Including Financial Account Patents (Class 705/14.17)
  • Patent number: 9928520
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods and computer program products for reverse couponing. An exemplary apparatus is configured to determine user information and account information associated with a user; adjust offer information associated with an offer based on the user information and the account information, wherein the offer enables the user to receive at least one of a discount or a rebate on a purchase from a merchant; and transmit the adjusted offer to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Srinath Nagarajan, Matthew Laine Donlan
  • Patent number: 9919198
    Abstract: A system for providing automated exercise management includes: a motion sensor configured to be worn by a user during a prescribed exercise routine and to sense motion of the user's body during the performance of the prescribed exercise routine; a first wireless communication interface communicatively coupled to the motion sensor; and a user computing device having a second wireless communication interface configured to communicate with the first wireless communication interface communicatively coupled to the motion sensor; wherein the user computing device comprises a processor, a memory and an application, wherein the application is configured to provide instruction to the user regarding performance of the prescribed exercise routine; receive data from the motion sensor worn by the user, the data indicative of the user's performance of the prescribed exercise; and record the user's performance of the exercise as indicated by the received data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Breg, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Robert Romeo, Geoffrey Scott Siegel, Robert Allyn Haywood, Jr., David R. Brengle
  • Patent number: 9917951
    Abstract: Methods and systems for routing calls based on a minimum expected delay, classification, and priority of the call are provided. In some embodiments, when a call is received, the call is classified and prioritized within the classification. A minimum expected delay time is determined. Based on the minimum expected delay time, the classification, and the prioritization, the call is routed to a representative with instructions on how the call should be treated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION (USAA)
    Inventors: Peter H. McKenna, Darrius M. Jones, Kory Michael Upton, Enrique Tamayo, Allen J. Guidry, Julio Estevez-Breton
  • Patent number: 9912601
    Abstract: A system for establishing communication interfaces in an information technology infrastructure includes a database configured on a server and storing identifiers to each of a plurality of information reporting accounts corresponding to subscriber accounts maintained on a first remote server. The system includes a first interface to receive, via a first network, data about usage of each subscriber's account maintained by the first remote server, wherein the first interface is configured to store the data to the database. The server is configured to identify a second remote server to obtain data about credits to apply and responsive to a predetermined event, establish a connection with the second remote server via a second interface. The second interface is configured to receive, via a second network, for one or more of the information reporting accounts, data about rewards credited and maintained by the second remote server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: NEIGHBOR MARKETING, INC.
    Inventor: Paul Harkins
  • Patent number: 9870570
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed to negotiate for wireless services. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a method that operates in a communication device for commercially negotiating with a service provider for wireless services offered by way of a wireless access point (WAP) managed by the service provider. Alternatively, the system may include a method that operates in a wireless services management system (WSMS) for commercially negotiating with the communication device operated by the end user for wireless services offered by way of a WAP managed by the WSMS. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: AT & T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventor: Juan Cordoba
  • Patent number: 9767436
    Abstract: A system and method for facilitating mentoring in an enterprise. An example method includes establishing a set of candidate mentors and a set of candidate mentees; providing a first user option to match a candidate mentor with a candidate mentee from the set of candidate mentors and the set of candidate mentees, respectively, yielding a mentor and an associated mentee in response thereto; selectively tracking a first performance parameter of the mentee over an interval during which a mentoring relationship exists between the mentor and the mentee and providing an indication of a change in the first performance parameter over time; and providing a second user option to initiate an action in response to the indication. The action may include initiating an adjustment in compensation for the mentee or mentor when the indication indicates a particular improvement in one or more performance parameter(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Oracle International Corporation
    Inventors: Kathi Lynn Chenoweth, Marcelyn Van Houten, Louise Diana Barnfield, Klaus Borho
  • Patent number: 9754278
    Abstract: The systems, methods, and computer program products (collectively “systems”) described herein are generally configured to monitor actions in digital channels. More specifically, the systems are capable of initiating purchases in a broadcast channel. The systems are capable of syncing transaction accounts with various digital channels. Moreover, the systems are capable of initiating or completing transaction based on user information. The systems may also be capable of providing rewards based on activities or accomplishments in the digital channels. Moreover, the systems may be capable of verifying activities based on transaction information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: AMERICAN EXPRESS TRAVEL RELATED SERVICES COMPANY, INC.
