System and Method for Targeted Marketing and Consumer Resource Management

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for providing targeted marketing to goods and services provides and consumer resource management services to consumers. An example system and method for targeted marketing comprises collecting transaction data from point-of-sale (POS) terminals and using a consumer identifier in the transaction data to access stored information about the consumer. This information may be used to target offers and advertisement to the consumer. In an example system for consumer resource management, a consumer may configure a consumer account on the enterprise infrastructure via a web-site. The consumer may use the consumer account to purchase and configure gift cards that may be used for purchasing goods and services. A universal transaction identifier may be associated with the consumer account and used to purchase goods and services from more than one selected goods and services providers.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for managing a use of a gift card with an enterprise infrastructure, comprising:
 storing a balance of the gift card in the enterprise infrastructure;   obtaining, using a central processor (CPU) of a computer and within the enterprise infrastructure, a transaction of a user;   identifying, using the CPU, the gift card as a payment source of the transaction; and   adjusting, using the CPU and in response to identifying the gift card as the payment source, the balance in the enterprise infrastructure based on the transaction;   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 obtaining information of the gift card from the user;   accessing a computer system of the gift card vendor based on the information of the gift card; and   obtaining the balance of the gift card from the computer system of the gift card vendor.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transaction is input into the enterprise infrastructure by the user. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying the gift card as the payment source comprises receiving, within the enterprise infrastructure, an input from the user designating the gift card as the payment source. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transaction is input into the enterprise infrastructure based on an electronic receipt. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the electronic receipt comprises a reference to the gift card, and wherein identifying the gift card as the payment source is based on the electronic receipt. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 trading the gift card with another user; and   transmitting, using the CPU, information of the gift card to the another user, wherein the information of the gift card comprises information of a retail partner, the balance of the gift card, and a gift card code of the gift card.   
     
     
         8 . A non-transitory computer readable medium, embodying instructions executable by a computer to perform method steps to manage the use of a gift card, the instructions comprising functionality for:
 storing a balance of the gift card in an enterprise infrastructure;   obtaining, within the enterprise infrastructure, a transaction of a user;   identifying the gift card as a payment source of the transaction; and   adjusting the balance in the enterprise infrastructure based on the transaction in response to identifying the gift card as the payment source.   
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 8 , the instructions when executed by the computer further comprises functionality for:
 obtaining information of the gift card from the user;   accessing a computer system of a retail partner based on the information of the gift card; and   obtaining the balance from the computer system of the retail partner.   
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the transaction is input into the enterprise infrastructure by the user. 
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein identifying the gift card as the payment source comprises receiving, within the enterprise infrastructure, an input from the user designating the gift card as the payment source. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the transaction is input into the enterprise infrastructure based on an electronic receipt. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the electronic receipt comprises a reference to the gift card, and wherein identifying the gift card as the payment source is based on the electronic receipt. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 8 , the instructions when executed by the computer further comprises functionality for:
 trading the gift card with another user; and   transmitting, using the CPU, information of the gift card to the another user, wherein the information of the gift card comprises information of a retail partner, the balance of the gift card, and a gift card code of the gift card.   
     
     
         15 . A system for managing a use of a gift card, comprising:
 an enterprise infrastructure executing on a central processing unit (CPU) and configured to maintain a balance of the gift card; and   an enterprise infrastructure interface coupled to the enterprise infrastructure, configured to:
 obtain information of the gift card from the user; 
 access a computer system of a gift card vendor based on the information of the gift card; 
 obtain the balance of the gift card from the computer system of the gift card vendor; and 
 provide the balance to the enterprise infrastructure. 
   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising an enterprise infrastructure configured to track spending data of a user comprising a database storage system, operatively connected to the server, configured to store spending data and the information of the gift card. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the enterprise infrastructure interface is further configured to:
 obtain, within the enterprise infrastructure, a transaction of the user;   identify the gift card as a payment source of the transaction; and   adjust the balance based on the transaction in response to identifying the gift card as the payment source.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the transaction is input into the enterprise infrastructure by the user, wherein the input designates the gift card as the payment source. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the transaction is obtained from a point of sale terminal. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the transaction is obtained by the enterprise infrastructure based on an electronic receipt identifying the gift card as the payment source. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the transaction is obtained by the enterprise infrastructure from the computer system of the gift card vendor. 
     
     
         22 . A system for managing a use of a gift card with an enterprise system, wherein the enterprise infrastructure interface is configured to:
 transfer the value associated with a gift card from the account of one user to another user; and   transmit information of the gift card to the another user, wherein the information of the gift card comprises information of an issuer of the gift card, the balance of the gift card, and a gift card code of the gift card.