METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DONATING REWARD POINTS TO TARGETED CHARITY
A method and system for making a donation to a third party in which a consumer is shown a video regarding a specified charitable organization on an interactive video terminal while in a captive environment such as on an airplane or cruise ship and then queried if he or she wishes to make a donation to that organization in reward points or miles. The user/donor may then request the donation via the interactive screen as desired.
1 . A method for making a donation to a predetermined third party comprising the steps of:
displaying to a user, on a video terminal, a video presentation providing information to the user regarding an associated predetermined third party;
displaying to the user on the video terminal a donation solicitation for the user to make a donation of reward points to the predetermined third party;
receiving on the video terminal a donation request by the user, in response to the donation solicitation, to make a donation of reward points to the predetermined third party, the donation request comprising a designation of an amount of reward points to donate to the third party from a reward account associated with the user, the reward account stored on a reward server computer and comprising reward points previously stored in the reward account as a result of the user executing a transaction with a rewarding entity;
a point of donation provider computer receiving from the video terminal the donation request made by the user;
the point of donation provider computer requesting the reward server computer to debit the reward account by the amount of reward points designated by the user in the donation request;
the reward server computer debiting the reward account by the amount of reward points designated by the user in the donation request and conveying equivalent consideration to the point of donation provider;
the point of donation provider computer conveying value to an account associated with the third party.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the donation request further comprises an allocation requirement in which the donor specifies how the donation will be allocated for use by the third party.
3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the point of donation provider computer conveys value to an account associated with the third party by purchasing a quantity of reward points and depositing the purchased reward points into a reward account held by the third party.
4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the point of donation provider computer conveys value to an account associated with the third party by transferring consideration to a bank account held by the third party.
5 . A system for making a donation to a predetermined third party comprising:
a video terminal adapted to:
provide a video presentation providing information to a user regarding an associated predetermined third party,
display to the user a donation solicitation for the user to make a donation of reward points to the predetermined third party, and
receive a donation request by the user, in response to the donation solicitation, to make a donation of reward points to the predetermined third party, the donation request comprising a designation of an amount of reward points to donate to the third party from a reward account associated with the user, the reward account stored on a reward server computer and comprising reward points previously stored in the reward account as a result of the user executing a transaction with a rewarding entity; and
a point of donation provider computer programmed to
receive from the video terminal the donation request made by the user,
request the reward server computer to debit the reward account by the amount of reward points designated by the user in the donation request,
receive from the reward server computer consideration equivalent to the amount of reward points designated by the user in the donation request, and
convey value to an account associated with the third party.
6 . The system of claim 2 wherein the donation request further comprises an allocation requirement in which the donor specifies how the donation will be allocated for use by the third party.
7 . The system of claim 2 wherein the point of donation provider computer is programmed to convey value to an account associated with the third party by purchasing a quantity of reward points and depositing the purchased reward points into a reward account held by the third party.
8 . The system of claim 2 wherein the point of donation provider computer is programmed to convey value to an account associated with the third party by transferring consideration to a bank account held by the third party.