    Inventors: Kathleen King, Matthew Miller, Sathish Muthukrishnan, Philip Norman, Anthony Prentice, Stephanie Schultz, Elizabeth Vakil, David Wolf
  • Patent number: 9754321
    Abstract: A method for enhancing credit of a cardholder of a pre-paid card may include issuing a pre-paid card to a cardholder. The cardholder may be charged a fee to establish a credit instrument associated with an account and the pre-paid card. The cardholder may be billed a portion of the credit instrument that includes the fee on a periodic basis, where the billing may be independent of billing for purchases of goods and services with the pre-paid card. A determination as to whether the cardholder timely paid the bill. If the cardholder timely paid the bill, then the payment may be recorded as being timely paid. Otherwise, a recording may be made that the bill was not timely paid. A reporting as to the timeliness of the payment may be made to affect a credit score of the cardholder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Eufora LLC
    Inventor: Tommy Constantine
  • Patent number: 9684909
    Abstract: The system provides location based coupon-less offers based upon a location of a card member (CM). A location of a CM may be determined based upon one or more of a travel itinerary, a GPS signal, a proximity of a mobile communication device to a cellular base station, and/or a zip code. An offer from a merchant registered to provide coupon-less offers may be transmitted to a mobile communication device based upon the location. An offer, once accepted by a CM, may be matched to a record of charge associated with a transaction account held by the CM. A credit may be applied to the CM's transaction account and a debit may be applied to a transaction account of the registered merchant. One or more offer categories and/or one or more offer category classes may be transmitted to the mobile communication device based upon the CM's location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company Inc.
    Inventors: Miles Baker, Diane Derocher, Sastry VSM Durvasula, Sherree Newhouse, Manjushri H. Puranik, Sripriya V. Tiku
  • Patent number: 9679277
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for redeeming a closed loop card/code funded with an amount of money. The system receives, at a merchant, an indication from a consumer of a desire to sell a closed loop account not issued by the merchant and receives a confirmation, via a computing device, of an amount of money in the closed loop account. The system presents the consumer with an offer to buy the closed loop account and receives from the consumer an acceptance of the offer. The system processes the closed loop account to yield a processed closed loop account such as by transferring the account to one of the merchant and an entity and applies a benefit to the consumer based on the processed closed loop account.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: GiftCodes.com, LLC
    Inventors: Jason Wolfe, Mark Romanelli, Sanjay Akut, Mike Kelly, Mary Jane Kelly
  • Patent number: 9672504
    Abstract: A consumer at a POS is able to obtain instant credit from a third party payment provider by providing identification information, such as from a driver's license, through a sales associate at the POS and by providing directly the last four digits of the consumer's social security number (SSN). When the consumer wants to make subsequent purchases through the payment provider, the sales associate need only enter the consumer's last name, zip code, and date of birth for the payment provider to locate and retrieve the consumer's account. The consumer may then enter the last four digits of the consumer's social security number, such as into a PIN pad at the POS, and have the information processed by the payment provider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: PAYPAL, INC.
    Inventor: Sean Zito
  • Patent number: 9665880
    Abstract: A system and method provide rewards or loyalty incentives to card member customers. The system includes an enrolled card member customer database, an enrolled merchant database, a participating merchant offer database and a registered card processor. The registered card processor receives a record for charge for a purchase made with an enrolled merchant by an enrolled card member customer and uses the record of charge to determine whether the purchase qualifies for a rebate credit in accordance with a discount offer from the enrolled merchant. If the purchase qualifies for a rebate credit, the registered card processor provides the rebate credit to an account of the enrolled card member customer. The system provides a coupon-less way for merchants to provide incentive discounts to enrolled customers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: AMERICAN EXPRESS TRAVEL RELATED SERVICES COMPANY, INC.
    Inventors: Ruth L. Aloni, Benzion T. Axelrod, Jean L. Bowman, Jack J. Funda, Jonathan S. Polon, Sripriya V. Tiku
  • Patent number: 9665879
    Abstract: A system and method provide rewards or loyalty incentives to card member customers. The system includes an enrolled card member customer database, an enrolled merchant database, a participating merchant offer database and a registered card processor. The registered card processor receives a record for charge for a purchase made with an enrolled merchant by an enrolled card member customer and uses the record of charge to determine whether the purchase qualifies for a rebate credit in accordance with a discount offer from the enrolled merchant. If the purchase qualifies for a rebate credit, the registered card processor provides the rebate credit to an account of the enrolled card member customer. The system provides a coupon-less way for merchants to provide incentive discounts to enrolled customers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: AMERICAN EXPRESS TRAVEL RELATED SERVICES COMPANY, INC.
