Reward exchange method and system implementing data collection and analysis

Abstract

A method of operating a data collection and analysis system. An exchange computer receives customer identification data associated with a customer. A quantitative analysis algorithm determines whether the exchange computer has received an amount of customer identification data sufficient for the customer to be uniquely identified, and if so, then a linking service computer or a plurality of remote database computers perform a qualitative analysis algorithm with the customer identification data to determine if the customer identification data is sufficient for the customer to be uniquely identified. If the qualitative analysis algorithm passes, then customer information may be retrieved from the remote databases and collated and analyzed at the exchange computer. The customer may automatically register with reward programs using already-entered user information. A data analysis embodiment enables offers to be generated that are tailored towards specific users.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]This invention relates to reward systems, and in particular to a reward point exchange platform that enables users to exchange, redeem and manage reward points amongst various reward programs via an online exchange service.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Users often may earn reward points as part of a transaction with a merchant or issued by a credit card company or a distributor. For example, a merchant and / or issuer may award a user one point for each dollar spent. In this case, a $100 purchase will result in the awarding of 100 reward points, which are tracked in a reward point account stored on a reward point server computer managed by the merchant, issuer or a third party service provider. In addition, credit card issuers may implement their own reward point system, such as AMERICAN EXPRESS MEMBERSHIP REWARDS. In this card issuer-based system, a user may be awarded one point for every dollar spent regardless of the merchant. For example, if a user spends a...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]The customer record sent from the linking service computer to the exchange computer may include a customer key that uniquely identifies the customer record set in the customer database. In this case, the exchange computer may subsequently retrieve the customer key from storage and send the customer key to the linking service computer for periodic updating of the customer record set by the customer linking service to the exchange computer. Use of the customer key eliminates the need for the qualitative analysis algorithm in subsequent communications between the exchange computer and the linking service computer.

Problems solved by technology

A major problem in this field is that redemption options are limited to only certain goods available from a certain merchant, issuer, or catalog.

Also, users often have small amounts of points in several accounts, each of which provide no meaningful redemption options.

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