Method, system, and computer program for providing a loyalty engine for automated cause management

Abstract

A method, system and computer program for providing a loyalty engine for automated cause marketing. The method includes a charity linking merchants and sponsors to the loyalty system. Members register with the loyalty engine through the loyalty system which is accessible via the Internet. Once the merchants and the sponsors are linked and the members are registered, by operation of the loyalty engine, the merchants can create a customized loyalty program defined by a plurality of merchant defined rules for administering their loyalty program. The merchant defined rules instruct the loyalty engine as to the level of donations in connection with one or more transactions by a member that is associated to the loyalty program. The loyalty system includes a reporting facility to allow the merchant to track transactions with members in a number of ways. A system is also provided that consists of a server computer including the loyalty engine and the charity utility. The charity utility provides the functions of the method and is linked to a server computer that is connected to the Internet. The computer program of the invention is a web application that enables the members, sponsors, merchants, and the charity to access the functions of the invention via a web browser.

1 . A method for providing a loyalty program for promoting charitable donations comprising the steps of:
 (a) an administrator establishing and administering the loyalty program;   (b) linking each of a plurality of member purchasers to the loyalty program;   (c) linking each of a plurality of merchants to the loyalty program;   (d) linking one or more charities to the loyalty program, each creating one or more customized loyalty programs, each said customized loyalty program defined by rules for administering the customized loyalty program, including the rules under which each of the plurality of merchants will make donations of money, goods or services to the one or more charities, based on one or more purchases made by members from the plurality of merchants;   (e) the loyalty program accumulating the donations of money, goods or services; and   (f) the loyalty program directing the donations to the one or more charities based on associated rules defined by the loyalty program.   
     
     
         2 . The method claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the administrator is one or more of the charities. 
     
     
         3 . The method claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each of the members is linked to the loyalty program by registering one or more financial transaction identification means with the loyalty program. 
     
     
         4 . The method claimed in  claim 3  wherein each of the financial transaction identification means may or may not be restricted to use with the merchants linked to the loyalty program. 
     
     
         5 . The method claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the financial transaction identification means are financial cards. 
     
     
         6 . The method claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the financial cards are issued by the administrator. 
     
     
         7 . The method claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the purchases are made by means of the financial cards. 
     
     
         8 . The method claimed in  claim 7 , wherein one or more of the financial cards is a stored value card. 
     
     
         9 . The method claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the stored value cards are distributed by one or more sponsors, each said sponsor being linked to the loyalty program and each said sponsor contributing money to provide the stored value card with value. 
     
     
         10 . The method claimed in  claim 7 , comprising the further step of the one or more charities defining the rules under which, as part of each said customized loyalty program, it will receive donations based on the one or more purchases made by each member in association with the loyalty program using the member's one or more financial cards. 
     
     
         11 . The method claimed in  claim 1 , comprising the further step of the one or more charities defining rules as part of each said customized loyalty program that specifies the manner in which the donation is received. 
     
     
         12 . The method claimed in  claim 1 , comprising the further step of the one or more charities defining rules as part of each said customized loyalty program that specifies the manner in which the donation is dispersed to beneficiaries of the one or more charities. 
     
     
         13 . The method claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the donation is dispersed to beneficiaries by cash, in kind contribution, special reduction in price at the one or more merchants, donation to the same or another charity, or other promotion. 
     
     
         14 . The method claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the donations are tracked and stored in a donation account by operation of the loyalty program based on merchant defined rules and charity defined rules. 
     
     
         15 . The method claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the sponsor restricts use of the stored value cards to merchants selling goods and services of the sponsor. 
     
     
         16 . The method claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the one or more charities selectively register members and merchants belonging to each of the one or more charities. 
     
     
         17 . The method claimed in  claim 1 , wherein one of the one or more charities is a national charity and the other of the one or more charities are regional charities associated with the national charity. 
     
     
         18 . The method claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the one or more charities receive the donations based upon a geographical location of each of the regional charities and a geographical location of the purchases made by the members. 
     
     
         19 . The method claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the national charity is the administrator. 
     
     
         20 . The method claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the national charity receives the donations if there is no regional charity associated with the geographical location of the purchases made by the members. 
     
     
         21 . A system for providing a loyalty program linked to charitable donations presented by a plurality of merchants, a plurality of members, and one or more charities registered with the loyalty program, the system comprising:
 (a) a server computer connected to the Internet; and   (b) a web application linked to the server, the web application defining a loyalty engine that enables a plurality of merchants, one or more charities, and a plurality of members to create and manage customized loyalty programs defined by a plurality of rules interpreted by the loyalty engine for administering at least one loyalty program;
 wherein the loyalty engine includes a charity utility operable to enable the one or more charities to link the one or more charities, a plurality of merchants, one or more sponsors, and a plurality of members with the loyalty program, each said member being linked to the one or more charities by registering a financial transaction identification means using the charity utility; 
 wherein the loyalty engine includes a merchant utility enabling the plurality of merchants to optionally define the rules under which as part of their loyalty program, they will make donations to the one or more charities based on one or more purchases made by members from the plurality of merchants; 
 wherein the charity utility enables the loyalty program to keep track of the accumulating donations to the one or more charities based on one or more purchases made by members from the plurality of merchants; 
   wherein the loyalty program includes a member utility enabling the plurality of members to keep track of the purchases made at the plurality of merchants; and
 wherein the loyalty program includes a sponsor utility enabling the plurality of sponsors to keep track of the purchases made by some of the plurality of members. 
   