    Inventors: Ruth L. Aloni, Benzion T. Axelrod, Jean L. Bowman, Jack J. Funda, Jonathan S. Polon, Sripriya V. Tiku
  • Patent number: 9613361
    Abstract: A system and method provide rewards or loyalty incentives to card member customers. The system includes an enrolled card member customer database, an enrolled merchant database, a participating merchant offer database and a registered card processor. The enrolled card member customer database includes transaction accounts of card member customers enrolled in a loyalty incentive program. The enrolled merchant database includes a list of merchants participating in the loyalty incentive program. The participating merchant offer database includes loyalty incentive offers from participating merchants. The registered card processor receives a record for charge for a purchase made with an enrolled merchant by an enrolled card member customer and uses the record of charge to determine whether the purchase qualifies for a rebate credit in accordance with a discount offer from the enrolled merchant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: AMERICAN EXPRESS TRAVEL RELATED SERVICES COMPANY, INC.
    Inventors: David Wolf, Sripriya V. Tiku, Scott M. Roen, Jennifer M. Russo
  • Patent number: 9609002
    Abstract: A system may receive a request to access user sponsored media content (“media content”), the request including a digital token (“token”), the media content being associated with a user sponsored account (“account”), and the account being associated with unused data from a mobile communications service plan, where the account and the mobile communications service plan are associated with a user. The system may identify token information included in the token. The system may compare the token information with stored token information. The system may determine that the token is valid based on the token information matching the stored token information. The system may provide access to the media content based on the token being valid. The system may provide information to cause data charges, for traffic flow associated with access to the media content, to be charged against the unused data associated with the account.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: VERIZON PATENT AND LICENSING INC.
    Inventors: Dahai Ren, Ming Chen
  • Patent number: 9582786
    Abstract: Machine learning models are used for ranking news feed stories presented to users of a social networking system. The social networking system divides its users into different sets, for example, based on demographic characteristics of the users and generates one model for each set of users. The models are periodically retrained. The news feed ranking model may rank news feeds for a user based on information describing other users connected to the user in the social networking system. Information describing other users connected to the user includes interactions of the other users with objects associated with news feed stories. These interactions include commenting on a news feed story, liking a news feed story, or retrieving information, for example, images, videos associated with a news feed story.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Max Gubin, Wayne Kao, David Vickrey, Alexey Maykov
  • Patent number: 9558505
    Abstract: A system and method provide rewards or loyalty incentives to card member customers. The system includes an enrolled card member customer database, an enrolled merchant database, a participating merchant offer database and a registered card processor. The enrolled card member customer database includes transaction accounts of card member customers enrolled in a loyalty incentive program. The enrolled merchant database includes a list of merchants participating in the loyalty incentive program. The participating merchant offer database includes loyalty incentive offers from participating merchants. The registered card processor receives a record for charge for a purchase made with an enrolled merchant by an enrolled card member customer and uses the record of charge to determine whether the purchase qualifies for a rebate credit in accordance with a discount offer from the enrolled merchant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: AMERICAN EXPRESS TRAVEL RELATED SERVICES COMPANY, INC.
    Inventors: David Wolf, Sripriya V. Tiku, Scott M. Roen, Jennifer M. Russo
  • Patent number: 9530128
    Abstract: Techniques and arrangements for authorizing a payment instrument by capturing an image of the payment instrument at a point-of-sale (POS) device and uploading the image to a payment service, which performs optical character recognition (OCR) on the image to identify an identifier of the payment instrument. The payment service may then use the identifier to authorize the payment instrument for a cost of a transaction performed at the POS device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Square, Inc.
