Methods and systems for rewarding customers in a tokenized payment transaction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016335656-A1
Application number	US-201615150892-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 10, 2016
Priority date	May 11, 2015
Publication date	Nov 17, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and systems for processing an electronic transaction between a cardholder and a merchant using a payment card carried out over a payment network are provided. An example method comprises receiving tokenization data including identification data associated with a token representing payment data of the payment card, and issuer data indicative of rewards information associated with the payment card; receiving a rewards inquiry request from a merchant terminal, where the rewards inquiry request comprises the token and where the token is associated with the payment data for making the transaction; determining the rewards information associated with the rewards inquiry request using the tokenization data; and transmitting the rewards information to the merchant terminal for preparation of a transaction request to an acquirer using the rewards information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for providing rewards information for an electronic transaction between a cardholder and a merchant terminal using a payment card issued by an issuer, the method comprising:
transmitting, by a server of the issuer, an electronic request for a token representing payment data of the payment card of the cardholder to a tokenization server; receiving, by the server of the issuer, identification data associated with the token, from the tokenization server, based on a mapping between payment credentials of the payment card and the token; and transmitting, by the server of the issuer, tokenization data to a rewards management system, said tokenization data comprising the identification data and issuer data indicative of rewards information associated with the payment card, thereby enabling the rewards management system to determine rewards information associated with the token using the tokenization data.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the issuer data comprises an identity of the issuer of the payment card.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the issuer data further comprises a sub-category of the payment card issued by the issuer; each sub-category of payment cards being associated with respective rewards information.

4 .- 6 . (canceled)

7 . A method for processing an electronic transaction between a cardholder and a merchant using a payment card carried out over a payment network, the method comprising:
receiving, by a rewards management system, tokenization data, said tokenization data comprising identification data associated with a token representing payment data of the payment card, and issuer data indicative of rewards information associated with the payment card; receiving, by the rewards management system, a rewards inquiry request from a merchant terminal, said rewards inquiry request comprising the token, the token being associated with the payment data for making the transaction; determining, by the rewards management system, the rewards information associated with the rewards inquiry request using the tokenization data; and transmitting, by the rewards management system, the rewards information to the merchant terminal for preparation of a transaction request to an acquirer using the rewards information.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , further comprising receiving, by the rewards management system, the tokenization data from a server of an issuer.

9 . The method according to or claim 8 , wherein the token is generated, upon a request from the issuer, by a tokenization server storing a mapping between payment credentials of the payment card.

10 . The method according to claim 7 , further comprising determining the rewards information using a rewards database storing rewards information corresponding to respective issuer data.

11 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the issuer data comprises an identity of an issuer of the payment card.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the issuer data further comprises a sub-category of the payment card issued by the issuer; each sub-category of payment cards being associated with the respective rewards information.

13 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the rewards inquiry request further comprises at least one of: (a) a transaction value, (b) a transaction time and (c) a merchant terminal identifier.

14 . A rewards management system for processing an electronic transaction between a cardholder and a merchant using a payment card carried out over a payment network, the rewards management system comprising:
a server configured to be in communication with a merchant terminal; a computer processor and a data storage device, the data storage device storing non-transitory instructions operative by the processor to cause the processor to:
receive tokenization data, said tokenization data comprising identification data associated with a token representing payment data of the payment card and issuer data indicative of rewards information associated with the payment card;
receive a rewards inquiry request from the merchant terminal, said rewards inquiry request comprising the token, the token being associated with the payment data for making the transaction;
determine the rewards information associated with the rewards inquiry request using the tokenization data; and
transmit the rewards information to the merchant terminal for preparation of a transaction request to an acquirer using the rewards information.

15 . The rewards management system according to claim 14 , wherein the server is configured to be in communication with a server of the issuer to receive the tokenization data from the issuer's server.

16 . The rewards management system according to claim 14 , wherein the data storage device further stores non-transitory instructions operative by the processor to cause the processor to receive the tokenization data from a server of the issuer.

17 . The rewards management system according to claim 14 , wherein the data storage device further stores non-transitory instructions operative by the processor to cause the processor to determine the rewards information using a rewards database storing rewards information corresponding to respective issuer data.

18 . The rewards management system according to claim 14 , wherein the issuer data comprises an identity of the issuer of the payment card.

19 . The rewards management system according to claim 18 , wherein the issuer data further comprises a sub-category of the payment card issued by the issuer; each sub-category of payment cards being associated with respective rewards information.

20 . The rewards management system according to claim 14 , wherein the rewards inquiry request further comprises at least one of: (a) a transaction value, (b) a transaction time and (c) a merchant terminal identifier.

21 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising mapping the payment credentials of the payment card and the token.

Assignees

• Mastercard Asia Pacific Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Venugopalan Vijin
• Hayes Joseph Damon

Classifications

• G06Q30/0226 Primary

  Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems · CPC title

• G06Q20/387

  Payment using discounts or coupons (relating to marketing G06Q30/02) · CPC title

• G06Q20/385

  using an alias or single-use codes · CPC title

• G06Q20/367

  involving electronic purses or money safes · CPC title

• G06Q20/3821

  Electronic credentials · CPC title