Unified Loyalty Platform via Payment Card Network Automation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing customer loyalty and rewards programs are limited by requiring separate enrollments across multiple merchants and manual processes, lacking seamless integration with electronic payment systems for automatic enrollment and redemption of offers.

Innovation Solution

A cloud-based platform that enables network-based and merchant-based registration and management, allowing automatic enrollment of credit, debit, and electronic payment cards, with real-time functionality for adding promotional offers, redeeming discounts, and tracking customer spend behavior for targeted marketing, using existing electronic payment infrastructure without requiring changes in customer payment methods.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If separate enrollments are required across multiple merchants, then each merchant can manage its own loyalty program independently, but customer enrollment complexity and time consumption increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemerchant independenceVSAvoidcustomer enrollment time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple merchant enrollment processes into a single unified enrollment through the payment card network. When a customer makes a purchase at any participating merchant, the system automatically enrolls them in that merchant's loyalty program through the existing payment infrastructure, eliminating the need for separate enrollment processes at each merchant location.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements automatic enrollment where the customer's payment card information, already stored in the payment network, is used to automatically register them for loyalty programs without requiring manual sign-up forms or customer actions at the point of sale. The enrollment happens automatically in the background through the payment transaction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Device complexity

If manual enrollment processes are used, then system implementation is simpler, but operational efficiency and customer experience deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem implementation complexityVSAvoidenrollment efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses the existing payment card network as an intermediary to automatically transmit customer purchase data to merchants for loyalty program enrollment. The payment network acts as the mediator that bridges the customer, merchant, and loyalty program system, enabling automatic enrollment without requiring direct integration between the merchant's POS system and loyalty program database.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces manual enrollment mechanics (physical sign-up forms, manual data entry at POS) with an automated electronic system that uses existing payment card transaction data. The mechanical process of manual registration is substituted with electronic data transmission and automatic processing through the payment network infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Ease of operation

If changes are made to customer payment methods, then seamless integration with loyalty programs is achieved, but customer convenience and system adoption barriers increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveloyalty program integrationVSAvoidpayment method flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the existing payment card system multi-functional by enabling it to serve both its traditional payment function and a new loyalty program enrollment function. The same payment card that customers use for purchases is also used automatically to enroll them in loyalty programs, eliminating the need for separate loyalty cards or additional payment methods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses a copy of the customer's payment card information, already stored securely in the payment network, to automatically enroll them in loyalty programs. Rather than requiring customers to provide new information, the system leverages the existing card data that is already part of the payment transaction process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS10546315B2Systems and methods to enable offer and rewards marketing, and customer relationship management (CRM) network platform

Publication Date: 2020.01.28 MITCHELL BRUCE

AI summary

Systems and methods for providing and operating a customer loyalty and rewards platform including network-based and merchant-based registration and management, including mobile messaging, remote and local customer registration options, enrollment and automated payment card account association therewith.