    Inventors: Joachim Bekmann, Nathan David Spindel, Rong Yan
  • Patent number: 9489680
    Abstract: The system provides location based coupon-less offers based upon a location of a card member (CM). A location of a CM may be determined based upon one or more of a travel itinerary, a GPS signal, a proximity of a mobile communication device to a cellular base station, and/or a zip code. An offer from a merchant registered to provide coupon-less offers may be transmitted to a mobile communication device based upon the location. An offer, once accepted by a CM, may be matched to a record of charge associated with a transaction account held by the CM. A credit may be applied to the CM's transaction account and a debit may be applied to a transaction account of the registered merchant. One or more offer categories and/or one or more offer category classes may be transmitted to the mobile communication device based upon the CM's location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: AMERICAN EXPRESS TRAVEL RELATED SERVICES COMPANY, INC.
    Inventors: Miles Baker, Diane Derocher, Sastry V S M Durvasula, Sherree Newhouse, Manjushri H. Puranik, Sripriya V. Tiku
  • Patent number: 9430773
    Abstract: A system and method provide rewards or loyalty incentives to card member customers. The system includes an enrolled card member customer database, an enrolled merchant database, a participating merchant offer database and a registered card processor. The enrolled card member customer database includes transaction accounts of card member customers enrolled in a loyalty incentive program. The enrolled merchant database includes a list of merchants participating in the loyalty incentive program. The participating merchant offer database includes loyalty incentive offers from participating merchants. The registered card processor receives a record for charge for a purchase made with an enrolled merchant by an enrolled card member customer and uses the record of charge to determine whether the purchase qualifies for a rebate credit in accordance with a discount offer from the enrolled merchant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: AMERICAN EXPRESS TRAVEL RELATED SERVICES COMPANY, INC.
    Inventors: Ruth L. Aloni, Benzion T. Axelrod, Jean L. Bowman, Jack J. Funda, Jonathan S. Polon, Sripriya V. Tiku
  • Patent number: 9412102
    Abstract: A system and method provide rewards or loyalty incentives to card member customers. The system includes an enrolled card member customer database, an enrolled merchant database, a participating merchant offer database and a registered card processor. The enrolled card member customer database includes transaction accounts of card member customers enrolled in a loyalty incentive program. If the purchase qualifies for a rebate credit, the registered card processor provides the rebate credit to an account of the enrolled card member customer. The registered card processor also provides for electronic notification of rewards offers or credit to prepaid cards, in response to purchases conforming to a specific set of merchant criteria. The system provides a coupon-less way for merchants to provide incentive discounts and/or credits to enrolled customers, along with notifying customers of other available incentive offers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: AMERICAN EXPRESS TRAVEL RELATED SERVICES COMPANY, INC.
    Inventors: David Wolf, Sripriya V. Tiku, Scott M. Roen, Jennifer M. Russo
  • Patent number: 9367873
    Abstract: A system, method and article of manufacture are provided for account and customer creation in an online banking model. An application is received from a customer. The application includes information relating to the user and also documentation relating to the user. A first computer is utilized to create a profile for the customer based on the application received from the customer. The first computer is also utilized to create an account for the customer. Information relating to the created profile and account is transmitted from the first computer to a second computer where a notification is generated. The notification indicates that the account has been created. The notification is transmitted from the second computer to the customer utilizing a network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited
    Inventors: Kennard L. Wottowa, Michael Henry, William E. Storts
  • Patent number: 9361634
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for redeeming a closed loop card/code funded with an amount of money. The system receives from a merchant point of sale an indication of use of a closed loop card/code not issued by the merchant and presented by a consumer, queries and receives a confirmation of an amount of money in an account associated with the closed loop card/code, presents the consumer with an offer to buy the closed loop card/code at a discount price, and upon accepting the offer, closes out the closed loop card/code and pays the discount price to the consumer. Paying the discount price can include applying the discount price to a purchase by the consumer at the merchant. The merchant can provide cash back to the consumer for excess value of the discount price over the consumer's purchase. Merchants can apply more than the discount price.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Inventors: Jason Wolfe, Mark Romanelli, Sanjay Akut, Mike Kelly, Mary Jane Kelly
  • Patent number: 9235857
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiment of the present invention would provide systems, including Internet-based systems, and computer-implemented methods, for providing online Buyers and Sellers who physically transact an exchange of an item at a local meeting place, indicia of confirmation of the exchange on which to base a background online payment. In particular, exemplary embodiments of the present invention would provide a way for Buyers and/or Sellers to input an identifier for online authentication to confirm that a physical exchange of an item sold had been transacted and that would accordingly provide an online system with a basis to charge the relevant Buyer's account for a sale amount and pay the Seller for the item sold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: BOOM! PAYMENTS, INC.
