AUTOMATIC PRICE AND/OR REWARD ADJUSTMENT BY A BRANDED CARD PROVIDER

1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:

obtaining, at a computer system of a branded card provider, purchase information for an item purchased by a cardholder;

monitoring, at the computer system, the purchase information for the item;

determining, at the computer system, that a change in the purchase information for the item has occurred;

determining, at the computer system, a value of the change; and

automatically crediting, at the computer system, the value of the change to an account of the cardholder.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

monitoring the purchase information for the item for a period of time, the period of time defined by a brand from which the item was purchased;

determining that the change in the purchase information for the item has occurred within the period of time; and

automatically crediting the account of the cardholder.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring the purchase information for the item further comprises:

monitoring the purchase information for the item for a period of time, the period of time defined by a brand from which the item was purchased

determining that the change in the purchase information for the item has occurred after the period of time has tolled; and

providing no credit to the account of the cardholder.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

monitoring the purchase information for the item only from a brand from which the item was purchased, the monitoring comprising:

monitoring one or more Internet websites of the brand for the purchase information for the item;

using a brand level API for monitoring a brand's purchase information for the item; and

monitoring a transaction database of the branded card provider for purchase information for the item received from any other cardholders for the brand.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

monitoring the purchase information for the item from any retail provider, the monitoring comprising:

monitoring one or more Internet websites for the purchase information for the item;

using an API from the branded card provider to monitor all brands supported by the branded card provider for purchase information for the item; and

monitoring a transaction database of the branded card provider for purchase information for the item received from any other cardholders of all brands supported by the branded card provider.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that the change in the purchase information for the item is a lower price of the item;

determining a monetary value for a difference between a purchase price paid by the cardholder and the lower price of the item; and

automatically crediting the account of the cardholder with the determined monetary value.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that the change in the purchase information for the item is a lower price of the item;

determining a monetary value for a difference between a purchase price paid by the cardholder and the lower price of the item;

providing the cardholder with an option to select either the monetary value in a statement credit, a rewards offer that is equal to or greater in value than the monetary value, or a combination of a portion of the monetary value and a portion of the rewards offer that is equal to or greater in value that the monetary value; and

automatically crediting the account of the cardholder based on the cardholder's selected option.

8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that the change in the purchase information for the item is an increase in a rewards offer for purchasing the item; and

automatically crediting the account of the cardholder with the increased rewards offer.

9 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions embodied therein that when executed by a computer system, cause one or more processors of the computer system to perform a method comprising:

obtaining purchase information for an item purchased by a cardholder;

monitoring the purchase information for the item;

determining that a change in the purchase information for the item has occurred;

determining a value of the change; and

automatically crediting the value of the change to an account of the cardholder.

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

monitoring the purchase information for the item for a period of time, the period of time defined by a brand from which the item was purchased;

determining that the change in the purchase information for the item has occurred within the period of time; and

automatically crediting the account of the cardholder.

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

monitoring the purchase information for the item for a period of time, the period of time defined by a brand from which the item was purchased;

determining that the change in the purchase information for the item has occurred after the period of time has tolled; and

providing no credit to the account of the cardholder.

12 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the monitoring of the purchase information for the item further comprises:

monitoring one or more Internet websites for the purchase information for the item;

using an API from a branded card provider to monitor all brands supported by the branded card provider for purchase information for the item;

using machine learning to predict a price drop, the predicted price drop selected from the group consisting of: a seasonal price drop, a weather related price drop, and a brand specific special sales date; and

monitoring a transaction database of the branded card provider for purchase information for the item received from any other cardholders of the branded card provider.

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

determining that the change in the purchase information for the item is a lower price of the item;

determining a monetary value for a difference between a purchase price paid by the cardholder and the lower price of the item; and

automatically crediting the account of the cardholder with the determined monetary value.

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

determining that the change in the purchase information for the item is a lower price of the item;

determining a monetary value for a difference between a purchase price paid by the cardholder and the lower price of the item;

providing the cardholder with an option to select either the monetary value in a statement credit, a rewards offer that is equal to or greater in value than the monetary value, or a combination of a portion of the monetary value and a portion of the rewards offer that is equal to or greater in value that the monetary value; and

automatically crediting the account of the cardholder with the cardholder's selected option.

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

determining that the change in the purchase information for the item is an increase in a rewards offer for purchasing the item; and

automatically crediting the account of the cardholder with the increased rewards offer.

16 . A system comprising:

a display;

a memory storing instructions; and

one or more processors, executing the instructions, the one or more processors to:

obtain a purchase information for an item purchased by a cardholder;

monitor the purchase information for the item;

determine that a change in the purchase information for the item has occurred;

determine a value of the change; and

automatically credit the value of the change to an account of the cardholder.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the one or more processors are further to:

monitor the purchase information for the item for a period of time, the period of time defined by a brand from which the item was purchased;

determine that the change in the purchase information for the item has occurred within the period of time; and

automatically credit the account of the cardholder.

18 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the monitor of the purchase information for the item further causes the one or more processors to:

search one or more Internet websites for the purchase information for the item;

utilize an API from a branded card provider to monitor all brands supported by the branded card provider for purchase information for the item;

predict a price drop, the predicted price drop selected from the group consisting of: a seasonal price drop, a weather related price drop, and a brand specific special sales date; and

monitor a transaction database of the branded card provider for purchase information for the item received from any other cardholders of the branded card provider.

19 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the one or more processors are further to:

determine that the change in the purchase information for the item is a lower price of the item;

determine a monetary value for a difference between a purchase price paid by the cardholder and the lower price of the item;

provide the cardholder with an option to select either the monetary value in a statement credit, or a rewards offer that is equal to or greater in value than the monetary value; and

automatically credit the account of the cardholder with the cardholder's selected option.

20 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the one or more processors are further to:

determine that the change in the purchase information for the item is an increase in a rewards offer for purchasing the item; and

automatically credit the account of the cardholder with the increased rewards offer.