Method and system for making donations to charitable entities

Abstract

A method and system for making a donation to a third party, wherein a user executes a purchase transaction using a card linked to a reward point account. If a user donation is desired, then the user's reward point account is decreased and corresponding value is transferred to a designated third party as a donation. In another aspect referred to as “topping off”, the donation amount is the difference between the ender amount and the purchase amount, and is transferred to a designated third party as a donation to the third party in lieu of providing change for the transaction back to the user.

1 - 29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . A system for facilitating a user making a donation to a third party, the system comprising:
 a transaction processing device;   a point of sale device interconnected via a network to the transaction processing device; and   an issuing bank computer interconnected via a network to the transaction processing device;   wherein the transaction processing device is programmed to:
 receive a request from the point of sale device to process a purchase transaction by a user using the point of sale device with a card, wherein the card is linked to a user card account and a user reward point account associated with the user and stored on the issuing bank computer, the user reward point account storing reward points previously accumulated by the user as a result of a previous transaction; 
 process the transaction with the issuing bank computer by requesting authorization of the purchase transaction from the issuing bank computer and determining the quantity of reward points stored in the user reward point account on the issuing bank computer; 
 send an instruction to the point of sale device to display (i) the quantity of reward points determined to be stored in the user reward point account on the issuing bank computer and (ii) a query to the user if a donation of reward points from the user reward point account is desired to be made by the user to a third party; 
 receive an instruction from the point of sale device indicating that the user indicates that a donation of reward points is to be made to a third party, and 
 cause a transfer to be executed from the user reward point account to a designated third party as a donation to the third party by reducing the number of reward points in the user account and transferring a corresponding value to an account associated with the third party. 
   
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 31  wherein the value transferred to an account associated with the third party comprises a monetary value that is deposited to a monetary account associated with the third party. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31  wherein the value transferred to an account associated with the third party comprises reward points that are deposited to a reward account associated with the third party. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 31  wherein the reward points previously accumulated by the user as a result of a previous transaction comprise reward points that are earned by the user as a result of executing a previous purchase transaction with the card. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 31  wherein the reward points previously accumulated by the user as a result of a previous transaction comprise reward points that are aggregated by the user from one or more different reward point accounts. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 31  wherein the point of sale device comprises a web site associated with the purchase transaction that is executed over the Internet by the user. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 31  wherein the point of sale device comprises a telephone set associated with the purchase transaction executed by the user. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 31  wherein the point of sale device is instructed to provide a query to the user for an amount to be donated. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 37  wherein the point of sale device receives an amount to be donated from the user. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 31  wherein the point of sale device is instructed to provide a query the user for an identification of the third party to which the donation will be made. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 39  wherein the point of sale device receives an identification of the third party to which the donation will be made. 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 31  wherein the transaction processing device is further programmed to send an instruction to the point of sale device to display a query to the user if a donation of reward points earned as a result of the current purchase transaction is desired to be made by the user to a third party. 
     
     
         42 . A transaction processing device for facilitating a user making a donation to a third party, the transaction processing device programmed to:
 receive a request from a point of sale device to process a purchase transaction by a user using the point of sale device with a card, wherein the card is linked to a user card account and a user reward point account associated with the user and stored on an issuing bank computer, the user reward point account storing reward points previously accumulated by the user as a result of a previous transaction;   process the transaction with the issuing bank computer by requesting authorization of the purchase transaction from the issuing bank computer and determining the quantity of reward points stored in the user reward point account on the issuing bank computer;   send an instruction to the point of sale device to display (i) the quantity of reward points determined to be stored in the user reward point account on the issuing bank computer and (ii) a query to the user if a donation of reward points from the user reward point account is desired to be made by the user to a third party;   receive an instruction from the point of sale device indicating that the user indicates that a donation of reward points is to be made to a third party, and   cause a transfer to be executed from the user reward point account to a designated third party as a donation to the third party by reducing the number of reward points in the user account and transferring a corresponding value to an account associated with the third party.   
     
     
         43 . The transaction processing device transaction processing device of  claim 31  wherein the value transferred to an account associated with the third party comprises a monetary value that is deposited to a monetary account associated with the third party. 
     
     
         44 . The transaction processing device of  claim 31  wherein the value transferred to an account associated with the third party comprises reward points that are deposited to a reward account associated with the third party. 
     
     
         45 . The transaction processing device of  claim 31  wherein the reward points previously accumulated by the user as a result of a previous transaction comprise reward points that are earned by the user as a result of executing a previous purchase transaction with the card. 
     
     
         46 . The transaction processing device of  claim 31  wherein the reward points previously accumulated by the user as a result of a previous transaction comprise reward points that are aggregated by the user from one or more different reward point accounts. 
     
     
         47 . The transaction processing device of  claim 31  wherein the transaction processing device is further programmed to send an instruction to the point of sale device to display a query to the user if a donation of reward points earned as a result of the current purchase transaction is desired to be made by the user to a third party. 
     
