LOYALTY POINTS SYSTEM AND METHOD WITH SUPPLEMENTAL AUTHORIZATIONS
The invention facilitates pooling, gifting or transferring of geographic area loyalty points between accounts. The invention also facilitates a transfer of geographic area loyalty points from a consumer account associated with a sponsoring company to a consumer account associated with a host company. The invention may also facilitate gifting of loyalty points to charitable organizations on a recurring basis, wherein the gifting may transfer any portion of geographic based points to various charities. The system may also convert the geographic area loyalty points to a monetary value, thereby allowing the points to be donated to a charity such that the donation appears to be a monetary value donation to the charity.
1 - 21 . (canceled)
22 . A method for facilitating operation of a loyalty points program having at least one primary member, the primary member having an account, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving information related to a primary member profile for the account at a server;
creating a primary member profile associated with the account in a computer system in communication with the server;
creating a supplementary member profile associated with the account in the computer system, wherein the supplementary member profile comprises a supplementary member authorization, and wherein the supplementary member authorization specifies an authorization access that indicates that a supplementary member may redeem at least a portion of loyalty points associated with the account;
receiving a transaction request at the server;
processing the transaction request using the computer system; and
fulfilling the transaction request.
23 . The method according to claim 22 , wherein the authorization access comprises allowing the supplementary member to redeem all of the loyalty points associated with the account.
24 . The method according to claim 22 , wherein the authorization access comprises allowing the supplementary member to only redeem loyalty points associated with the account that the primary member has authorized for redemption.
25 . The method according to claim 22 , further comprising a step allowing the supplementary member earn loyalty points,
wherein the loyalty points earned by the supplementary member are associated with the account.
26 . The method according to claim 25 , wherein the authorization access comprises allowing the supplementary member to redeem all of the loyalty points associated with the account that are earned by the supplementary member.
27 . The method according to claim 22 , wherein the authorization access comprises allowing the supplementary member to redeem all loyalty points associated with the account that are earned in a specific geographic area.
28 . The method according to claim 22 , wherein the primary member profile includes a primary member ID associated with a card, and wherein the supplementary member profile includes a supplementary member ID associated with a card.
29 . The method according to claim 22 , wherein a plurality of supplementary member profiles are created.
30 . The method according to claim 22 , further comprising a step of reporting activity related to the account to the primary member but not the supplementary member.
31 . A method for facilitating operation of a loyalty points program having at least one primary member, the primary member having an account, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving information related to a primary member profile for the account at a server;
creating a primary member profile associated with the account in a computer system in communication with the server;
creating a supplementary member profile associated with the account in the computer system, wherein the supplementary member profile comprises a supplementary member authorization, and wherein the supplementary member authorization specifies an authorization access that indicates that a supplementary member may earn loyalty points that are associated with the account;
receiving a transaction request at the server;
processing the transaction request using the computer system; and
fulfilling the transaction request.