System and method for exchanging loyalty points for acquisitions

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for facilitating an acquisition from a merchant, whereby payment for the acquisition is made at least partially through automated redemption of loyalty points from a loyalty account. In particular, information is received at a loyalty point exchange system from the merchant. The information may include loyalty data indicating that the acquisition was paid for using a transaction card account that is to be reimbursed using loyalty points from the loyalty account. The loyalty account is debited by an amount equal to a currency value of the acquisition and the transaction card account is credited the amount charged for the acquisition. Loyalty points may, alternatively, be used to directly pay for purchases without the steps of charging and crediting a transaction card.

1 . A method comprising:
 transmitting, by a merchant server for automating a partial exchange of loyalty points, transaction data to a transaction account system server, wherein the transaction account server charges a transaction account for a transaction amount related to the transaction, and wherein the transaction data comprises account data associated with a transaction account; and   transmitting, by the merchant server, loyalty data to an exchange system server,   wherein the exchange system server debits a loyalty account for the transaction, based on loyalty data corresponding to the transaction, by an amount of loyalty points equivalent to a currency value of a reimbursement amount that is a portion of a total amount of the transaction and, in response to the debiting, credits the transaction account by the reimbursement amount for the transaction.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising offering an option of partially paying for a transaction amount using the loyalty points from a loyalty account. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the offering includes communicating between a participant and at least one of: a live customer service representative, an interactive voice response system, and a web based system. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the exchange system server is configured to reject non-qualifying requests for payment using loyalty points. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transaction is a purchase of an event ticket and wherein the merchant is a ticket agent. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the event ticket is purchased from an exchange. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the transmitting loyalty data to the exchange system server further comprises transmitting an identifier of a purchase price of the event ticket, an identifier of each transaction account being used, and an identifier of each loyalty account being used. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the exchange system server authenticates at least one of the loyalty data, the identifier of a purchase price of the event ticket, the identifier of each transaction account being used, and the identifier of each loyalty account being used. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the loyalty account is associated with the transaction account. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each transaction account being used is associated with at least one of: a credit card, debit card, smart card, stored value card, and a digital wallet. 
     
     
         11 . A system comprising:
 a tangible, non-transitory memory communicating with a processor for automating a partial exchange of loyalty points,   the tangible, non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
 transmitting, by the processor, transaction data to a transaction account system server, wherein the transaction account server charges a transaction account for a transaction amount related to the transaction, and wherein the transaction data comprises account data associated with a transaction account; and 
 transmitting, by the processor, loyalty data to an exchange system server, 
 wherein the exchange system server debits a loyalty account for the transaction, based on loyalty data corresponding to the transaction, by an amount of loyalty points equivalent to a currency value of a reimbursement amount that is a portion of a total amount of the transaction and, in response to the debiting, credits the transaction account by the reimbursement amount for the transaction. 
   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising offering an option of partially paying for a transaction amount using the loyalty points from a loyalty account. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the offering includes communicating between a participant and at least one of: a live customer service representative, an interactive voice response system, and a web based system. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the exchange system server is configured to reject non-qualifying requests for payment using loyalty points. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the transaction is a purchase of an event ticket and wherein the merchant is a ticket agent. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the event ticket is purchased from an exchange. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the transmitting loyalty data to the exchange system server further comprises transmitting an identifier of a purchase price of the event ticket, an identifier of each transaction account being used, and an identifier of each loyalty account being used. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the exchange system server authenticates at least one of the loyalty data, the identifier of a purchase price of the event ticket, the identifier of each transaction account being used, and the identifier of each loyalty account being used. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the loyalty account is associated with the transaction account. 
     
     
         20 . An article of manufacture including a non-transitory, tangible computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a merchant computer-based system for automating a partial exchange of loyalty points, cause the merchant computer-based system to perform operations comprising:
 transmitting, by the merchant computer-based system, transaction data to a transaction account system server, wherein the transaction account server charges a transaction account for a transaction amount related to the transaction, and wherein the transaction data comprises account data associated with a transaction account; and   transmitting, by the merchant computer-based system, loyalty data to an exchange system server,   wherein the exchange system server debits a loyalty account for the transaction, based on loyalty data corresponding to the transaction, by an amount of loyalty points equivalent to a currency value of a reimbursement amount that is a portion of a total amount of the transaction and, in response to the debiting, credits the transaction account by the reimbursement amount for the transaction.