# US 12,217,279 B2 · Systems and methods for loyalty point distribution

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- Number: US 12,217,279 B2
- Document ID: US12217279B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/323,855
- Filed: 2023-05-25
- Published: 2023-11-30
- Granted: 2025-02-04
- Earliest claimed: 2017-10-09
- Assignees: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
- Applicants: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
- Inventors: Calvin Chan; Christopher Cracchiolo; Andras Ferenczi; Harish R. Naik; Andrew Martin Baal Thomas
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12217279B2

## CPC

- G06Q 30/0229: {Multi-merchant loyalty card systems}
- H04L 9/0637: {Modes of operation, e.g. cipher block chaining [CBC], electronic codebook [ECB] or Galois/counter mode [GCM]}
- H04L 9/3236: {using cryptographic hash functions}
- H04L 9/3239: {involving non-keyed hash functions, e.g. modification detection codes [MDCs], MD5, SHA or RIPEMD}
- H04L 9/3247: {involving digital signatures}
- H04L 9/3297: {involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps}
- H04L 9/50: {using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees}
- H04L 2209/56: Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

A blockchain-based multi-merchant loyalty point partnership system may include a blockchain API host that is configured to generate a reward based at least in part on transaction data received from a web site. In one example, a system is configured to receive a loyalty account and transaction data for a completed purchase from a loyalty partner site. A partnership smart contract is executed to validate that the transaction data meets a purchase requirement parameter of the partnership smart contract. A transaction record is stored which indicates that the loyalty account has the transaction data for meeting the purchase requirement parameter. The transaction record is transmitted to consensus participants associated with the blockchain network.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
receiving, by a loyalty point network that comprises a host computing device, a loyalty portal, and a blockchain network, a request for a partnership smart contract from a loyalty partner, the host computing device executing the partnership smart contract to control a data flow in the loyalty point network from a loyalty partner site of the loyalty partner to the blockchain network based at least in part on a plurality of parameters stored in association with the partnership smart contract;
retrieving, by the loyalty portal, partner data from a local partner repository of the loyalty portal based at least in part on a partner identifier associated with the loyalty partner, the partner data being associated with the loyalty partner;
retrieving, by the host computing device, the partnership smart contract for the request based at least in part on the partner data and a blockchain uniform resource locator (URL) associated with a location of the partnership smart contract in the blockchain network;
transmitting, by the host computing device, the partnership smart contract to the loyalty partner site of the loyalty partner;
receiving, by an application programming interface (API) of the host computing device, an enrollment request for the loyalty partner site, the enrollment request comprising the partner identifier for the loyalty partner site and the blockchain URL;
transmitting, by the partnership smart contract of the host computing device, the enrollment request for the loyalty partner site to a plurality of consensus participants associated with the blockchain network;
receiving, by the API of the host computing device, a loyalty account and transaction data for a completed purchase from the loyalty partner site;
validating, by the partnership smart contract of the host computing device, that the transaction data meets a purchase requirement parameter included in the partnership smart contract in response to the partnership smart contract receiving the transaction data;
storing, by the partnership smart contract of the host computing device, a transaction record that indicates that the loyalty account has the transaction data for meeting the purchase requirement parameter; and
transmitting, by the partnership smart contract of the host computing device, the transaction record to the plurality of consensus participants associated with the blockchain network.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving, by the partnership smart contract of the host computing device, a transaction record confirmation for the transaction record being written to the blockchain network; and
transmitting, by the partnership smart contract of the host computing device, the transaction record confirmation to the loyalty partner site.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving, by the partnership smart contract of the host computing device, a transaction record confirmation from the blockchain network; and
executing, by the partnership smart contract of the host computing device, the partnership smart contract to update the loyalty account in the partnership smart contract based at least in part on the transaction record confirmation.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, further comprising:
transmitting, by the partnership smart contract of the host computing device, a partnership completion notification to the loyalty partner site, the partnership completion notification comprising a purchase reward.

