Method and System for Providing Householding Information to Multiple Merchants
A method is provided for offering householding information to multiple merchants. Merchant specific loyalty information may be linked with internally generated household identification information. Such information may be presented to merchants as a service in order to eliminate the need for merchants to perform householding analysis on their own data.
1 . A method for providing householding information to merchants, the method comprising:
receiving a request to provide householding indicia from a merchant;
extracting customer loyalty identification indicia specific to the merchant and any householding indicia associated with such customer loyalty identification indicia from a database including customer loyalty identification indicia for a plurality of merchants; and
transmitting the extracted customer loyalty identification indicia and associated householding indicia to the merchant in a format indicating the association between the customer loyalty identification indicia and the associated householding indicia, wherein at least two of the customer loyalty identification indicia share the same associated householding indicia.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the database stores customer loyalty identification indicia in electronic wallets.
3 . The method of claim 2 wherein each electronic wallet contains personal information, including an address of a user associated with the electronic wallet.
4 . The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of comparing addresses in each electronic wallet in the database in order to identify household relationships.
5 . The method of claim 2 wherein each electronic wallet is capable of storing a plurality of customer loyalty identification indicia for a plurality of merchants and a single associated householding indicia.
6 . The method of claim 2 wherein each electronic wallet is capable of storing a plurality of householding indicia.
7 . The method of claim 6 wherein each of the plurality of householding indicia relate to different merchants.
8 . A system for providing householding indicia to merchants, the system comprising:
a database component for storing customer loyalty identification indicia specific to merchants and associated householding indicia; and
a network server component coupled to the database component for receiving requests from merchants to provide householding indicia.
9 . The system of claim 8 wherein the customer loyalty identification indicia specific to merchants and associated householding indicia are stored in the database component as part of electronic wallets including personal information relating to customers.
10 . The system of claim 9 wherein the personal information includes address information.
11 . The system of claim 10 further comprising a processing component for comparing the address information in each electronic wallet in order to identify householding relationships.
12 . The system of claim 11 wherein each electronic wallet is capable of storing a plurality of customer loyalty identification indicia for a plurality of merchants and a single associated householding indicia.
13 . The system of claim 9 wherein each electronic wallet is capable of storing a plurality of householding indicia.
14 . The system of claim 13 wherein each householding indicia relates to a different merchant.
15 . A method for providing householding information to a plurality of merchants, the method comprising:
receiving a request to provide householding indicia from a merchant;
extracting customer loyalty identification indicia, if any, specific to the merchant from each electronic wallet of a plurality of electronic wallets;
extracting householding indicia, if any, from each electronic wallet containing customer loyalty identification indicia specific to the merchant;
generating a list in a format acceptable to the merchant that links the extracted customer loyalty identification indicia to householding indicia extracted from the same electronic wallet;
transmitting the list to the merchant.
16 . The method of claim 15 wherein each electronic wallet contains personal information, including an address of a user associated with the electronic wallet.
17 . The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of comparing addresses in each electronic wallet in order to identify household relationships.
18 . The method of claim 15 wherein each electronic wallet is capable of storing a plurality of customer loyalty identification indicia for a plurality of merchants and a single associated householding indicia.
19 . The method of claim 15 wherein each electronic wallet is capable of storing a plurality of householding indicia.
20 . The method of claim 19 wherein each householding indicia relates to a different merchant.
21 . A computer-readable carrier containing one or more programming instructions for performing a method of providing householding information to a plurality of merchants, the method comprising:
receiving a request to provide householding indicia from a merchant;
extracting customer loyalty identification indicia, if any, specific to the merchant from each electronic wallet of a plurality of electronic wallets;
extracting householding indicia, if any, from each electronic wallet containing customer loyalty identification indicia specific to the merchant;
generating a list in a format acceptable to the merchant that links the extracted customer loyalty identification indicia to householding indicia extracted from the same electronic wallet;
transmitting the list to the merchant.
22 . The computer-readable carrier of claim 21 wherein each electronic wallet contains personal information, including an address of a user associated with the electronic wallet.
23 . The computer-readable carrier of claim 22 further comprising program code means for comparing addresses in each electronic wallet in order to identify household relationships.
24 . The computer-readable carrier of claim 21 wherein each electronic wallet is capable of storing a plurality of customer loyalty identification indicia for a plurality of merchants and a single associated householding indicia.
25 . The computer-readable carrier of claim 21 wherein each electronic wallet is capable of storing a plurality of householding indicia.
26 . The computer-readable carrier of claim 25 wherein each householding indicia relates to a different merchant.