Method and system for tracking smart card loyalty points

A system of tracking smart card merchant loyalty program information for a customer, comprising:

• a loyalty register of a loyalty program application on a purchase log part of a smart card transaction log for storing loyalty program information on a smart card microcomputer, wherein the loyalty program, application is capable of storing loyalty program information for a plurality of merchants, each identified by a unique merchant identifier, in a plurality of loyalty registers and wherein the loyalty program information includes information related to transactions with at least one merchant for the customer and the loyalty register is identified by the unique merchant identifier associated with the merchant to enable transactions with the merchant to be matched with the loyalty register for the merchant;
• means for storing transaction information on the purchase log part of the transaction log on the smart card microcomputer about transactions with the merchant for the customer at a merchant terminal, wherein the transaction information includes the unique merchant identifier and a unique transaction number associated with each transaction with the merchant in ascending numerical order;
• means associated with the transaction information storing means and the loyalty register for comparing the stored transaction information with the stored loyalty program information at a stand-alone terminal that is independent of the merchant terminal;
• means associated with the comparing means for automatically identifying transaction information stored on the purchase log part of the transaction log at the stand-alone terminal about at least one transaction with the merchant for which an associated transaction number is numerically greater than any transaction number for a transaction with the merchant stored with the stored loyalty program information;
• means associated with the identifying means and the loyalty for automatically adding the identified transaction information to the stored loyalty program information at the stand-alone terminal.

A method of tracking smart card merchant loyalty program information for a customer, comprising:

• storing loyalty program information in a loyalty register of a loyalty program application on a purchase log part of a transaction log in programmable memory on a smart card microcomputer, wherein the loyalty program application is capable of storing loyalty program information for a plurality of merchants, each identified by a unique merchant identifier, in a plurality of loyalty registers and wherein the loyalty program information includes information related to transactions with at least one merchant for the customer and the loyalty register is identified by the unique merchant identifier associated with the merchant to enable transactions with the merchant to be matched with the loyalty register for the merchant;
• storing transaction information on the purchase log part of the transaction log in programmable memory on the smart card microcomputer about transactions with the merchant for the customer at a merchant terminal, wherein the transaction information includes the unique merchant identifier and a unique transaction number associated with each transaction with the merchant in ascending numerical order;
• comparing, by an application in programmable memory on the smart card microcomputer, the transaction information stored in the purchase log on the smart card microcomputer with the loyalty program information stored in the loyalty register on the smart card microcomputer at a stand-alone terminal that is independent of the merchant terminal;
• automatically identifying, by the application in programmable memory on the smart card microcomputer, a transaction number associated with the transaction information stored on the purchase log part of the transaction log at the stand-alone terminal for which a corresponding merchant identifier is stored in the loyalty program information about at least one transaction with the merchant for which an associated transaction number is numerically greater than any transaction number for a transaction with the merchant stored in the stored loyalty program information;
• and
• automatically adding the identified transaction information to the stored loyalty program information by an application in programmable memory on the smart card microcomputer at the stand-alone terminal.

A system of tracking smart card merchant loyalty program information for a customer, comprising:

• a loyalty register of a loyalty program application on a purchase log part of a smart card transaction log in programmable memory on a smart card microcomputer for storing loyalty program information, wherein the loyalty program application is capable of storing loyalty program information for a plurality of merchants, each identified by a unique merchant identifier, in a plurality of loyalty registers and wherein the loyalty program information includes information related to transactions with at least one merchant for the customer and the loyalty register is identified by the unique merchant identifier associated with the merchant to enable transactions with the merchant to be matched with the loyalty register for the merchant;
• wherein the purchase log part of the transaction log in programmable memory on the smart card microcomputer is adapted for storing transaction information about transactions with the merchant for the customer at a merchant terminal, wherein the transaction information includes the unique merchant identifier and a unique transaction number associated with each transaction with the merchant in ascending numerical order;
• an application in programmable memory on the smart card microcomputer for comparing the transaction information stored in the purchase log in programmable memory on the smart card microcomputer with the loyalty program information stored in the loyalty register in programmable memory on the smart card microcomputer at a stand-alone terminal that is independent of the merchant terminal;
• wherein, the application in programmable memory on the smart card microcomputer is adapted for automatically identifying a transaction number associated with the transaction information stored on the purchase log part of the transaction log at the stand-alone terminal for which a corresponding merchant identifier is stored in the loyal program information about at least one transaction with the merchant for which an associated transaction number is numerically greater than any transaction number for a transaction with the merchant stored with the stored loyalty program information;
• and
• wherein the application in programmable memory on the smart card microcomputer is also adapted for automatically adding the identified transaction information to the stored loyalty program information at the stand-alone terminal.