### Claim 5

A loyalty point network, comprising:
a blockchain network;
a loyalty partner site;
a loyalty portal that is configured to at least:
receive a request for a partnership smart contract from a loyalty partner; and
retrieve partner data from a local partner repository of the loyalty portal based at least in part on a partner identifier associated with the loyalty partner, the partner data being associated with the loyalty partner;
a host computing device that includes a processor and memory, the host computing device executing the partnership smart contract to control a data flow in the loyalty point network from the loyalty partner site to the blockchain network based at least in part on a plurality of parameters stored in association with the partnership smart contract; and
the memory having machine executable instructions, that when executed, causes the host computing device to at least:
retrieve the partnership smart contract for the request based at least in part on the partner data and a blockchain uniform resource locator (URL) associated with a location of the partnership smart contract in the blockchain network;
transmit the partnership smart contract to the loyalty partner site of the loyalty partner;
receive, by an application programming interface (API) of the host computing device, an enrollment request for the loyalty partner site, the enrollment request comprising a partner identifier for the loyalty partner site;
transmit, by the partnership smart contract of the host computing device, the enrollment request for the loyalty partner site to a plurality of consensus participants associated with the blockchain network;
receive, by the API of the host computing device, a loyalty account and transaction data for a completed purchase from the loyalty partner site;
validate, by the partnership smart contract of the host computing device, the transaction data meet a purchase requirement parameter included in the partnership smart contract in response to the partnership smart contract receiving the transaction data;
store, by the partnership smart contract of the host computing device, a transaction record that indicates that the loyalty account has the transaction data for meeting the purchase requirement parameter; and
transmit, by the partnership smart contract of the host computing device, the transaction record to the plurality of consensus participants associated with the blockchain network.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The loyalty point network of claim 5, wherein the partnership smart contract, when executed, cause the host computing device to at least:
receive a transaction record confirmation for the transaction record being written to the blockchain network; and
transmit the transaction record confirmation to the loyalty partner site.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The loyalty point network of claim 5, wherein the partnership smart contract, when executed, cause the host computing device to at least:
receiving, by the host computing device, a transaction record confirmation from the blockchain network; and
executing, by the host computing device, the partnership smart contract to update the loyalty account in the partnership smart contract based at least in part on the transaction record confirmation.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The loyalty point network of claim 5, wherein the partnership smart contract, when executed, cause the host computing device to at least:
transmit a partnership completion notification to the loyalty partner site, the partnership completion notification comprising a purchase reward.

### Claim 9

A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying machine executable instructions which, when executed by a loyalty point network that comprises a computing device, a loyal portal, and a blockchain network, causes the loyalty point network to at least:
receive, by the loyalty portal, a request for a partnership smart contract from a loyalty partner;
retrieve, by the loyalty portal, partner data from a local partner repository of the loyalty portal based at least in part on a partner identifier associated with the loyalty partner, the partner data being associated with the loyalty partner;
retrieve, by the computing device, the partnership smart contract for the request based at least in part on the partner data and a blockchain uniform resource locator (URL) associated with a location of the partnership smart contract in the blockchain network;
transmit, by the computing device, the partnership smart contract to a loyalty partner site of the loyalty partner;
receive, by an application programming interface (API) of the computing device, an enrollment request for the loyalty partner site, the enrollment request comprising a partner identifier for the loyalty partner site;
transmit, by the partnership smart contract of the computing device, the partnership smart contract of the enrollment request for the loyalty partner site to a plurality of consensus participants associated with the blockchain network;
receive, by the API of the computing device, a loyalty account and transaction data for a completed purchase from a loyalty partner site, the computing device executing the partnership smart contract to control a data flow in the loyalty point network from the loyalty partner site to a blockchain network based at least in part on a plurality of parameters stored in association with the partnership smart contract;
validate, by the partnership smart contract of the computing device, the transaction data meets a purchase requirement parameter included in the partnership smart contract in response to the partnership smart contract receiving the transaction data;
store, by the partnership smart contract of the computing device, a transaction record that indicates that the loyalty account has the transaction data for meeting the purchase requirement parameter; and
transmit, by the partnership smart contract of the computing device, the transaction record to the plurality of consensus participants associated with the blockchain network.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the machine executable instructions which, when executed by the loyalty point network, causes the computing device of the loyalty point network to at least:
receive a transaction record confirmation for the transaction record being written to the blockchain network; and
transmit the transaction record confirmation to the loyalty partner site.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the machine executable instructions which, when executed by the loyalty point network, cause the computing device of the loyalty point network to at least:
receive a transaction record confirmation from the blockchain network; and execute the partnership smart contract to update the loyalty account in the partnership smart contract based at least in part on the transaction record confirmation.