Telephony based reward system
View Patent ↗The present disclosure describes a system and method for managing through telephony systems a customer reward system, such as, a spend and get reward system. In one embodiment, a virtual punch card (“VPC”) customer loyalty reward program system and method are managed through a telephonic communication connection provider.
1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a computer system comprising (a) a virtual punch card reward program server and (b) one or more network interfaces configured to provide access to one or more networks, an indication of an occurrence of a qualifying purchase by a customer at a first location corresponding to a merchant, including a mobile communication network user identifier unique to the customer and received from the customer by the merchant at a time of the occurrence of the qualifying purchase, wherein the indication is received by the one or more network interfaces;
accumulating, by the computer system, the occurrence of the qualifying purchase in a virtual punch card reward program account specific to the customer, as a reward program account punch;
processing, by the computer system, location information indicative of a current location of the customer at a time after the occurrence of the qualifying purchase, wherein the current location corresponds to a second location that is different from the first location, wherein the location information is determined by a global positioning system (GPS) receiver of a mobile device of the customer, wherein the mobile device further comprises a display, a processor, and a wireless communication transceiver, and wherein the location information is received by the one or more network interfaces;
identifying, by the computer system, the merchant or a second merchant based at least in part on a proximity of the merchant or the second merchant to the current location of the customer and a correlation of the merchant or the second merchant with the virtual punch card reward program account;
responsive to the identifying, sending, by the computer system and by the one or more network interfaces, a notification to one or both of the merchant and the second merchant indicative of the proximity;
receiving, by the computer system and by the one or more network interfaces, merchant input responsive to the notification, the merchant input corresponding to an offer for the customer, the offer corresponding to at least one of (a) an adjustment of business rules for reward parameters or (b) an adjustment of a punch amount with respect to a predetermined threshold associated with the virtual punch card reward program account, wherein the customer is entitled to a corresponding reward based at least in part on a comparison of the punch amount to the predetermined threshold; and
sending, by the computer system and by the one or more network interfaces, an offer notification regarding the offer to the mobile device of the customer based at least in part on the proximity of the merchant or the second merchant to the current location of the customer and a correlation of the merchant or the second merchant with the virtual punch card reward program account, the offer notification configured to be displayed by the display of the mobile device.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining that the customer is not enrolled in a virtual punch card reward program, for which the qualifying purchase applies; and
responsive to determining that the customer is not enrolled in the virtual punch card reward program, enrolling the customer in the virtual punch card reward program.
3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:
incrementing a customer program account punch, by the virtual punch card reward program server.
4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:
determining, by the virtual punch card reward program server, whether the punch amount equals a predetermined threshold punch amount.
5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:
notifying at least one of the merchant and the customer when the punch amount at least equals the predetermined threshold punch amount, and that the customer is entitled to a corresponding reward.
6. The method of claim 4 further comprising:
notifying at least one of the merchant and the customer of a difference between reward program account punch amount and the predetermined threshold punch amount.
7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:
receiving from the merchant a promotional offering to the customer of at least one additional reward program bonus punch for a subsequent qualifying purchase.
8. The method of claim 4 further comprising:
determining, by the virtual punch card reward program server, additional information about the customer entitling the customer to at least one additional reward program bonus punch for a current qualifying purchase; and
incrementing the customer reward program account punch amount by the at least one additional bonus punch.
9. The method of claim 6 further comprising:
receiving from the customer, by the virtual punch card reward program server, a request that the merchant offer to the customer at least one additional reward program bonus punch for a subsequent qualifying purchase.
