SYSTEM, METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR PROVIDING A CARD-LINKED OFFER NETWORK THAT ENABLES A CONSUMER TO LINK THE SAME PAYMENT CARD TO THE SAME OFFER ON MULTIPLE DIFFERENT PUBLISHER SITES

1 . A method for providing a card-linked offer network that enables a consumer to link a payment card to the same offer on multiple publisher sites, the method comprising:

providing a card-linked offer (CLO) network accessible to multiple different content publishers and multiple different merchants, wherein merchants are able to post card-linked offers (CLOs) on the CLO network, wherein publishers are able to publish online CLOs posted by merchants on the CLO network, wherein consumers are able to accept CLOs via publishers' online interfaces, wherein consumers are able to enable the same payment card on multiple publisher sites, and wherein consumers are able to link the payment card to the same offer on different publisher sites;

for each CLO posted on the CLO network, creating an offer ID that uniquely identifies the CLO and that is associated with offer terms and a merchant ID, wherein the merchant ID uniquely identifies the merchant that posted the CLO;

receiving a first notice of a consumer acceptance of a CLO on a first publisher site, wherein the notice includes a publisher ID associated with the first publisher site, the offer ID for the accepted CLO, and the consumer's payment card identifier;

associating the consumer's payment card identifier with (1) the offer ID of the accepted CLO, (2) the merchant ID associated with the accepted CLO, and (3) and the publisher ID for the first publisher;

registering the payment card identifier/merchant ID pair associated with the accepted CLO with the payment card network for purchase of receiving transaction information for transactions involving the payment card identifier/merchant ID pair;

receiving one or more subsequent notices of consumer acceptance of the same CLO on other publisher sites using the same payment card identifier;

for each subsequent notice, associating the payment card identifier, offer ID, and merchant ID associated with the accepted CLO with a publisher ID for the subsequent publisher, resulting in the same payment card identifier/offer ID/ merchant ID combination being associated with multiple publishers;

receiving from the payment card network information related to a transaction matching the registered payment card identifier/merchant ID pair;

determining that the transaction satisfies the terms of the accepted CLO;

identifying a plurality of publishers associated with the accepted CLO and payment card identifier;

applying one or more rules for selecting a publisher to credit with the transaction; and crediting the selected publisher with the transaction.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the last publisher via which the consumer accepted the CLO is selected.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the publisher associated with a largest reward for the consumer is selected.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

crediting the consumer with a reward in accordance with rewards terms for the CLO.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

crediting the identified publisher with a commission for the transaction.

6 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a computer program, that, when executed by a computer system, enables the computer system to perform the following method for providing a card-linked offer network that enables a consumer to link a payment card to the same offer on multiple publisher sites, the method comprising:

providing a card-linked offer (CLO) network accessible to multiple different content publishers and multiple different merchants, wherein merchants are able to post card-linked offers (CLOs) on the CLO network, wherein publishers are able to publish online CLOs posted by merchants on the CLO network, wherein consumers are able to accept CLOs via publishers' online interfaces, wherein consumers are able to enable the same payment card on multiple publisher sites, and wherein consumers are able to link the payment card to the same offer on different publisher sites;

for each CLO posted on the CLO network, creating an offer ID that uniquely identifies the CLO and that is associated with offer terms and a merchant ID, wherein the merchant ID uniquely identifies the merchant that posted the CLO;

receiving a first notice of a consumer acceptance of a CLO on a first publisher site, wherein the notice includes a publisher ID associated with the first publisher site, the offer ID for the accepted CLO, and the consumer's payment card identifier;

associating the consumer's payment card identifier with (1) the offer ID of the accepted CLO, (2) the merchant ID associated with the accepted CLO, and (3) and the publisher ID for the first publisher;

registering the payment card identifier/merchant ID pair associated with the accepted CLO with the payment card network for purchase of receiving transaction information for transactions involving the payment card identifier/merchant ID pair;

receiving one or more subsequent notices of consumer acceptance of the same CLO on other publisher sites using the same payment card identifier;

for each subsequent notice, associating the payment card identifier, offer ID, and merchant ID associated with the accepted CLO with a publisher ID for the subsequent publisher, resulting in the same payment card identifier/offer ID/ merchant ID combination being associated with multiple publishers;

receiving from the payment card network information related to a transaction matching the registered payment card identifier/merchant ID pair;

determining that the transaction satisfies the terms of the accepted CLO;

identifying a plurality of publishers associated with the accepted CLO and payment card identifier;

applying one or more rules for selecting a publisher to credit with the transaction; and crediting the selected publisher with the transaction.

7 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the last publisher via which the consumer accepted the CLO is selected.

8 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the publisher associated with a largest reward for the consumer is selected.

9 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , further comprising:

crediting the consumer with a reward in accordance with rewards terms for the CLO.

10 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , further comprising:

crediting the identified publisher with a commission for the transaction.

11 . A computer system for method for providing a card-linked offer network that enables a consumer to link a payment card to the same offer on multiple publisher sites, the system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more memory units coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the one or more memory units store instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform the operations of:

providing a card-linked offer (CLO) network accessible to multiple different content publishers and multiple different merchants, wherein merchants are able to post card-linked offers (CLOs) on the CLO network, wherein publishers are able to publish online CLOs posted by merchants on the CLO network, wherein consumers are able to accept CLOs via publishers' online interfaces, wherein consumers are able to enable the same payment card on multiple publisher sites, and wherein consumers are able to link the payment card to the same offer on different publisher sites;

for each CLO posted on the CLO network, creating an offer ID that uniquely identifies the CLO and that is associated with offer terms and a merchant ID, wherein the merchant ID uniquely identifies the merchant that posted the CLO;

receiving a first notice of a consumer acceptance of a CLO on a first publisher site, wherein the notice includes a publisher ID associated with the first publisher site, the offer ID for the accepted CLO, and the consumer's payment card identifier;

associating the consumer's payment card identifier with (1) the offer ID of the accepted CLO, (2) the merchant ID associated with the accepted CLO, and (3) and the publisher ID for the first publisher;

registering the payment card identifier/merchant ID pair associated with the accepted CLO with the payment card network for purchase of receiving transaction information for transactions involving the payment card identifier/merchant ID pair;

receiving one or more subsequent notices of consumer acceptance of the same CLO on other publisher sites using the same payment card identifier;

for each subsequent notice, associating the payment card identifier, offer ID, and merchant ID associated with the accepted CLO with a publisher ID for the subsequent publisher, resulting in the same payment card identifier/offer ID/ merchant ID combination being associated with multiple publishers;

receiving from the payment card network information related to a transaction matching the registered payment card identifier/merchant ID pair;

determining that the transaction satisfies the terms of the accepted CLO;

identifying a plurality of publishers associated with the accepted CLO and payment card identifier;

applying one or more rules for selecting a publisher to credit with the transaction; and crediting the selected publisher with the transaction.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the last publisher via which the consumer accepted the CLO is selected.

13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the publisher associated with a largest reward for the consumer is selected.

14 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising:

crediting the consumer with a reward in accordance with rewards terms for the CLO.

15 . The system of claim 14 , further comprising:

crediting the identified publisher with a commission for the transaction.