Point pooling loyalty system and method

Abstract

The invention facilitates pooling, gifting or transferring of geographic area loyalty points between accounts. The invention also facilitates a transfer of geographic area loyalty points from a consumer account associated with a sponsoring company to a consumer account associated with a host company. The invention may also facilitate gifting of loyalty points to charitable organizations on a recurring basis, wherein the gifting may transfer any portion of geographic based points to various charities. The system may also convert the geographic area loyalty points to a monetary value, thereby allowing the points to be donated to a charity such that the donation appears to be a monetary value donation to the charity.

1 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A method of instantly enrolling a customer at a point of sale device in an electronically implemented geographic area loyalty points system, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a computer system, location information collected at the point of sale device, wherein the location information identifies at least a primary geographic area, wherein the location information is provided to the point of sale device by a user device in electronic communication with the point of sale device during an interactive session, and wherein the location information is determined based on a global positioning system (GPS) or cellular location technology;   receiving by the computer system, customer information collected at the point of sale device during the interactive session, wherein the customer information includes a first data set of customer information collected at the point of sale device during the interactive session as part of an electronic enrollment query process and a second data set of customer information electronically collected at the point of sale device independently of the electronic enrollment query process;   electronically processing, by the computer system, the customer information collected at the point of sale device and the location information to enroll the customer in the electronically implemented geographic area loyalty points system; and   facilitating, by the computer system, instant enrollment functionality for the customer at the point of sale device, wherein the instant enrollment functionality includes computer instructions enabling the customer to receive loyalty points for a purchase made during the interactive session.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the loyalty points received for the purchase are redeemable for purchases made within the primary geographic area, but not redeemable for purchases made within a geophonic area external to the primary geographic area. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the first data set of customer information identifies a secondary geographic area selected by the customer, wherein the loyalty points received for the purchase are redeemable for purchases made within the secondary geographic area. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the second data set of customer information includes a name and an address of the customer maintained by a retailer associated the point of sale device. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the computer system, purchase information about the purchase; and   determining, by the computer system and based on the purchase information, an amount of loyal points to be received by the customer for the purchase.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the determining includes allocating, by the computer system, additional loyalty points for the purchase in response to the purchase being made within the primary geographic area. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the facilitating includes assigning the customer a temporary customer identifier usable for the interactive session and until a subsequent customer identifier is assigned to the customer. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the point of sale device presents an enrollment query asking the customer whether the customer wants to enroll in the electronically implemented geographic area loyalty points system. 
     
     
         30 . A retailer device, comprising:
 a processor;   memory having program instructions stored therein that are executable by the processor to cause the retailer device to facilitate instantly enrolling a customer in an electronically implemented geographic area loyalty points system, including:
 collecting location information from a user device in electronic communication with the retailer device during an interactive session, wherein the location information identifies at least a primary geographic area, and wherein the location information is determined based on a global positioning system (GPS) or cellular location technology; 
 collecting customer information during the interactive session, wherein the customer information includes a first data set of customer information collected at the retailer device during the interactive session as part of an electronic enrollment query process and a second data set of customer information electronically collected at the retailer device independently of the electronic enrollment query process; 
 providing the location information and the customer information to a computer system configured to electronically process the location information and the customer information collected at the retailer device to enroll the customer in the electronically implemented geographic area loyalty points system; and 
 providing, to the computer system, purchase information to enable the customer to receive loyalty points for a purchase made during the interactive session. 
   
     
     
         31 . The retailer device of  claim 30 , wherein facilitating the instantly enrolling further includes:
 during the interaction session, receiving a retailer loyalty identifier associated with a retailer loyalty points program distinct from the geographic area loyalty points system; and   in response to the retailer loyalty identifier, presenting a prompt asking whether the customer wants to enroll in the geographic area loyalty points system.   
     
     
         32 . The retailer device of  claim 31 , wherein the collected customer information includes customer information collected in conjunction with the retailer loyalty points program. 
     
     
         33 . The retailer device of  claim 30 , wherein the program instructions are executable to cause the retailer device to:
 permit a consumer to redeem loyalty points for a purchase in response to determining the loyalty points to be redeemed are associated with a geographic area that is also associated with the retailer device.   
     
     
         34 . The retailer device of  claim 30 , wherein the program instructions are executable to cause the retailer device to:
 provide an offer for which loyalty points associated with the primary geographic area are redeemable.   
     
     
         35 . The retailer device of  claim 30 , facilitating the instantly enrolling further includes:
 receive, from the customer, a selection of secondary geographic area where the loyalty points are redeemable.   
     
     
         36 . The retailer device of  claim 30 , wherein the purchase information includes a universal product code (UPC) associated with the purchase and usable to determine the loyalty points for the purchase. 
     
     
         37 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having program instructions stored therein that are executable by a computer system to perform operations for instantly enrolling a customer in an electronically implemented geographic area loyalty points system, wherein the operations comprise:
 receiving, from a point of sale device, a request to enroll the customer in the electronically implemented geographic area loyalty points system, wherein the receiving includes:
 receiving location information identifying at least a primary geographic area determined by a customer device in communication with the point of sale device and determined based on a global positioning system (GPS) or cellular location technology; and 
 receiving customer information collected at the point of sale device, wherein the customer information includes a first data set of customer information collected at the point of sale device as part of an electronic enrollment query process and a second data set of customer information electronically collected at the point of sale device independently of the electronic enrollment query process; 
   electronically processing the customer information collected at the point of sale device and the location information to enroll the customer in the electronically implemented geographic area loyalty points system; and   facilitating instant enrollment of the customer at the point of sale device, wherein the instant enrollment includes enabling the customer to receive loyalty points for a purchase, wherein the loyalty points for the purchase are associated with the primary geographic area such that the loyalty points are redeemable for purchases made in association with the primary geographic area.   
     
     
         38 . The computer readable medium of  claim 37 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving, from the point of sale device, product information associated with the purchase; and   determining, based on the product information, an amount of the loyal points for the purchase.   
     
     
         39 . The computer readable medium of  claim 37 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving purchase information for another purchase being made by the customer; and   determining whether to award additional loyalty points based on whether the other purchase is made in the primary geographic area.   
     
     
         40 . The computer readable medium of  claim 37 , wherein the first data set of customer information includes a secondary geographic area selected by the customer, wherein the loyalty points received for the purchase are redeemable for purchases made within the secondary geographic area. 
     
     
         41 . The computer readable medium of  claim 40 , wherein the second data set of customer information includes data collected from a loyalty points program provided by a retailer associated with the point of sale device, and wherein the loyalty points program provided by the retailer is distinct from the electronically implemented geographic area loyalty points system.