    Inventor: Erik T. Bogaard
  • Patent number: 9030523
    Abstract: Real-time interactive broadcast sessions for client devices include: for each client device in the interactive broadcast session, configuring downstream video and audio ports for the interactive broadcast session between a central controller and the client device; receiving from each client device a selected broadcaster corresponding to a broadcaster flow control signal; in response to receiving the selected broadcaster from each client device, sending video and audio streams of the selected broadcaster to each client device over the interactive broadcast session; receiving a request from a given client device on the interactive broadcast session to interact with the selected broadcaster; configuring upstream and downstream video ports for one-to-one video chat session between the central controller and the given client device; and sending the video and audio streams of the given client device, and the video and audio streams of the selected broadcaster, to each client device over the interactive broadcast se
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Inventor: Shah Talukder
  • Publication number: 20150127441
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for applying a rebate or promotion associated with a transaction account. Offer information representing an offer for a promotion or rebate provided to a purchaser is received, and at least some of the offer information is processed to associate the purchaser with at least one transaction account. Account information representing the at least one transaction account associated with the purchaser is transmitted to a computing device associated with the first party. Transaction information representing a transaction associated with the offer information and the account information is received from a computing device associated with the first party or a second party, and is processed to associate the transaction with the transaction account associated with the purchaser and the promotion or rebate. The rebate or promotion is applied as a function of the transaction information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2013
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicant: MasterCard International Incorporated
    Inventor: Jason A. Feldman
  • Publication number: 20150112782
    Abstract: A virtual vault is generated and displayed for a user of a real-money application and is defined to hold in trust real-money rewards for the user. Each real-money reward is redeemable for real-world monetary value within the real-money application. The virtual vault includes respective reward graphics for the real-money rewards for the user. Upon selection of a reward graphic by the user, a determination is made as to whether or not the user is qualified to receive a real-money reward corresponding to the selected reward graphic. If the user is qualified to receive the real-money reward, the user is credited with a real-world monetary value specified by the real-money reward. Or, if the user is not qualified to receive the real-money reward, the user is notified of one or more actions required by the user in order to qualify for receipt of the real-money reward.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2014
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Inventors: Sergei (Shawn) Nikolaev, Josephine Gavignet
  • Publication number: 20150112779
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to apparatus, methods, and computer program products for using a preferred rewards program. In some embodiments, the apparatus is configured to receive information associated with a user's financial institution account on the last day of a current month, wherein the information comprises a monthly asset balance; determine an average asset balance based on generating an average monthly asset balance for at least two months prior to the current month; categorize the user, based on the average asset balance, to determine which of a plurality of status levels is applicable to the user, wherein the plurality of status levels is based on an asset balance range; identify an existing payment card associated with the user; and apply a benefit associated with the categorized status level to the user's existing payment card.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2013
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Applicant: BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gina Schudi, Eric C. Boyd, Tapio J. Makinen, Jerry L. McKinney, Robert Lynn Rowe, Mark Saienni, David A. Stetler
  • Publication number: 20150112780
    Abstract: A method for initiating a rebate for a payment transaction funded using a reward account includes: storing account data entries, each entry including an account identifier and reward balance; receiving an authorization request for a transaction involving a merchant, the request including payment information and a transaction amount; calculating a transaction reward value based on the transaction amount and a conversion rule; identifying a reduction amount, wherein the amount is a lesser of the transaction reward value and the reward balance included in a data entry where the account identifier corresponds to the payment information; updating the reward balance included in the data entry based on the identified reduction amount; calculating a rebate amount based on the transaction reward value and reduction amount, and the conversion rule; and transmitting a rebate request for the rebate amount from an account of the merchant to an account corresponding to the payment information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2013
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Applicant: MasterCard International Incorporated
    Inventors: Christopher Andrew GUINEY, Jensen James E. Pastrana
  • Publication number: 20150112781
    Abstract: Systems and methods for processing payment transactions involving reward accounts are disclosed. One exemplary method includes receiving an authorization request for a payment transaction involving a reward account. The authorization request includes at least a transaction amount. The method also includes determining, based on the reward preference, whether the payment transaction is eligible for a reward rebate and transmitting a request for the reward rebate when the payment transaction is eligible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Inventors: Kyle P. Clark, Christopher A. Guiney, Jensen James E. Pastrana
  • Patent number: 9011242
    Abstract: Individual users may log into the same online game from multiple different social networking platforms. The disclosed technology provides a way to unite users' accounts such that users that have logged into the online game from different social networking platforms can have their progress in the online game preserved regardless of which social networking platforms the user logged in from. Business intelligence about differences in the user's value when logging in from the different social networking platforms can be determined and incentivizing actions can be performed on the social networking platforms based on the business intelligence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Kabam, Inc.
