US 7,813,955 B2 · System and method for networked loyalty program

Abstract

The present invention provides a system for implementing a loyalty program on a network-wide level. The system associates UPC and SKU data on a network level to reward consumers and/or to analyze the data for a variety of business purposes, such as market segmentation analyses and/or analyses relating to consumer spending behaviors or patterns, for example. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the network may comprise any number of participants, including consumers (such primary and supplementary members of an aggregate consumer account), retailers (and any of their employees), manufacturers, third-party providers, and the like. In accordance with one aspect, the system enables participation by supplementary members who are associated with a primary member and, in this manner, facilitates the tracking of supplementary member purchasing behavior, reward points earning behavior, and reward points redemption behavior. In accordance with another aspect, the system permits instant enrollment of consumers at a retailer point-of-sale using information that the retailer has previously gathered from the consumer. In accordance with another aspect, the system facilitates the compilation of a purchaser profile, which may be used for a variety of purposes, including various types of marketing analyses.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A method for facilitating enrollment of a consumer in a networked loyalty program at a computer-based point-of-sale system, the method comprising:

transmitting, by the computer-based point-of-sale system for facilitating the enrollment of the consumer in the networked loyalty program, and to a host system, consumer enrollment data;
transmitting, by the computer-based point-of-sale system and to the host system, a transaction file comprising a consumer identification (ID) and purchase data containing a retailer item identifier, wherein the host system standardizes the transaction file using the retailer item identifier by associating the retailer item identifier and a manufacturer item identifier, and deriving a standard identifier, wherein the standardizing characterizes at least one of a particular product or service across a plurality of retailers, and wherein the host system merges the consumer enrollment data with the transaction file to generate a purchaser profile which reflects consumer purchases across one or more of the plurality of retailers;
and
receiving, by the computer-based point-of-sale system, confirmation of the consumer enrollment data.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for networked loyalty program

Life of this patent

System and method for networked loyalty program

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13