Consumer rewards systems and methods

A system comprising, in combination:

• a point-of-sale (POS) capture device comprising at least:
• a unique identifier reader configured to receive a unique identifier;
• a display configured for providing information to at least one of a merchant and a consumer;
• and
• a POS computer;
• and
• a remote server comprising
• a database containing information regarding at least one consumer account and transaction data for a plurality of transactions;
• and
• a server for facilitating communication between the POS capture device and the remote server;
• wherein the remote server comprises a plurality of consumer accounts, wherein at least one consumer account comprises a points balance for a plurality of disparate merchants, the points balance for at least one merchant being exclusive from the points balance of at least one other merchant.

A machine-readable medium containing instructions stored thereon for, with a remote server:

• receiving from a merchant via a point of sale (POS) capture device a total transaction data set for a transaction;
• receiving a consumer's unique identifier and a merchant identifier from the POS capture device as part of a total transaction data set;
• adjusting a points balance for the merchant in the consumer's account hosted on the remote server based on the transaction data;
• wherein the consumer's account aggregates points for a plurality of disparate merchants, the points balance for at least one merchant being exclusive from the points balance of at least one other merchant.