Systems and methods for linking ACH data with merchant loyalty data

1. A method for linking payment information with customer loyalty data, the method comprising:

receiving, at a merchant's point-of-sale (POS) system, a customer loyalty identifier of a customer via a terminal of the POS system, the customer loyalty identifier received during a purchase transaction by the customer, the purchase transaction using a first payment vehicle;

identifying, based on the received customer loyalty identifier, financial account information of the customer stored in a database of the POS system, the financial account information providing a second payment vehicle associated with the customer;

determining whether the stored financial account information of the customer is enabled for the customer to apply to the purchase transaction;

determining whether the second payment vehicle reduces one or more fees to the merchant in exchange for completing the purchase transaction;

offering, to the customer, a choice to complete the purchase transaction using the second payment vehicle;

sending, based upon determining that a payment feature of the stored financial account information is not enabled for the customer loyalty identifier, first display instructions to the POS system for prompting the customer to enable the payment feature of the stored financial account information using the second payment vehicle;

sending second display instructions to the POS system for prompting the customer for authorization information associated with payment by the stored financial account information using the second payment vehicle;

enabling the payment feature of the stored financial account information; and

applying the stored financial account information to a purchase of the customer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein prompts presented to the customer are presented using a display device of a point of sale system maintained by a merchant.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein prompting the customer to enable payment by the information of the financial account associated with the customer comprises offering an incentive for the customer to enable payment by the information of the financial account associated with the customer, the incentive being one or more of a discount on the current purchase, coupons to be applied to future purchases, a monetary gift, or a non-monetary gift.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authorization information comprises one or more of a numeric or alphanumeric authorization code or biometric information of the customer.

5. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

prompting the customer to apply the information of the financial account associated with the customer to the current purchase, the prompt comprising an offer of an incentive for the customer to apply the information of the financial account associated with the customer to the current purchase; and

applying the information of the financial account associated with the customer to the current purchase.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information of the financial account associated with the customer is automated clearing house (ACH) data associated with the customer.

7. A computer system for linking payment information with customer loyalty data, the system comprising:

a memory having processor-readable instructions stored therein; and

a processor configured to access the memory and execute the processor-readable instructions, which when executed by the processor configures the processor to perform a plurality of functions, including functions to:

receive, at a merchant's point-of-sale (POS) system, a customer loyalty identifier of a customer via a terminal of the POS system, the customer loyalty identifier received during a purchase transaction by the customer, the purchase transaction using a first payment vehicle;

identify, based on the received customer loyalty identifier, financial account information of the customer stored in a database of the POS system, the financial account information providing a second payment vehicle associated with the customer;

determine whether the stored financial account information of the customer is enabled for the customer to apply to the purchase transaction;

determine whether the second payment vehicle reduces one or more fees to the merchant in exchange for completing the purchase transaction;

offer, to the customer, a choice to complete the purchase transaction using the second payment vehicle;

send, based upon determining that a payment feature of the stored financial account information is not enabled for the customer loyalty identifier, first display instructions to the POS system for prompting the customer to enable the payment feature of the stored financial account information using the second payment vehicle;

send second display instructions to the POS system to prompt the customer for authorization information associated with payment by the stored financial account information using the second payment vehicle;

enable the payment feature of the stored financial account information; and

apply the stored financial account information to a purchase of the customer.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein prompts presented to the customer are presented using a display device of a point of sale system maintained by a merchant.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein prompting the customer to enable payment by the information of the financial account associated with the customer comprises offering an incentive for the customer to enable payment by the information of the financial account associated with the customer, the incentive being one or more of a discount on the current purchase, coupons to be applied to future purchases, a monetary gift, or a non-monetary gift.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the authorization information comprises one or more of a numeric or alphanumeric authorization code or biometric information of the customer.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the instructions executed by the processor further cause the processor to:

prompt the customer to apply the information of the financial account associated with the customer to the current purchase, the prompt comprising an offer of an incentive for the customer to apply the information of the financial account associated with the customer to the current purchase; and

apply the information of the financial account associated with the customer to the current purchase.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the information of the financial account associated with the customer is automated clearing house (ACH) data associated with the customer.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a method of linking payment information with customer loyalty data, the method comprising:

receiving, at a merchant's point-of-sale (POS) system, a customer loyalty identifier of a customer via a terminal of the POS system, the customer loyalty identifier received during a purchase transaction by the customer, the purchase transaction using a first payment vehicle;

identifying, based on the received customer loyalty identifier, financial account information of the customer stored in a database of the POS system;

determining whether the stored financial account information of the customer is enabled for the customer to apply to the purchase transaction;

determining whether the financial account information of the customer reduces one or more fees to the merchant in exchange for completing the purchase transaction;

offering, to the customer, a choice to complete the purchase transaction using the financial account information of the customer;

sending, based upon determining that a payment feature of the stored financial account information is not enabled for the customer loyalty identifier, first display instructions to the POS system for prompting the customer to enable the payment feature of the stored financial account information;

sending second display instructions to the POS system for prompting the customer for authorization information associated with payment by the stored financial account information;

enabling the payment feature of the stored financial account information; and

applying the stored financial account information to a purchase of the customer.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein prompts presented to the customer are presented using a display device of a point of sale system maintained by a merchant.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein prompting the customer to enable payment by the information of the financial account associated with the customer comprises offering an incentive for the customer to enable payment by the information of the financial account associated with the customer, the incentive being one or more of a discount on the current purchase, coupons to be applied to future purchases, a monetary gift, or a non-monetary gift.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , the method further comprising:

prompting the customer to apply the information of the financial account associated with the customer to the current purchase, the prompt comprising an offer of an incentive for the customer to apply the information of the financial account associated with the customer to the current purchase; and

applying the information of the financial account associated with the customer to the current purchase.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the information of the financial account associated with the customer is automated clearing house (ACH) data associated with the customer.