    Inventor: Ziqiang Xu
  • Publication number: 20150106179
    Abstract: An advertising and rewarding system, method, and process are provided. Among its various embodiments and enabling features, an embodiment may guarantee a lower price for an item of interest than what a consumer is willing or committed to pay.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Inventors: Edmond Kwok-Keung Chow, Elina Yuen-Wai Luk
  • Publication number: 20150100400
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to apparatus, methods, and computer program products for using a preferred rewards program for classification of customers with jointly owned financial institution account. In some embodiments, an apparatus is configured to receive a monthly asset balance associated with a first and second user's individually owned financial institution account; receive a monthly asset balance associated with a first and second user's jointly owned financial institution account; determine a first average asset balance associated with the first user; determine a second average asset balance associated with the second user; categorize the first and second user based on their respective average asset balances, to determine a status level; and apply one or more benefits associated with the categorized status levels to the first and second user's individually owned financial institution accounts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2013
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Applicant: BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mukesh Gupta, Carl A. Underhill, III, Aron D. Levine, Ilich Martinez, David E. Dintenfass
  • Publication number: 20150100399
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to apparatus, methods, and computer program products for using preferred rewards program for classification of customers with individually owned financial institution accounts. In some embodiments, the apparatus is configured to receive information associated with a user's financial institution account on the last day of a current month, wherein the information comprises a monthly asset balance; determine an average asset balance based on generating an average monthly asset balance for at least two months prior to the current month; categorize the user, based on the average asset balance, to determine which of a plurality of status levels is applicable to the user, wherein the plurality of status levels is based on an asset balance range; and apply a benefit associated with the categorized status level to the user's financial institution account.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2013
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Applicant: BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mukesh Gupta, Carl A. Underhill, III, Aron D. Levine, Ilich Martinez, David E. Dintenfass
  • Publication number: 20150088626
    Abstract: A system including a transaction handler configured to split a transaction, initiated between an acquirer processor representing a merchant and an issuer processor representing a user of a payment account, into separate transactions with the issuer processor and one or more sponsor processors in control of reward accounts of the user for the redemption of loyalty rewards. The transaction handler may communicate with the sponsor processors in parallel or in sequence to reserve and release rewards, and may provide a partial authorization for the transaction in response to each authorization for reward redemption from a respective reward account without a subsequent, updated authorization request for the transaction in the payment account of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventors: Diane C. Salmon, James Alan VonDerheide, Laura DiGioacchino, Edward Scheidelman, Nancy L. Kim
  • Publication number: 20150081411
    Abstract: A computer implemented system and method are disclosed of processing a financial transaction that includes determining an automatic savings amount and rewards amount payments. The system may comprises a checking account, a savings account, an account of a merchant, and one or more computer systems including a communication interface, processor, and memory storing computer-executable instructions. The rewards amount may be calculated based on various techniques.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2014
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventors: Faith A. Tucker, Portia Sherman MacKinnon
  • Publication number: 20150081410
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention receive an expression of interest for a benefactor from a user, propose creation of an affinity program associated with the benefactor to the user, and create an affinity program associated with the benefactor. Creating includes determining at least one triggering action for triggering a donation to the benefactor, determining at least one potential participant for the affinity program, and inviting the at least one potential participant to join the affinity program. Creating the affinity may also include proposing the affinity program to the benefactor and negotiating contractual terms on behalf of a program administrator, such as, by using an artificial intelligence engine. In some embodiments, creating the affinity also includes, in response to determining the number of expressions of interest from unique users surpasses a predetermined threshold, initiating the affinity program by inviting at least one of the unique users to join the program.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventor: Erik Stephen Ross
  • Patent number: 8972298
