of the balance request,
• receive a response to the reward balance communication comprising a balance of the reward account,
• transmit an account setup communication to a predetermined issuer processor of the plurality of issuer processors based on the user identifier of the balance request,
• receive a response to the account setup communication comprising an account number selected from a plurality of account numbers controlled by the predetermined issuer processor based on the balance request,
• store data associating the account number with the reward account, and
• transmit to the transaction terminal a response to the balance request;
• receive the response to the balance request from the portal, the response including the balance of the reward account and the account number;
• and
• in response to receiving the response to the balance request:
• extract the account number from the response,
• generate a first authorization request for a payment transaction in the electronic payment processing network using the account number provided in the response to the balance request, and
• transmit the first authorization request to the predetermined issuer processor via the first acquirer processor and the transaction handler in the electronic payment processing network;
• wherein in response to the authorization request received in the predetermined issuer processor for a payment transaction made using the account number, the portal is configured to:
• receive, from the predetermined issuer processor, a first communication identifying the payment transaction made using the account number,
• determine the reward account based on the data associating the account number with the reward account,
• transmit to the first reward host a second communication to process a reward redemption from the reward account according to a transaction amount identified by the authorization request,
• receive, from the first reward host, a message indicating the reward redemption is successful, and
• transmit, to the predetermined issuer processor, a response to the first communication indicating the reward redemption is successful, wherein the response to the first communication causes the predetermined issuer processor to provide a first authorization response for the first authorization request based on the reward redemption,
• wherein the first authorization response causes the transaction terminal to determine a balance of a purchase in view of the reward redemption and generate a second authorization request for the payment transaction made using the account number for the balance of the purchase.

A portal server, comprising:

• at least one computer networking interface to communicate with a plurality of reward hosts and a transaction terminal configured in an electronic payment processing network that has a plurality of separate computing systems coupled with computer networks, the plurality of separate computing systems including the plurality of reward hosts, a plurality of acquirer processors, a plurality of issuer processors and a transaction handler interconnecting the plurality of acquirer processors and the plurality of issuer processors;
• at least one microprocessor;
• and
• a memory storing instructions configured to instruct the at least one microprocessor to
• receive, in the portal, a balance request comprising a user identifier from the transaction terminal;
• in response to the balance request:
• determine, by the portal, a reward account associated with the user identifier of the balance request,
• transmit, by the portal, a reward balance communication to a first reward host of the plurality of reward hosts based on the reward account associated with the user identifier of the balance request,
• receive, by the portal, a response to the reward balance communication comprising a balance of the reward account,
• transmit, by the portal, an account setup communication to a predetermined issuer processor of the plurality of issuer processors based on the user identifier of the balance request,
• receive, by the portal, a response to the account setup communication comprising an account number selected from a plurality of account numbers controlled by the predetermined issuer processor based on the balance request,
• store, by the portal, data associating the account number with the reward account, and
• transmit, by the portal, a response to the balance request to the transaction terminal, wherein the response includes the balance of the reward account and the account number, wherein the response to the balance request causes the transaction terminal to initiate a payment transaction by transmitting a first authorization request in the electronic payment processing network using the account number provided in the response to the balance request;
• and
• in response to the first authorization request received in the predetermined issuer processor for the payment transaction made using the account number:
• receive, in the portal from the predetermined issuer processor, a first communication identifying the payment transaction made using the account number,
• determine, by the portal, the reward account based on the data associating the account number with the reward account,
• transmit, by the portal to the first reward host, a second communication to process a reward redemption from the reward account according to a transaction amount identified by the authorization request,
• receive, by the portal from the first reward host, a message indicating the reward redemption is successful, and
• transmit, by the portal to the predetermined issuer processor, a response to the first communication indicating the reward redemption is successful, wherein the response to the first communication causes the predetermined issuer processor to provide a first authorization response for the first authorization request based on the reward redemption,
• wherein the first authorization response causes the transaction terminal to determine a balance of a purchase in view of the reward redemption and generate a second authorization request for the payment transaction made using the account number for the balance of the purchase.