System and method for targeted marketing and consumer resource management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11062342-B2
Application number	US-37537707-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2007
Priority date	Jul 27, 2006
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

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.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A computer implemented method performed by an enterprise infrastructure that is networked with partner goods and services providers servers which are partners with an enterprise operating the enterprise infrastructure, the enterprise infrastructure comprising an internal electronic data interchange (“EDI”) server farm comprising a plurality of EDI servers and wherein each of the plurality of EDI servers is configured with different applications and permissions than other EDI servers of the plurality of EDI servers, wherein the different applications and permissions increase efficiency in partner data processing and storage, the enterprise infrastructure further comprising one or more processors and non-transitory computer readable memory storing executable instructions, the one or more processors executing the executable instructions to cause the enterprise infrastructure to perform the method comprising:
providing a consumer account on one of the plurality of EDI servers of the enterprise infrastructure, wherein the consumer account is accessible by a consumer via a consumer interface provided on any of a plurality of network terminals, the consumer account corresponding to a unique universal transaction card configured to operate as a plurality of gift cards of a plurality of providers, wherein the plurality of gift cards are accepted by less than all of the partner goods and services providers servers networked with the enterprise infrastructure via EDI VLAN, the EDI VLAN having an interface to access each of the partner goods and services providers servers, wherein the universal transaction card corresponding to the consumer account can be used to purchase goods (i) through a plurality of provider point of sale terminals through the internal EDI server farm and (ii) through the plurality of network terminals by utilizing the internal EDI server farm, wherein the plurality of provider point of sale terminals and the plurality of network terminals are not a part of the enterprise infrastructure;
providing, by the internal EDI server farm, a view on the consumer interface listing a plurality of offers from the partner goods and services provider servers, the plurality of offers being sent by the partner goods and service providers over the partner servers based on information received at the partner servers about the consumer;
receiving, by the internal EDI server farm of the enterprise infrastructure, a universal transaction card identifier and a purchase price for a purchase of a good by the consumer from a first goods and services provider;
determining, by the internal EDI server farm of the enterprise infrastructure, whether the consumer account contains a balance associated with any gift cards associated with the first goods and services provider sufficient to cover the purchase price of the good associated with at least one of the plurality of offers sent by the partner servers;
receiving, by initiating contact between the internal EDI server farm and the partner server associated with the first goods and services provider, from the partner, an indication that the consumer account has sufficient funds in the account with the partner server to cover the purchase price of the good;
in response to receiving the indication, processing, by the internal EDI server farm of the enterprise infrastructure using the internal EDI server farm, a transaction for the purchase of the good wherein the processing requires a reduction in the balance associated with any gift cards associated with the first goods and services provider that are used by the consumer account to complete the transaction.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
generating an item on the consumer interface, the item operable, when selected by the consumer, to send a short message service (“SMS”) message requesting that an offer of the plurality of offers be sent from a selected one of the partner goods and services providers to the consumer.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
registering a new gift card, different from the universal transaction card, enabled to make purchases from one of the partner goods and services providers as a gift card associated with the consumer account.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing at least one offer to the consumer relating to the transaction before the transaction is finalized.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first partner goods and services provider is designated in the consumer account as the retailer for transactions involving any gift cards during purchase of the universal transaction card identifier according to instructions received at the enterprise infrastructure by the consumer through a consumer interface in network communication with a network terminal.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a consumer input to use the balance for the purchase.

7. The method of claim 1 , further determining, by the enterprise infrastructure, the universal transaction identifier is accepted by the first goods and services provider.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the consumer account is accessible by a consumer via a mobile phone.

Assignees

• Roberts Mark E
• Mathe Jennifer K
• Blackhawk Network Inc

Inventors

• Roberts Mark E
• Mathe Jennifer K
• Nguyen Khanh

Classifications

• G06Q10/40

  Business processes related to social networking or social networking services · CPC title

• G06Q30/0215

  Including financial accounts · CPC title

• G06Q30/0269

  based on user profile or attribute · CPC title

• G06Q30/0255

  based on user history · CPC title

• G06Q30/0233 Primary

  Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward · CPC title