     
     
         22 . The system claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the loyalty program is operable to keep track of demographic information about each of the plurality of members. 
     
     
         23 . The system claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the merchant utility is further operable to provide reports to each of the plurality of merchants. 
     
     
         24 . The system claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the reports include a report on spending by the plurality of members at each of a plurality of locations of each merchant. 
     
     
         25 . The system claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the reports include a report on spending by the plurality of members at the plurality of merchants. 
     
     
         26 . The system claimed in  claim 24 , wherein the reports include a report on spending by the plurality of members at the each of plurality of merchants. 
     
     
         27 . The system claimed in  claim 26 , wherein the report on spending is limited to a defined time frame. 
     
     
         28 . The system claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the members make purchases from the plurality of merchants using the one or more financial transaction identification means. 
     
     
         29 . The system claimed in  claim 28 , wherein the financial transaction identifications means are stored value cards distributed by the one or more sponsors, each said sponsor contributing money to provide the stored value card with value. 
     
     
         30 . The system claimed in  claim 28 , wherein the financial transaction identifications means are one or more financial cards registered with the loyalty program. 
     
     
         31 . The system claimed in  claim 28 , wherein the loyalty program is operable to keep track of the transactions made using each of the plurality of stored value cards and the plurality of financial cards. 
     
     
         32 . The system claimed in  claim 28 , wherein the loyalty program is operable to associate each of the plurality of members' age and gender with each of the plurality of stored value cards and the plurality of financial cards. 
     
     
         33 . The system claimed in  claim 27 , wherein the reports include a report on spending by the plurality of members broken down by age and gender. 
     
     
         34 . The system claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the charity utility enables the one or more charities to define the rules under which, as part of the loyalty program, they will receive donations from the plurality of merchants in connection with one or more transactions with a member that is associated with the loyalty program. 
     
     
         35 . The system claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the server computer is linked to a database. 
     
     
         36 . The system claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the loyalty engine further includes a transaction facility that is operable to process financial transactions between the loyalty engine and the one or more charities based on one or more transactions between the plurality of merchants and the one or more members based on the merchant defined rules. 
     
     
         37 . The system claimed in  claim 21 , wherein one of the one or more charities is a national charity and the other of the one or more charities are regional charities associated with the national charity. 
     
     
         38 . The system claimed in  claim 37 , wherein the one or more charities receive the donations based upon a geographical location of each of the regional charities and a geographical location of the purchases made by the members. 
     
     
         39 . The system claimed in  claim 37 , wherein the national charity is the administrator. 
     
     
         40 . The system claimed in  claim 38 , wherein the national charity receives the donations if there is no regional charity associated with the geographical location of the purchases made by the members. 
     
     
         41 . A computer program comprising:
 computer instructions which when loaded on a server computer connected to the Internet are operable to provide a web application defining a loyalty engine that enables one or more charities and a plurality of merchants, members and loyalty system administrator to create and manage customized loyalty programs defined by a plurality of rules interpreted by the loyalty engine for administering their loyalty programs;
 wherein the loyalty engine includes a charity utility operable to enable the one or more charities to link the one or more charities, a plurality of merchants, one or more sponsors, and a plurality of members with the loyalty program, each said member being linked to the one or more charities by registering a financial transaction identification means using the charity utility; 
 wherein the loyalty engine includes a merchant utility enabling the plurality of merchants to optionally define the rules under which as part of their loyalty program, they will make donations to the one or more charities based on one or more purchases made by members from the plurality of merchants; 
 wherein the charity utility enables the loyalty program to keep track of the accumulating donations to the one or more charities based on one or more purchases made by members from the plurality of merchants; 
 wherein the loyalty program includes a member utility enabling the plurality of members to keep track of the purchases made at the plurality of merchants; and 
 wherein the loyalty program includes a sponsor utility enabling the plurality of sponsors to keep track of the purchases made by some of the plurality of members. 
 wherein based on a member transacting with a merchant, the loyalty program being further operable, based on such selection and the donation rules to: 
   (i) track transactions between the merchants and the member; and   (ii) apply the donation rules.   
     
     
         42 . The computer program claimed in  claim 41 , further comprising a transaction utility that is operable to process financial transactions between the loyalty engine and the one or more charities based on one or more transactions between the plurality of merchants and the one or more members based on the merchant defined rules.