Methods for providing digital incentives including a digital incentives switch for matching transactions and incentives

A method for issuing digital incentives for financial transaction credit as offset to a consumer user's financial account, comprising the steps of:

• providing a server computer, a proxy switch located at a merchant point-of-sale (POS) device and at least one database in electronic, digital communication over a network, and readable code stored in a storage medium and executable by one or more processors;
• the readable code providing a financial platform operable on the server computer and on the proxy switch, the financial platform operable for financial services transactions between a merchant system and a financial services system;
• the database comprising a database of profile data for at least one platform user;
• the financial platform providing a platform user account for the at least one user;
• providing a digital incentives issuing system for administering digital incentives for stimulating financial transactions by at least one user in advance of a purchase transaction with a pre-award, wherein the pre-award is a digital incentive that is automatically applied to a transaction allowing a corresponding offset or credit to the platform user account associated with the electronic payment for the transaction;
• the digital incentive issuing system including profile factors for selecting recipients among consumer users and their corresponding profile data;
• the digital incentive issuing system providing for at least a digital incentive (DI) match service and DI redeem service at the proxy switch and at the server;
• a financial messaging switch presenting the digital incentive issuing system with financial data and non-financial message data;
• and the digital incentives issuing system automatically comparing financial transaction data by the proxy switch and by the server with the digital incentive(s) and digital incentive rules for determining whether the transaction qualifies for the digital incentive to be associated with it;
• if the transaction qualifies, then automatically applying at least one pre-award digital incentive to the platform user account of the at least one user, wherein the step of applying the pre-award digital incentive provides an electronic financial transaction value as a credit or financial offset to the platform user account;
• and wherein the redemption of the pre-award digital incentive does not occur at a merchant level of the financial transaction.