Loyalty points system and method with supplemental authorizations

Abstract

The invention facilitates pooling, gifting or transferring of geographic area loyalty points between accounts. The invention also facilitates a transfer of geographic area loyalty points from a consumer account associated with a sponsoring company to a consumer account associated with a host company. The invention may also facilitate gifting of loyalty points to charitable organizations on a recurring basis, wherein the gifting may transfer any portion of geographic based points to various charities. The system may also convert the geographic area loyalty points to a monetary value, thereby allowing the points to be donated to a charity such that the donation appears to be a monetary value donation to the charity.

1 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A method, comprising:
 creating, at a computer system, a first profile for a primary member associated with a loyalty points account; and   creating, at the computer system, a second profile for a supplementary member associated with the loyalty points account, wherein the second profile specifies that the supplementary member is authorized with respect to the loyalty points account.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the second profile specifies that the supplementary member is authorized to redeem loyalty points associated with the loyalty points account. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the second profile specifies that the supplementary member is authorized to earn loyalty points associated with the loyalty points account. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the second profile specifies that the supplementary member is authorized to redeem all of the loyalty points associated with the loyalty points account. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the second profile specifies that the supplementary member is authorized to redeem only those loyalty points associated with the loyalty points account that the primary member has authorized for redemption. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the second profile specifies that the supplementary member is authorized to earn loyalty points for the loyalty points account. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the second profile specifies that the supplementary member is allowed to redeem all loyalty points associated with the loyalty points account that are earned in a specific geographic area. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the first profile includes a primary member ID that is associated with a card, and wherein the second profile includes a supplementary member ID associated with a card. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 creating, at the computer system, one or more additional profiles for additional supplementary members authorized with respect to the loyalty points account.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 reporting activity related to the loyalty points account to the primary member, but not to the supplementary member.   
     
     
         32 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, at a computer system, information indicative of activity of a supplementary member associated with an aggregate consumer loyalty account, wherein a primary member is also associated with the aggregate consumer loyalty account; and   updating, at the computer system, the aggregate consumer loyalty account based on the activity of the supplementary member.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the activity corresponds to loyalty points earned by the supplementary member. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the activity corresponds to loyalty points redeemed by the supplementary member. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the supplementary member and the primary member are associated with different geographic areas. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the activity corresponds to the supplementary member visiting a web site. 
     
     
         37 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, at a computer system, information from a primary member identifying one or more supplementary members to be associated with a consumer loyalty account; and   establishing, at the computer system, the consumer loyalty account, wherein the established consumer loyalty account is associated with the primary member and the one or more supplementary members;   wherein the computer system permits loyalty points earned by the primary member or one of the supplementary members to be associated with the established consumer loyalty account.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising:
 receiving, at the computer system, information from the primary member indicating that a particular supplementary member is authorized to redeem loyalty points associated with the established consumer loyalty account.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising:
 receiving, at the computer system, information from a first of the one or more supplementary members indicating that a second of the one or more supplementary members is authorized to redeem loyalty points associated with the established consumer loyalty account that have been earned by the first supplementary member.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising:
 receiving, at the computer system, information from the primary member indicating that a particular supplementary member is limited to accessing and viewing those number of loyalty points associated with the established consumer loyalty account that have been earned by the particular supplementary member in a specified geographic area.   
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising:
 reporting activity related to the established consumer loyalty account to the primary member but not to any of the supplementary members.