Technical improvements to payment card linked rewards programs

A method comprising:

• receiving a payment card setup file from a card user computing device, the payment card setup file including a card number of a payment card, the payment card setup file being received by one or more rewards platform computing devices that are part of a rewards platform computing system;
• associating the card number in the payment card setup file with a card user who is a member of a rewards program and storing the card number and card user information in one or more rewards platform databases;
• receiving a merchant setup file from a merchant computing device, the merchant setup file including an authorization to direct debit an amount owed by a merchant participating in the rewards program from a merchant bank account, the merchant setup file being received by the one or more rewards platform computing devices that are part of the rewards platform computing system;
• associating the merchant with the authorization to direct debit the amount owed by the merchant and storing the merchant and the authorization in the one or more rewards platform databases;
• instructing one or more rewards platform communication interfaces to send a card number file including the card number of the payment card to one or more payment card transaction reporter computing devices of a payment card transaction reporter, the payment card transaction reporter being configured to receive files including payment card transactions from a payment input device at the merchant and process the payment card transactions for the merchant over an electronic payment processing network;
• instructing the one or more rewards platform communication interfaces to send a merchant file including a merchant identifier for the merchant to the one or more payment card transaction reporter computing devices;
• receiving a qualifying transaction file from the one or more payment card transaction reporter computing devices, the qualifying transaction file including payment card transaction information for at least one payment card transaction made with the payment card at the merchant;
• the qualifying transaction file being received by the one or more rewards platform computing devices;
• instructing the one or more rewards platform communication interfaces to send a debit file to a direct debit service provider computing device of a direct debit service provider no later than 72 hours after the rewards platform computing system receives the qualifying transaction file from the one or more payment card transaction reporter computing devices, the debit file including the amount owed by the merchant for the at least one payment card transaction made with the payment card at the merchant as well as instructions to direct debit the amount from the merchant bank account;
• and
• associating an additional amount of reward credits with the card user in the one or more rewards platform databases, the additional amount of reward credits being provided for the at least one payment card transaction made with the payment card at the merchant.

A rewards platform computing system comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• memory storing instructions configured to instruct the at least one processor to:
• receive a payment card setup file from a card user computing device, the payment card setup file including a card number of a payment card, the payment card setup file being received by one or more rewards platform computing devices that are part of the rewards platform computing system;
• associate the card number in the payment card setup file with a card user who is a member of a rewards program and store the card number and card user information in one or more rewards platform databases;
• receive a merchant setup file from a merchant computing device, the merchant setup file including an authorization to direct debit an amount owed by a merchant participating in the rewards program from a merchant bank account, the merchant setup file being received by the one or more rewards platform computing devices that are part of the rewards platform computing system;
• associate the merchant with the authorization to direct debit the amount owed by the merchant and store the merchant and the authorization in the one or more rewards platform databases;
• instruct one or more rewards platform communication interfaces to send a card number file including the card number of the payment card to one or more payment card transaction reporter computing devices of a payment card transaction reporter, the payment card transaction reporter being configured to receive files including payment card transactions from a payment input device at the merchant and process the payment card transactions for the merchant over an electronic payment processing network;
• instruct the one or more rewards platform communication interfaces to send a merchant file including a merchant identifier for the merchant to the one or more payment card transaction reporter computing devices;
• receive a qualifying transaction file from the one or more payment card transaction reporter computing devices, the qualifying transaction file including payment card transaction information for at least one payment card transaction made with the payment card at the merchant;
• the qualifying transaction file being received by the one or more rewards platform computing devices;
• instruct the one or more rewards platform communication interfaces to send a debit file to a direct debit service provider computing device of a direct debit service provider no later than 72 hours after the rewards platform computing system receives the qualifying transaction file from the one or more payment card transaction reporter computing devices, the debit file including the amount owed by the merchant for the at least one payment card transaction made with the payment card at the merchant as well as instructions to direct debit the amount from the merchant bank account;
• and
• associate an additional amount of reward credits with the card user in the one or more rewards platform databases, the additional amount of reward credits being provided for the at least one payment card transaction made with the payment card at the merchant.