     
         48 . A point of sale device for facilitating a user making a donation to a third party, the point of sale device programmed to:
 a. send a request to a transaction processing device to process a purchase transaction by a user using the point of sale device with a card,
 wherein the card is linked to a user card account and a user reward point account associated with the user and stored on an issuing bank computer, the user reward point account storing reward points previously accumulated by the user as a result of a previous transaction, and 
 wherein the request comprises an instruction for the transaction processing device to request authorization of the purchase transaction from the issuing bank computer and determine the quantity of reward points stored in the user reward point account on the issuing bank computer; 
   b. receive an instruction from the transaction processing device to display
 the quantity of reward points determined to be stored in the user reward point account on the issuing bank computer and 
 a query to the user if a donation of reward points from the user reward point account is desired to be made by the user to a third party; and 
   c. send an instruction to the transaction processing device indicating that
 the user indicates that a donation of reward points is to be made to a third party, and 
 the transaction processing device should cause a transfer to be executed from the user reward point account to a designated third party as a donation to the third party by reducing the number of reward points in the user account and transferring a corresponding value to an account associated with the third party. 
   
     
     
         49 . The point of sale device of  claim 48  wherein the point of sale device comprises a web site associated with the purchase transaction that is executed over the Internet by the user. 
     
     
         50 . The point of sale device of  claim 48  wherein the point of sale device comprises a telephone set associated with the purchase transaction executed by the user. 
     
     
         51 . The point of sale device of  claim 48  which is instructed to provide a query to the user for an amount to be donated. 
     
     
         52 . The point of sale device of  claim 51  which receives an amount to be donated from the user. 
     
     
         53 . The point of sale device of  claim 48  which is instructed to provide a query the user for an identification of the third party to which the donation will be made. 
     
     
         54 . The point of sale device of  claim 53  which receives an identification of the third party to which the donation will be made. 
     
     
         55 . The point of sale device of  claim 48  further programmed to receive an instruction from the transaction processing device to display a query to the user if a donation of reward points earned as a result of the current purchase transaction is desired to be made by the user to a third party. 
     
     
         56 . A method for a transaction processing device facilitating a user making a donation to a third party, the method comprising:
 a transaction processing device receiving a request from a point of sale device to process a purchase transaction by a user using the point of sale device with a card, wherein the card is linked to a user card account and a user reward point account associated with the user and stored on an issuing bank computer, the user reward point account storing reward points previously accumulated by the user as a result of a previous transaction;   the transaction processing device processing the transaction with the issuing bank computer by requesting authorization of the purchase transaction from the issuing bank computer and determining the quantity of reward points stored in the user reward point account on the issuing bank computer;   the transaction processing device sending an instruction to the point of sale device to display (i) the quantity of reward points determined to be stored in the user reward point account on the issuing bank computer and (ii) a query to the user if a donation of reward points from the user reward point account is desired to be made by the user to a third party;   the transaction processing device receiving an instruction from the point of sale device indicating that the user indicates that a donation of reward points is to be made to a third party, and   the transaction processing device causing a transfer to be executed from the user reward point account to a designated third party as a donation to the third party by reducing the number of reward points in the user account and transferring a corresponding value to an account associated with the third party.   
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 56  wherein the value transferred to an account associated with the third party comprises a monetary value that is deposited to a monetary account associated with the third party. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 56  wherein the value transferred to an account associated with the third party comprises reward points that are deposited to a reward account associated with the third party. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 56  wherein the reward points previously accumulated by the user as a result of a previous transaction comprise reward points that are earned by the user as a result of executing a previous purchase transaction with the card. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 56  wherein the reward points previously accumulated by the user as a result of a previous transaction comprise reward points that are aggregated by the user from one or more different reward point accounts. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 56  wherein the transaction processing device is further programmed to send an instruction to the point of sale device to display a query to the user if a donation of reward points earned as a result of the current purchase transaction is desired to be made by the user to a third party. 
     
     
         62 . A method for a point of sale device facilitating a user making a donation to a third party, the method comprising:
 a. the point of sale device sending a request to a transaction processing device to process a purchase transaction by a user using the point of sale device with a card,
 wherein the card is linked to a user card account and a user reward point account associated with the user and stored on an issuing bank computer, the user reward point account storing reward points previously accumulated by the user as a result of a previous transaction, and 
 wherein the request comprises an instruction for the transaction processing device to request authorization of the purchase transaction from the issuing bank computer and determine the quantity of reward points stored in the user reward point account on the issuing bank computer; 
   b. the point of sale device receiving an instruction from the transaction processing device to display
 the quantity of reward points determined to be stored in the user reward point account on the issuing bank computer and 
 a query to the user if a donation of reward points from the user reward point account is desired to be made by the user to a third party; and 
   c. the point of sale device sending an instruction to the transaction processing device indicating that
 the user indicates that a donation of reward points is to be made to a third party, and 
 the transaction processing device should cause a transfer to be executed from the user reward point account to a designated third party as a donation to the third party by reducing the number of reward points in the user account and transferring a corresponding value to an account associated with the third party. 
   
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 62  wherein the point of sale device comprises a web site associated with the purchase transaction that is executed over the Internet by the user. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 62  wherein the point of sale device comprises a telephone set associated with the purchase transaction executed by the user. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 62  wherein the point of sale device is instructed to provide a query to the user for an amount to be donated. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 65  wherein the point of sale device receives an amount to be donated from the user. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 62  wherein the point of sale device is instructed to provide a query the user for an identification of the third party to which the donation will be made. 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 67  wherein the point of sale device receives an identification of the third party to which the donation will be made. 
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 62  further comprising the point of sale device receiving an instruction from the transaction processing device to display a query to the user if a donation of reward points earned as a result of the current purchase transaction is desired to be made by the user to a third party.