Method and System for Providing Reward Status

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to providing a status for one or more rewards using a format in a plurality of display formats. Portable device information associated with a portable device and acceptance point device information associated with an acceptance point device are determined. A status for one or more rewards is determined based on the portable device information and the acceptance point device information. A display format is then determined from a plurality of display formats based on the portable device information and acceptance point device information. A status is then displayed using the display format.

1 - 54 . (canceled) 
     
     
         55 . A method of influencing a future purchase of a user who participates in a first loyalty program, the method comprising:
 obtaining, at a computer, account information associated with the user;   processing, at the computer, the account information to determine a current status of the user in the first loyalty program; and   determining, at the computer, a reward status for the first loyalty program, the reward status being a position in the first loyalty program that would qualify the user to receive a reward having a first value; and   determining, at the computer, a first future purchase that would cause the user to achieve the reward status in the first loyalty program and qualify the user to receive the reward having the first value;   determining, at the computer, a desired status for the user, the desired status being a position in a second loyalty program that a merchant desires the user to achieve and that qualifies the user to receive a reward having a second, higher value;   determining, at the computer, a second future purchase that would cause the user to achieve the desired status in the second loyalty program and qualify the user to receive the reward having the second, higher value; and   generating, by the computer, a graphical representation that influences the user to make the second future purchase, rather than the first future purchase, by comparatively illustrating that the second future purchase qualifies the user to receive the reward having the second, higher value, whereas the first future purchase would qualify for the reward having the first, lower value.   
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein, during a transaction involving the user and the merchant, an acceptance point device of the merchant obtains from a device of the user the account information associated with the user. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 56 , wherein the computer obtains from the acceptance point device the user information associated with the user. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 55 , further comprising:
 causing, by the computer, a device of the user to display to the user the generated graphical representation that influences the user to make the second future purchase.   
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein selecting the display format is based in on the status, the reward status, and the desired status. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein the graphical representation that influences the user to make the second future purchase includes one or more of a chart, a table, a picture, a bar chart, and text. 
     
     
         61 . A method for displaying on a device of a user information that influences the user to achieve in one or more loyalty programs a position that a merchant desires the user to achieve, the method comprising:
 obtaining, by a computer, account information associated with the user;   obtaining, by the computer, loyalty program information associated with the merchant;   determining, by the computer, a current status of the user in the one or more loyalty programs based at least in part on the account information associated with the user;   determining, by the computer, a desired status of the user in the one or more loyalty programs based at least in part on the loyalty program information associated with the merchant, wherein the desired status represents the position in the one or more loyalty programs the merchant desires the user to achieve; and   selecting, by the computer, a display format from among a plurality of display formats that presents on the device of the user the current status and the desired status in a manner that influences the user to perform actions to achieve the desired status.   
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein the device of the user is a mobile device, a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computers (PC), a laptop computer, or a tablet computer. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein the account information associated with the user is obtained from the device of the user. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein an acceptance point device of the merchant obtains from the device of the user the account information associated with the user during a transaction involving the user and the merchant. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 64 , wherein the computer obtains from the acceptance point device the account information. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 65 , wherein the computer obtains from the acceptance point device the loyalty program information associated with the merchant. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 61 , further comprising:
 wherein the current status is a current position of the user in a first loyalty program and the desired status is a future position in a second loyalty program that the merchant desires the user to achieve,   determining, by the computer, a first future purchase that would cause the user to achieve a reward status in the first loyalty program and qualify the user to receive a reward having the first value; and   determining, by the computer, a second future purchase that would cause the user to achieve the desired status in the second loyalty program and qualify the user to receive a reward having a second, higher value.   
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 67 , wherein the display format selected from among the plurality of display formats is a graphical representation that influences the user to make the second future purchase, rather than the first future purchase, by comparatively illustrating that the second future purchase qualifies the user to receive the reward having the second, higher value, whereas the first future purchase would qualify for the reward having the first, lower value. 
     
     
         69 . An apparatus configured to display on a device of a user information that influences the user to achieve in a loyalty program a position that a merchant desires the user to achieve, the apparatus comprising:
 storage containing loyalty program information associated with the merchant, account information associated with the user, and a plurality of display formats;   logic to process the account information associated with the user to determine a current status of the user in the loyalty program;   logic to process the loyalty program information associated with the merchant to determine a desired status of the user in the loyalty program, wherein the desired status represents the position in the loyalty program the merchant desires the user to achieve; and   logic to select a display format from among the plurality of display formats that presents on the device of the user the current status and the desired status in a manner that influences the user to perform actions to achieve the desired status.   
     
     
         70 . The apparatus of  claim 69 , wherein the device of the user is a mobile device, a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computers (PC), a laptop computer, or a tablet computer. 
     
     
         71 . The apparatus of  claim 69 , wherein the account information associated with the user is obtained from the device of the user. 
     
     
         72 . The apparatus of  claim 71 , wherein an acceptance point device of the merchant obtains from the device of the user the account information associated with the user during a transaction involving the user and the merchant. 
     
     
         73 . The apparatus of  claim 72 , wherein the computer obtains from the acceptance point device the account information. 
     
     
         74 . The apparatus of  claim 73 , wherein the computer obtains from the acceptance point device the loyalty program information associated with the merchant.