    Abstract: Transmitting category codes to payment instruments in proxy card transactions comprises receiving a first payment request to authorize a proxy card transaction, the first payment request identifying a proxy account of a user for payment of the transaction and a merchant category code associated with the merchant; selecting a financial account associated with the proxy account to fund the transaction; communicating a second payment request to authorize the transaction to a financial account system associated with the selected financial account, the second payment request comprising the merchant category code associated with the merchant; receiving an authorization for the transaction from the financial account system to fund the transaction using the selected financial account; and communicating an authorization for the transaction to the merchant computing device in response to receiving the authorization for the transaction from the financial account system to fund the transaction using the selected financia
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: William Dennis Kunz, Mark William Andrews, Christopher Michael Petersen
  • Publication number: 20150058105
    Abstract: A system and method in accordance with example embodiments may include systems and methods for calculating rewards, which may include, receiving account holder data, parsing the account holder data for transformation and loading purposes; receiving new financial account data from financial institutions, where a new financial account may be, for example, a credit card account, and new financial account data may include, for example, the terms and conditions associated with the financial account, fees associated with the financial account, and/or deals, benefits, rewards, and/or promotions associated with the financial account; determining spend categories based on the new financial account data; determining account holder customizations; determining seasonal trends associated with the account holder data; and determining an optimal new financial account based on the account holder data, new financial account data, spend categories, seasonal trends, and/or account holder customizations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventors: Hugo FONSECA, Rajsaday DUTT, Arya KALLA, Kevin C. ROSE
  • Publication number: 20150051960
    Abstract: A system for linking coupons to financial accounts using a mobile device that includes a financial institution database that stores an account of an account holder, a communication interface of a financial institution that receives, via a network, coupon data associated with one or more discounts from a mobile device of the account holder, a linking processor that associates the coupon data with the account of the account holder, an authorization network interface that receives transaction data relating to transactions associated with the account of the account holder, a comparison processor of a financial institution that determines compares the coupon data with the transaction data to determine whether a qualifying transaction has occurred, and a discount processor of a financial institution that provides a credit to an account holder when a qualifying transaction has occurred.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2014
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Inventors: Ketan BARBARIA, Bor J. SUN, Janusz M. NICZYPORUK
  • Publication number: 20150046238
    Abstract: Systems and methods enable creation of assets redeemable for products and services for businesses. Business credits are assigned to users and applied toward transactions. Business credits from different businesses may be pooled and applied toward a single transaction. Rules for business credits may limit amounts that may be added to a pool. A users assets are ranked to determine those that are preferred to hold. Those assets that are available to fund a transaction and that are less preferable to hold are used first. Also disclosed is a system whereby brand-specific credits may be assigned to a user. A brand-specific credit may be selected and, in-response, branded products for which the credit may be redeemed are displayed. Upon selection of a product, an optical code is transmitted to a user device, which can be scanned to fund purchase of the selected product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2014
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Inventors: Anthony C. Di Franco, Adalbert J. Wysocki, Arno Hesse, Guillaume P. Lebleu
  • Publication number: 20150046241
    Abstract: The UNIVERSAL VALUE EXCHANGE MULTIPOINT TRANSACTIONS APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS (“UVEMT”) transform cross-ecosystem currency exchange instructions via UVEMT components into cross-ecosystem currency exchanges. In one embodiment, the UVEMT may obtain a cross-ecosystem currency exchange instruction and determine one or more sources and destinations based on parsing the cross-ecosystem currency exchange instruction. The UVEMT may identify currency types associated with the sources and the destinations and determine exchange rates of the currency types relative to a standard currency. In one implementation, the UVEMT may obtain currency exchange restrictions and conditions associated with the sources and the destinations and generate a currency exchange flow path for currency transfer from the sources to the destinations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2014
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Applicant: VISA INTERNATIONAL SERVICE ASSOCIATION
    Inventors: Diane Salmon, Susan French, Victoria Graham, Amit Bhargava, Shipra Jha, Nancy Kim
  • Publication number: 20150046240
    Abstract: A system that uses a mobile device to efficiently redeem a coupon through a financial institution that includes a communication interface that receives, via a network, coupon data associated with one or more discounts and receipt data from a mobile device, a comparison processor that determines product data based on the receipt data and compares the coupon data with the receipt data, and a discount processor that provides a credit to an account holder based at least in part on the results of the comparison between the coupon data and the receipt data, wherein the credit is based on the coupon data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2014
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Inventor: Paul Young MORETON