10. A virtual punch card reward program system comprising:
one or more network interfaces configured to provide access to one or more networks;
one or more processors coupled to the one or more network interfaces, the one or more processors to execute instructions to:
receive, by the one or more network interfaces, an indication of an occurrence of a qualifying purchase by a customer at a first location corresponding to a merchant, including a mobile communication network user identifier unique to the customer and received from the customer by the merchant at a time of the occurrence of the qualifying purchase;
accumulate the occurrence of the qualifying purchase in a virtual punch card reward program account specific to the customer, as a customer reward program account punch;
process location information indicative of a current location of the customer at a time after the occurrence of the qualifying purchase, wherein the current location corresponds to a second location that is different from the first location, wherein the location information is determined by a global positioning system receiver of a mobile device of the customer, wherein the mobile device further comprises a display, a processor, and a wireless communication transceiver, and wherein the location information is received by the one or more network interfaces;
identify the merchant or a second merchant based at least in part on a proximity of the merchant or the second merchant to the current location of the customer and a correlation of the merchant or the second merchant with the virtual punch card reward program account;
responsive to the identifying, send a notification, by the one or more network interfaces, to one or both of the merchant and the second merchant indicative of the proximity;
receive, by the one or more network interfaces, merchant input responsive to the notification, the merchant input corresponding to an offer for the customer, the offer corresponding to at least one of (a) an adjustment of business rules for reward parameters or (b) an adjustment of a punch amount with respect to a predetermined threshold associated with the virtual punch card reward program account, wherein the customer is entitled to a corresponding reward based at least in part on a comparison of the punch amount to the predetermined threshold; and
send, by the one or more network interfaces, an offer notification regarding the offer to the mobile device of the customer based at least in part on the proximity of the merchant or the second merchant to the current location of the customer and a correlation of the merchant or the second merchant with the virtual punch card reward program account, the offer notification being configured to be displayed by the display; and
one or more storage media coupled to the one or more processors to retain the instructions.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors correspond to a virtual punch card reward program server, wherein: the virtual punch card reward program server is configured to determine that the customer is not enrolled in a virtual punch card reward program, for which the qualifying purchase applies; and
responsive to determining that the customer is not enrolled in the virtual punch card reward program, the virtual punch card reward program server is further configured to enroll the customer in the virtual punch card reward program.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the virtual punch card reward program server is further configured to increment a customer reward program account punch amount.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the virtual punch card reward program server is further configured to determine whether the punch amount at least equals a predetermined threshold punch amount.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the virtual punch card reward program server is further configured to notify at least one of the merchant and the customer when the punch amount is at least equal to the predetermined threshold punch amount and that the customer is entitled to a corresponding reward.
15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the virtual punch card reward program server is further configured to notify at least one of the merchant and the customer of a difference between the punch amount and the predetermined threshold punch amount.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the virtual punch card reward program server is further configured to receive from the merchant a promotional offering to the customer of at least one additional reward program bonus punch for a subsequent qualifying purchase.
17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the virtual punch card reward program server is further configured to:
determine additional information about the customer entitling the customer to at least one additional reward program bonus punch for a current qualifying purchase; and
increment the customer reward program account by the at least one additional bonus punch.
18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the virtual punch card reward program server is further configured to receive from the customer a request that the merchant offer to the customer at least one additional reward program bonus punch for a subsequent qualifying purchase.
19. A non-transitory, machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method comprising:
receiving, by one or more network interfaces configured to provide access to one or more networks, an indication of an occurrence of a qualifying purchase by a customer at a first location corresponding to a merchant, including a mobile communication network user identifier unique to the customer and received from the customer by the merchant at a time of the occurrence of the qualifying purchase;
accumulating the occurrence of the qualifying purchase in a virtual punch card reward program account specific to the customer, a customer program account punch;
processing location information indicative of a current location of the customer at a time after the occurrence of the qualifying purchase, wherein the current location corresponds to a second location that is different from the first location, wherein the location information is determined by a global positioning system receiver of a mobile device of the customer, wherein the mobile device further comprises a display, a processor, and a wireless communication transceiver, and wherein the location information is received by the one or more network interfaces;
identifying the merchant or a second merchant based at least in part on a proximity of the merchant or the second merchant to the current location of the customer and a correlation of the merchant or the second merchant with the virtual punch card reward program account;
responsive to the identifying, sending a notification, by the one or more network interfaces, to one or both of the merchant and the second merchant indicative of the proximity;
receiving, by the one or more network interfaces, merchant input responsive to the notification, the merchant input corresponding to an offer for the customer, the offer corresponding to at least one of (a) an adjustment of business rules for reward parameters or (b) an adjustment of a punch amount with respect to a predetermined threshold associated with the virtual punch card reward program account, wherein the customer is entitled to a corresponding reward based at least in part on a comparison of the punch amount to the predetermined threshold; and
sending, by the one or more network interfaces, an offer notification regarding the offer to the mobile device of the customer based at least in part on the proximity of the merchant or the second merchant to the current location of the customer and a correlation of the merchant or the second merchant with the virtual punch card reward program account, the offer notification configured to be displayed by the display of the mobile device.
20. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 19 , the method further comprising:
determining that the customer is not enrolled in a virtual punch card reward program for which the qualifying purchase applies; and
responsive to determining that the customer is not enrolled in the virtual punch card reward program, enrolling the customer in the virtual punch card reward program.