System and method for the transfer of loyalty points

Abstract

The present invention includes a loyalty program on a network-wide level, wherein the program facilitates a transfer of loyalty points from at least one consumer account associated with a sponsoring company to at least one consumer account associated with a host company. In one embodiment, the invention analyzes the loyalty point balances of consumer accounts associated with a sponsoring company, and based upon certain criteria or rules, the system determines particular loyalty point balances which are below a certain threshold amount or which have remained inactive for a certain time period. After determining particular consumer accounts which meet the criteria or rules, the system establishes a new host account in a host system for each qualifying consumer. The system then deducts all or any portion of the remaining loyalty point balance in the particular consumer's sponsored account and credits the corresponding host account with a corresponding loyalty point balance. By transferring the consumer accounts to a host system, the sponsoring company eliminates or reduces the loyalty point balances from its system, thereby reducing the sponsoring company accounting liabilities and providing new options for the consumers to redeem the points.

1 . A method comprising:
 acquiring, by a loyalty computing device, balance data related to loyalty point balances of sponsored consumer loyalty accounts associated with sponsoring companies, wherein said sponsored consumer loyalty accounts comprise at least one of manufacturer loyalty points issued by a manufacturer, merchant loyalty points issued by a merchant or a third set of loyalty points;   determining, by said loyalty computing device, said sponsored consumer loyalty accounts that meet at least a portion of qualifications for a loyalty point transfer based on rules;   deducting, by said loyalty computing device, at least a portion of said loyalty point balances of said sponsored consumer loyalty accounts that meet said qualifications; and,   crediting, by said loyalty computing device, a host consumer loyalty account associated with a host company with at least a portion of said loyalty point balances, wherein at least one of said sponsoring companies or said host company initiated a transfer of said loyalty points.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said qualifications include at least one of (i) at least one of said host consumer loyalty accounts or said sponsored consumer loyalty accounts having loyalty point balances below a threshold amount, (ii) at least one of said host consumer loyalty accounts or said sponsored consumer loyalty accounts remaining inactive for a certain time period, (iii) said sponsored consumer loyalty account be flagged, or (iv) having said host company, said sponsoring company or said consumer requesting a transfer of loyalty points. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said qualifications are at least partially based upon at least one of: consumer name, consumer ID, registration date, consumer transaction data, purchases which qualify for points, time and date of points earned, amount of points earned for each transaction, point balance history, current point balance, time period since last points earned, or time period since last conducting a transaction with a sponsor. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said crediting is based on said host consumer loyalty account meeting at least a portion of said qualifications. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving via at least one of a webpage or a customer service representative a request that said sponsored consumer loyalty account be flagged such that said sponsored consumer loyalty account have loyalty points transferred to said host consumer loyalty point account. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said deducting occurs on at least one of a predetermined time period, certain date, random date or a requested time. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said portion of loyalty point balances includes at least one of a set amount of points, all of the points in one of said sponsored consumer loyalty accounts, any subset of points in said sponsored consumer loyalty accounts, an increasing amount of points, a decreasing amount of points, points based upon a formula, points based upon an event or points based upon a non-event. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said sponsored consumer loyalty accounts and said host consumer loyalty account are associated with a same consumer. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said sponsored consumer loyalty accounts and said host consumer loyalty account are associated with a different consumer. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said sponsored consumer loyalty accounts are associated with different consumers. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said crediting comprises crediting more than one of said host consumer loyalty point accounts. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said sponsoring companies facilitate issuing of points to said sponsored consumer loyalty accounts. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said third set of loyalty points is based on a consumer ID, a purchase price and a third currency to point ratio corresponding to at least one of affiliated Service Establishment (SE) numbers or an issuer of a transaction account. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving and processing, by said loyalty computing device, a purchase transaction, wherein said purchase transaction includes a consumer ID, said merchant item identifier, and a purchase price;   retrieving, by said loyalty computing device, said manufacturer item identifier corresponding to said merchant item identifier;   calculating, by said loyalty computing device, said merchant loyalty points based on said consumer ID, said purchase price and a first currency to point ratio corresponding to said merchant item identifier;   calculating, by said loyalty computing device, said manufacturer loyalty points based on said consumer ID, said purchase price and a second currency to point ratio corresponding to said manufacturer item identifier;   calculating, by said loyalty computing device, said third set of loyalty points based on said consumer ID, said purchase price and a third currency to point ratio corresponding to at least one of affiliated Service Establishment (SE) numbers or an issuer of a transaction account; and,   combining, by said loyalty computing device, said merchant loyalty points, said manufacturer loyalty points, and said third set of loyalty points within said sponsored consumer loyalty account associated with said consumer ID.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 receiving and storing, by said loyalty computing device, manufacturer item identifiers, wherein said manufacturer item identifiers are received from a manufacturer;   receiving and storing, by said loyalty computing device, retail item identifiers, wherein said retail item identifiers are received from a merchant; and   associating and storing, by said loyalty computing device, each of said retail item identifiers with a corresponding one of said manufacturer item identifiers.   
   
   
       16 . A loyalty computing device comprising:
 a network interface communicating with a memory;   said memory communicating with a processor; and   said processor, when executing a computer program, is configured to perform a method comprising:
 acquiring, by a loyalty computing device, balance data related to loyalty point balances of sponsored consumer loyalty accounts associated with sponsoring companies, wherein said sponsored consumer loyalty accounts comprise at least one of manufacturer loyalty points issued by a manufacturer, merchant loyalty points issued by a merchant or a third set of loyalty points; 
 determining, by said loyalty computing device, said sponsored consumer loyalty accounts that meet at least a portion of qualifications for a loyalty point transfer based on rules; 
 deducting, by said loyalty computing device, at least a portion of said loyalty point balances of said sponsored consumer loyalty accounts that meet said qualifications; and, 
 crediting, by said loyalty computing device, a host consumer loyalty account associated with a host company with at least a portion of said loyalty point balances, wherein at least one of said sponsoring companies or said host company initiated a transfer of said loyalty points. 
   
   
   
       17 . A tangible computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of computer-executable instructions that, if executed by a computing device, cause said computing device to perform a method comprising:
 acquiring, by a loyalty computing device, balance data related to loyalty point balances of sponsored consumer loyalty accounts associated with sponsoring companies, wherein said sponsored consumer loyalty accounts comprise at least one of manufacturer loyalty points issued by a manufacturer, merchant loyalty points issued by a merchant or a third set of loyalty points;   determining, by said loyalty computing device, said sponsored consumer loyalty accounts that meet at least a portion of qualifications for a loyalty point transfer based on rules;   deducting, by said loyalty computing device, at least a portion of said loyalty point balances of said sponsored consumer loyalty accounts that meet said qualifications; and,   crediting, by said loyalty computing device, a host consumer loyalty account associated with a host company with at least a portion of said loyalty point balances, wherein at least one of said sponsoring companies or said host company initiated a transfer of said loyalty points.