  • Publication number: 20150046239
    Abstract: Systems and methods enable creation of assets redeemable for products and services for businesses. Business credits are assigned to users and applied toward transactions. Business credits from different businesses may be pooled and applied toward a single transaction. Rules for business credits may limit amounts that may be added to a pool. A users assets are ranked to determine those that are preferred to hold. Those assets that are available to fund a transaction and that are less preferable to hold are used first. Also disclosed is a system whereby brand-specific credits may be assigned to a user. A brand-specific credit may be selected and, in-response, branded products for which the credit may be redeemed are displayed. Upon selection of a product, an optical code is transmitted to a user device, which can be scanned to fund purchase of the selected product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2014
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Inventors: Anthony C. Di Franco, Adalbert J. Wysocki, Arno Hesse, Guillaume P. Lebleu
  • Publication number: 20150032521
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to apparatus, methods, and computer program products for aggregation of savings data from e-receipts. In some embodiments, an apparatus is configured to receive a request from a customer associated with a financial institution account; retrieve an information based on the request from a structured database associated with a customer's financial institution account, wherein the information includes a product purchase associated with the customer's purchase transaction; identify a savings amount associated with the product purchase; and provide the savings amount to the customer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2013
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Applicant: Bank of America Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew A. Calman, Carrie A. Hanson, Susan S. Thomas, Jason Blackhurst, Katherine Dintenfass, Laura C. Bondesen
  • Publication number: 20150032522
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to apparatus, methods, and computer program products for using e-receipts for micro loyalty targeting. The apparatus, methods, and computer program products comprise: a memory; a processor; and a module stored in memory, executable by a processor, and configured to: receive information associated with a purchase of an item, wherein the item includes an item category; increment a counter associated with the item category; determine, in response to incrementing the counter associated with the item category, if the counter equals or exceeds a predetermined threshold value; and transmit, in response to determining the counter equals or exceeds a predetermined threshold value, a message to a second apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Applicant: Bank of America Corporation
    Inventors: Katherine Dintenfass, Laura C. Bondesen, Matthew A. Calman, Jason P. Blackhurst, Carrie A. Hanson
  • Publication number: 20150025951
    Abstract: An incentive providing task management system is disclosed. A plurality of providers are enabled to directly provide financial incentives to a user in exchange for a specific user performance. A user is enabled to set up a trust account on the system to accumulate the financial incentives. A user task performance may include a school study, a feedback to teachers or a feedback about a medicine or a political survey, or a contracted task performance between two contracting parties.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2013
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Inventor: Jie TAN
  • Patent number: 8930236
    Abstract: This invention relates generally to electronic commerce (e-commerce) systems and media platforms, for use with both mobile and non-mobile systems, to deploy virtual advertising and promotion via the use of electronic coupons, and more particularly a method and system for aggregating and distributing carbon reduction credits in connection with the creation and/or use of electronic coupons or virtual electronic rebates (VeeBates) and permitting individuals and groups within one or more social communications networks to participate in and transmit information to others about their activities related to the virtual advertising, incentives, redemption and promotion and aggregate carbon credits in connection therewith, either as part of the incentive or aggregation by the incentive promoter as part of its activities in reducing its carbon footprint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Transactis, Inc.
    Inventors: Amy Gillenson, James Daniel Fornari
  • Publication number: 20140379448
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an order management system for purchasing regulated products such as wine over the Internet. Currently, U.S. states require wine to be purchased directly from a licensed retailer or a producer permitted to ship the wine directly to the consumer. In a computer system, the present invention relates to methods for managing orders between a consumer and a wine producer or licensed retailer wherein the transaction is facilitated via a third party website, such as a wine club website. The methods of the present invention may also facilitate allocation of payments to a charity as part of the transaction, and for the use of split tender payments using virtual currency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2014
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Inventor: Robert Gregory
  • Publication number: 20140379447
    Abstract: This disclosure is of a system and method for using transaction cards to provide discounts to customers, where the customer initially funds the discount and then obtains a refund of the discount either simultaneously or shortly after the transaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Applicant: ITI Group, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher M. Thompson, Shawn G. Inks