Loyalty program service

A network apparatus for implementing a loyalty program for a transaction processing system that includes at least one issuer apparatus, at least one acquirer apparatus, at least one merchant apparatus, and a transaction handler apparatus, the network apparatus comprising:

• a loyalty program database apparatus including loyalty program business rules that are usable, by hardware executing software, to determine when a transaction qualifies for the loyalty program and that indicate rewards that a consumer should receive when a transaction qualifies for the loyalty program, at least one of the loyalty program business rules specifying an award of a reward to a consumer after at least one of:
• (1) the consumer has purchased a specific subset of at least one of products and services;
• and (2) the consumer has purchased at least a specific value of products from at least a subset of merchants;
• and
• a loyalty program rule implementer apparatus having access, by hardware executing software, to the loyalty program database and including an implementer processor apparatus, the implementer processor apparatus receiving, by hardware executing software, transaction data whenever a transaction occurs and using, by hardware executing software, the received transaction data and the program business rules to determine when a transaction qualifies for the loyalty program and, when the transaction qualifies for the loyalty program, identifying, by hardware executing software, a reward to a consumer associated with the transaction, wherein the loyalty program rule implementer apparatus comprises the transaction handler apparatus.

A method for implementing a loyalty program for a transaction processing system including at least one issuer, at least one acquirer, at least one merchant, and a transaction handler, the method comprising a plurality of the steps each being performed by hardware executing software, wherein the steps include:

• providing a loyalty program database including loyalty program business rules that are usable to determine when a transaction qualifies for the loyalty program and that indicate rewards that a consumer should receive when a transaction qualifies for the loyalty program wherein the loyalty program business rules require that the transaction relate to at least one of a specific merchant, a specific issuer, a specific acquirer, a specific consumer, a specific product/service, a consumer having a specific characteristic, a merchant having a specific characteristic, an issuer having a specific characteristic, an acquirer having a specific characteristic and a product/service having a specific characteristic;
• and
• receiving transaction data at a loyalty program rule implementer whenever a transaction occurs wherein:
• the rule implementer is an entity other than the issuer, the acquirer, and the merchant;
• the loyalty program rule implementer uses the received transaction data and the program business rules to determine when a transaction qualifies for the loyalty program;
• and
• after a transaction qualifies for the loyalty program, the steps further include identifying a reward for the consumer associated with the transaction.

A network apparatus for implementing a loyalty program for a transaction processing system, the network apparatus being in communication through a network with at least one issuer apparatus, at least one acquirer apparatus, at least one merchant apparatus, and a transaction handler apparatus, the network apparatus comprising:

• a loyalty program database apparatus including loyalty program business rules that are usable, by hardware executing software, to determine when a transaction qualifies for the loyalty program and that indicate rewards that a consumer should receive when a transaction qualifies for the loyalty program wherein the loyalty program business rules require that the transaction relate to at least one of a specific merchant, a specific issuer, a specific acquirer, a specific consumer, a specific product/service, a consumer having a specific characteristic, a merchant having a specific characteristic, an issuer having a specific characteristic, an acquirer having a specific characteristic and a product/service having a specific characteristic;
• and
• a loyalty program rule implementer apparatus having access, by hardware executing software, to the loyalty program database apparatus and including an implementer processor apparatus, wherein:
• the loyalty program rule implementer apparatus is in communication by the network with the issuer apparatus, the acquirer apparatus, and the merchant apparatus;
• and
• the implementer processor apparatus performs, by hardware executing software, the steps of:
• receiving transaction data whenever a transaction occurs;
• using the received transaction data and the program business rules to determine when a transaction qualifies for the loyalty program;
• and
• when the transaction qualifies for the loyalty program, identifying a reward to a consumer associated with the transaction.