Method and apparatus for motivating a customer to save money for use with later purchases

A method for providing a benefit to a customer, comprising:

• establishing an account for a customer on a first date, wherein said account has an associated monetary amount and said customer cannot decrease said monetary amount until a second date;
• allowing said customer to increase said monetary amount after said first date;
• increasing said monetary amount at said second date;
• and
• allowing said customer to decrease said monetary amount associated with said account after said second date.

A method for providing a benefit to a customer, comprising:

• establishing an account for a customer on a first date, wherein said account has an associated monetary amount and said customer cannot decrease said monetary amount until an activation date;
• providing a notification to said customer indicative of availability of an increase to said monetary amount benefit at said second date an a criterion associated with said increase to said monetary amount;
• allowing said customer to increase said monetary amount after said first date and before said second date;
• increasing said monetary amount at said second date if said customer satisfies said criterion;
• and
• allowing said customer to decrease said monetary amount after said activation date.

A system for providing a benefit to a customer, comprising:

• a memory;
• a communication port;
• and
• a processor connected to said memory and said communication port, said processor being operative to
• establish an account for a customer;
• allow said customer to increase a first benefit associated with said account, wherein said customer cannot use said first benefit until an activation date associated with said account;
• associate a second benefit with said account at said activation date;
• and
• allow said customer to use said first benefit and said second benefit after said activation date.

A computer program product in a computer readable medium for providing a benefit to a customer, comprising:

• first instructions for associating an account with a customer;
• second instructions for increasing a first benefit associated with said account, wherein said customer cannot use said first benefit until an activation date associated with said account;
• third instructions for adding a second benefit to said account at said activation date;
• and
• fourth instructions for granting use by said customer to said first benefit and said second benefit after said activation date.