Mobile rewards redemption system and method

Abstract

A mobile rewards real-time redemption system allows members of programs to use a mobile rewards redemption application via their mobile device to redeem currency or points. A ‘ghost’ credit/debit vehicle (account) is used to redeem the rewards currency or points. The ghost card completes the financial transaction which is, from the perspective of a redemption retailer, a conventional card transaction.

1 . A system comprising:
 a program component for managing a currency (points) account of a person and for implementing a debit/credit account;   a mobile device of the person, said device having a payment protocol;   a terminal at a point-of-sale of a retailer for communicating with the mobile device via the payment protocol to effect a transaction between the person and the retailer in which the person purchases goods/services from the retailer at a purchase price;   an application executable by the mobile device communicating with the program component and converting currency (points) in the person's currency account into an amount applied to the debit/credit account; and   said mobile device configured to pay for at least part of the transaction by communicating with the terminal via the payment protocol to apply the debit/credit account to the transaction so that at least a part of the purchase price for the goods/services purchased by the person from the retailer comprises currency from the person's currency account applied to the transaction via the debit/credit account.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the following:
 the debit/credit account is initially a zero balance account reloadable only by the program component and hidden from the person; 
 the debit/credit account is associated with only the currency account of the person; and 
 the debit/credit account is a card account of the retailer. 
 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  the program component implements a debit/credit card account which is usable only with selected retailers and wherein the application transmits the retailer's identity to the program component and the amount is applied to the debit/credit account only if the retailer's identity corresponds to one of the selected retailers. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the application presents the person with a redemption option in which the person selects the amount of currency to be applied to the debit/credit account. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the program component comprises a mobile rewards control center communicating with a prepaid card management system, a mobile rewards gateway and the application. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the prepaid card management system communicates with a trusted service manager to establish the debit/credit account associated with the currency account. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the mobile rewards gateway comprises an interface between the mobile rewards control center and one or more award program platforms to which the person is a member. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7  wherein at least one of the following:
 the debit/credit account is initially a zero balance account reloadable only by the program component and hidden from the person; 
 the debit/credit account is associated with the currency account of the person; and 
 the debit/credit account is a card account of the retailer. 
 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a mobile wallet included in the mobile device for handling the debit/credit account within the transaction; and
 wherein at least one of the following: 
 the debit/credit account is initially a zero balance account reloadable only by the program component and hidden from the person; 
 the debit/credit account is associated with the currency account of the person; and 
 the debit/credit account is a card account of the retailer. 
 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising an offer engine providing offers to the person via the mobile device in response to an action by the person. 
     
     
         11 . A system for use with:
 a mobile device of a person having a payment protocol, and   a terminal at a point-of-sale of a retailer for communicating with the mobile device via the payment protocol to effect a transaction between the person and the retailer in which the person purchases goods/services from the retailer at a purchase price,   said system comprising:   a program component for managing a currency (points) account of the person and for implementing a debit/credit account;   an application executable by the mobile device communicating with the program component and converting currency (points) in the person's currency account into an amount applied to the debit/credit account;   said application executed by the mobile device to pay for at least part of the transaction by communicating with the terminal via the payment protocol to apply the debit/credit account to the transaction so that at least a part of the purchase price for the goods/services purchased by the person from the retailer comprises currency from the person's currency account applied to the transaction via the debit/credit account.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein at least one of the following:
 the debit/credit account is initially a zero balance account reloadable only by the program component and hidden from the person; 
 the debit/credit account is associated with the currency account of the person; and 
 the debit/credit account is a card account of the retailer. 
 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1  the program component implements a debit/credit card account which is usable only with selected retailers and wherein the application transmits the retailer's identity to the program component and the amount is applied to the debit/credit account only if the retailer's identity corresponds to one of the selected retailers. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the application presents the person with a redemption option in which the person selects the amount of currency to be applied to the debit/credit account. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the program component comprises a mobile rewards control center communicating with a prepaid card management system, a mobile rewards gateway and the application. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the prepaid card management system communicates with a trusted service manager to establish the debit/credit account associated with the currency account. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the mobile rewards gateway comprises an interface between the mobile rewards control center and one or more award program platforms to which the person is a member. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17  wherein at least one of the following:
 the debit/credit account is initially a zero balance account reloadable only by the program component and hidden from the person; 
 the debit/credit account is associated with the currency account of the person; and 
 the debit/credit account is a card account of the retailer. 
 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11  further comprising a mobile wallet included in the mobile device for handling the debit/credit account within the transaction; and
 wherein at least one of the following: 
 the debit/credit account is initially a zero balance account reloadable only by the program component and hidden from the person; 
 the debit/credit account is associated with the currency account of the person; and 
 the debit/credit account is a card account of the retailer. 
 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 11  further comprising an offer engine providing offers to the person via the mobile device in response to an action by the person.