Credit manager method and system
View Patent ↗A method and system for processing negotiable economic credits (e.g., cash, credit card, enterprise incentives/award such as frequent flier miles, etc.) through a hand held device. Credits are storable in the form of credit data in a credit database associated with a point of sale and/or hand held device. Credit is retrievable from the credit database, in response to synchronizing a hand held device, such as a PDA, wireless PDA, paging device, cellular telephone, or other hand held computing device, with the point of sale. Credit data may be transferred to/from the hand held device, thereby permitting a user to maintain and manage enterprise credits based on the credit data, utilizing the hand held device. In one embodiment, when a particular number of enterprise credits have been earned, the user may utilize such credits to receive price discounts on enterprise products or services, or awards of such products or services. A user may also use credits earned for enterprise sponsored credit programs unrelated to transactions at unrelated enterprise having compatible points of sale for providing/receiving/processing credits, so long as credits are recognized at a point of sale.
1. A method for processing credits through a hand held device, said method comprising the steps of:
storing credits in an account associated with said hand held device and associated with a remote credit database wirelessly accessible by said hand held device;
synchronizing said hand held device with a point of sale;
retrieving credit data from said point of sale in response to the step of synchronizing said hand held device with said point of sale; and
using said hand held device to instruct a transaction broker to transfer credits from said account associated with said hand held device for the benefit of said point of sale based on said credit data; and
said transaction broker transferring credits through a network to said credit database associated with said point of sale from said account associated with said hand held device.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprisIng the step of:
scanning at least one item to be purchased at said point of sale prior to conducting the step of synchronizing said hand held device with a point of sale.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:
selecting at lean one service to be utilized at said point of sale prior to conducting the step of synchronizing said hand held device with a point of sale.
4. The method of daim 1 further comprising the step of:
selecting at least one product to be ourchased at said point of sale prior to conducting the step of synchronizing said hand held device with a point of sale.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of synchronizing said hand held device with said point of sale, further comprises the step of:
synchronizing said hand held device with said point of sale through a wireless communication link with said point of sale.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of synchronizing said hand held device with said point of sale through a network, further comprises the step of:
synchronizing said hand held device with said point of sale through a wireless network.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein said hand held device comprises a hand held device configured with a smart card adapter for storing transaction data.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein said hand held device comprises use of a hand held device integrated with a scanner for scanning credit data.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein said account associated with said hand held device further comprises association with a provider database associated with a third-party provider of said credits based on credit data transferred from said hand held device during said synchronization.