Systems and methods for linking ach data with merchant loyalty data

Abstract

A method for linking alternative payment information with customer loyalty data includes obtaining a customer loyalty identifier associated with a customer, reading customer data from a database based on the obtained customer loyalty identifier, obtaining alternative payment information from the read customer data, determining whether payment by the alternative payment information is enabled for the customer loyalty identifier, prompting the customer to enable payment by the alternative payment information, prompting the customer for authorization information associated with payment by the alternative payment information, enabling payment by the alternative payment information for the customer loyalty identifier, and applying the alternative payment information to a current purchase of the customer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for linking alternative payment information with customer loyalty data, the method comprising:
 obtaining, by way of a terminal in communication with a merchant's point-of-sale (POS) system, a customer loyalty identifier associated with a customer;   identifying that alternative payment information associated with the customer is not present in a database of the POS system;   presenting, on a display of the terminal, a prompt requesting the customer to enter the alternative payment information;   receiving, from the customer, the alternative payment information and storing the alternative payment information in the database;   determining that payment by the alternative payment information is not enabled for the customer loyalty identifier; and   providing, on the display of the terminal, a plurality of options to the customer with respect to execution of a transaction.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the obtaining the customer loyalty identifier comprises:
 detecting, at a card reader associated with the terminal, a customer loyalty card, wherein the customer loyalty card is associated with the merchant; and   obtaining, by the card reader and from a magnetic strip or chip of the customer loyalty card, the customer loyalty identifier.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining comprises:
 presenting, on the display of the terminal, another prompt requesting the customer to enable payment by the alternative payment information; and   receiving, from the customer, a declination indication in response to the another prompt.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of options include at least one of: a first alternative option to cancel the transaction, a second alternative option to present an alternative customer loyalty identifier, and a third alternative option to select additional alternative payment information. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising presenting, on the display of the terminal and upon selection of the third alternative option, incentive information for utilization of the additional alternative payment information;
 wherein the incentive information associated with the additional alternative payment information is different than other incentive information associated with the alternative payment information.   
     
     
         6 . The method  claim 4 , further comprising completing, upon selection by the customer of the third alternative option, the transaction via applying stored financial account information associated with the additional alternative payment information to the transaction. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the customer, a selection of an enablement option from the plurality of options, wherein the enablement option enables alternative payment information for the customer loyalty ID;   enabling, upon receiving authorization from the customer, payment for the transaction via the alternative payment information associated with the customer loyalty ID; and   completing the transaction utilizing the alternative payment information.   
     
     
         8 . A computer system for linking alternative payment information with customer loyalty data, the system comprising:
 a terminal;   a display screen;   a memory having processor-readable instructions stored therein; and   a processor configured to access the memory and execute the processor-readable instructions, which when executed by the processor configures the processor to perform a plurality of functions, including functions to:
 obtain, by way of the terminal in communication with a merchant's point-of-sale (POS) system, a customer loyalty identifier associated with a customer; 
 identify that alternative payment information associated with the customer is not present in a database of the POS system; 
 present, on the display screen of the terminal, a prompt requesting the customer to enter the alternative payment information; 
 receive, from the customer, the alternative payment information and storing the alternative payment information in the database; 
 determine that payment by the alternative payment information is not enabled for the customer loyalty identifier; and 
 provide, on the display of the terminal, a plurality of options to the customer with respect to execution of a transaction. 
   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the instructions executable by the processor to obtain the customer loyalty identifier comprise instructions executable by the processor to:
 detect, at a card reader associated with the terminal, a customer loyalty card, wherein the customer loyalty card is associated with the merchant; and   obtain, by the card reader and from a magnetic strip or chip of the customer loyalty card, the customer loyalty identifier.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the instructions executable by the processor to determine comprise instructions executable by the processor to:
 present, on the display of the terminal, another prompt requesting the customer to enable payment by the alternative payment information; and   receive, from the customer, a declination indication in response to the another prompt.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of options include at least one of: a first alternative option to cancel the transaction, a second alternative option to present an alternative customer loyalty identifier, and a third alternative option to select additional alternative payment information. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:
 present, on the display of the terminal and upon selection of the third alternative option, incentive information for utilization of the additional alternative payment information;   wherein the incentive information associated with the additional alternative payment information is different than other incentive information associated with the alternative payment information.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:
 complete, upon selection by the customer of the third alternative option, the transaction via applying stored financial account information associated with the additional alternative payment information to the transaction.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:
 receive, from the customer, a selection of an enablement option from the plurality of options, wherein the enablement option enables alternative payment information for the customer loyalty ID;   enable, upon receiving authorization from the customer, payment for the transaction via the alternative payment information associated with the customer loyalty ID; and   complete the transaction utilizing the alternative payment information wherein the alternative payment information is automated clearing house (ACH) data.   
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a method of linking alternative payment information with customer loyalty data, the method comprising:
 obtaining, by way of a terminal in communication with a merchant's point-of-sale (POS) system, a customer loyalty identifier associated with a customer;   identifying that alternative payment information associated with the customer is not present in a database of the POS system;   presenting, on a display of the terminal, a prompt requesting the customer to enter the alternative payment information;   receiving, from the customer, the alternative payment information and storing the alternative payment information in the database;   determining that payment by the alternative payment information is not enabled for the customer loyalty identifier; and   providing, on the display of the terminal, a plurality of options to the customer with respect to execution of a transaction.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the obtaining the customer loyalty identifier comprises:
 detecting, at a carder reader associated with the terminal, a customer loyalty card, wherein the customer loyalty card is associated with the merchant; and   obtaining, by the card reader and from a magnetic strip or chip of the customer loyalty card, the customer loyalty identifier.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of options include at least one of: a first alternative option to cancel the transaction, a second alternative option to present an alternative customer loyalty identifier, and a third alternative option to select additional alternative payment information. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises:
 presenting, on the display of the terminal and upon selection of the third alternative option, incentive information for utilization of the additional alternative payment information;   wherein the incentive information associated with the additional alternative payment information is different than other incentive information associated with the alternative payment information.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises:
 completing, upon selection by the customer of the third alternative option, the transaction via applying stored financial account information associated with the additional alternative payment information to the transaction.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving, from the customer, a selection of an enablement option from the plurality of options, wherein the enablement option enables alternative payment information for the customer loyalty ID;   enabling, upon receiving authorization from the customer, payment for the transaction via the alternative payment information associated with the customer loyalty ID; and   completing the transaction utilizing the alternative payment information.