Systems and Methods to Program Operations for Interaction with Users

Abstract

In one aspect, a computing apparatus is configured to represent offer rules based on requirements for the detection of predefined types of events and actions scheduled to be performed in response to the detection of each occurrence of the events. The events are independent from each other in processing and are linked via prerequisite conditions to formulate the requirements of an offer campaign.

1 . A method, comprising:
 generating a plurality of trigger records for a transaction handler, the transaction handler to receive from acquirer processors authorization requests for payments to be made by issuer processors according to account identifiers of users, and the transaction handler to identify first authorization requests based on the trigger records in real-time with providing responses to the authorization requests;   receiving, in a computing apparatus, information about the first authorization requests of first users;   identifying, by the computing apparatus, communication references of the first users;   determining, by the computing apparatus, messages to be targeted at the first users based on the information about the first authorization requests; and   providing, by the computing apparatus in real-time with the responses to the authorization requests, the messages for transmission to the first users via the communication references.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the issuer processors are to make the payments on behalf of the users, and the acquirer processors are to receive the payments on behalf of merchants. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising identifying authorization requests that satisfy conditions specified in the trigger records. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the conditions are events specified in offer rules provided by a merchant. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing the messages at points of interaction of the first users. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the communication references are at least one of: phone number and email address; and the messages are for transmission via at least one of: short message service and email. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the messages are for transmission to mobile phones of the first users via communication channels separate from channels to provide the responses to the authorization requests. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the messages comprise offers; and the method further comprises:
 receiving offer rules from merchants via a portal; and   identifying the offers based on transaction data of the first users and the offer rules in real-time with the responses to the authorization requests.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the messages indicate that transactions corresponding to the first authorization requests are eligible for benefits of offers associated with account identifiers of the first users; and the method further comprises:
 identifying settled transactions corresponding to the first authorization requests; and   providing the benefits of the offers to the first users via one of: statement credits, loyalty program points, and point of sale credit using digital coupons transmitted to mobile phones of the first users.   
     
     
         10 . A tangible machine readable medium storing thereon instructions, the instructions configured to instruct a computing apparatus to perform a method, the method comprising:
 generating a plurality of trigger records for a transaction handler, the transaction handler to receive from acquirer processors authorization requests for payments to be made by issuer processors according to account identifiers of users, and the transaction handler to identify first authorization requests based on the trigger records in real-time with providing responses to the authorization requests;   receiving, in the computing apparatus, information about the first authorization requests of first users;   identifying, by the computing apparatus, communication references of the first users;   determining, by the computing apparatus, messages to be targeted at the first users based on the information about the first authorization requests; and   providing, by the computing apparatus in real-time with the responses to the authorization requests, the messages for transmission to the first users via the communication references.   
     
     
         11 . The machine readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the messages comprise offers; and the method further comprises:
 receiving offer rules from merchants via a portal; and   identifying the offers based on transaction data of the first users and the offer rules in real-time with the responses to the authorization requests.   
     
     
         12 . The machine readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the offer rules comprise a set of events, at least one action or operation specified for each event, and the at least one action or operation to be performed in response to detection of an occurrence of the respective event. 
     
     
         13 . The machine readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein each event has a prerequisite condition; and the method further comprises receiving first offer rules from a first merchant, the first offer rules comprising a first set of events strung together via prerequisite conditions. 
     
     
         14 . The machine readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the first set of events comprises first, second, and third events, the third event specifying at least one of the first event and the second event as a prerequisite condition. 
     
     
         15 . The machine readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the first or second event is detected based on activities in the transaction handler. 
     
     
         16 . The machine readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises storing a list of the set of events that have been completed. 
     
     
         17 . The machine readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the set of events corresponds to a flow of events for a user; and the method further comprises storing data showing a current position of the user in the flow of events. 
     
     
         18 . A system, comprising:
 at least one processor; and   memory storing instructions configured to instruct the at least one processor to:
 generate a plurality of trigger records for a transaction handler, the transaction handler to receive from acquirer processors authorization requests for payments to be made by issuer processors according to account identifiers of users, and the transaction handler to identify first authorization requests based on the trigger records in real-time with providing responses to the authorization requests; 
 receive information about the first authorization requests of first users; 
 identify communication references of the first users; 
 determine messages to be targeted at the first users based on the information about the first authorization requests; and 
 provide the messages for transmission to the first users via the communication references. 
   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the issuer processors are to make the payments on behalf of the users, and the acquirer processors are to receive the payments on behalf of merchants. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the trigger records are generated in response to activation, by a merchant or advertiser via a portal, of offer rules.