System and method for networked loyalty program

Abstract

This disclosure provides a loyalty program on a network-wide level. Embodiments may associate UPC and SKU data on a network level to reward consumers and/or to analyze the data for a variety of business purposes, such as market segmentation analyses and/or analyses relating to consumer spending behaviors or patterns, for example. In accordance with one embodiment, the network may comprise any number of participants, including consumers (such as primary and supplementary members of an aggregate consumer account), retailers (e.g. including any of their employees), manufacturers, third-party providers, and the like. In accordance with one embodiment, this disclosure enables participation by supplementary members who are associated with a primary member and, in this manner, facilitates the tracking of supplementary member purchasing behavior, reward points earning behavior, and reward points redemption behavior.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method of optimizing operations of an automated point-of-sale terminal, comprising:
 receiving, at a remote server, data transmitted from the automated point-of-sale terminal, wherein the data is associated with a purchase of an item by a consumer from a merchant at the automated point-of-sale terminal and is received during an electronic checkout process performed for the purchase of the item at the automated point-of-sale terminal;   the remote server determining whether the data includes a request to enroll the consumer in a loyalty program that is associated with a supplier of the item and usable with a plurality of merchants associated with the supplier;   in response to determining that the data includes the request to enroll, the remote server generating an account for the consumer in the loyalty program;   after the generating, associating with the account at least a portion of data associated with the consumer; and   transmitting, from the remote server to the automated point-of-sale terminal and during the electronic checkout process for the purchase of the item at the automated point-of-sale terminal, data for the consumer that specifies the account and instructing the automated point-of-sale terminal to display the data that specifies the account to the consumer, wherein the optimizing of operations of the automated point-of-sale terminal enables electronic tracking of consumer and product data across a plurality of distribution channels for the supplier or the merchant, or both the supplier and the merchant.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 subsequent to the transmitting, the remote server receiving an indication to activate the account.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the indication to activate the account is received in response to activity of the consumer and substantially without aid of a merchant employee performing the electronic checkout process. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 subsequent to enrolling the consumer in the loyalty program, the remote server associating a retailer-assigned identifier for the item with a manufacturer-assigned identifier, wherein the retailer-assigned identifier is included in the data received; and   the remote server storing, in the account, at least a portion of the data received and the manufacturer-assigned identifier.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein generating the account is performed using data about the consumer already in possession of the merchant prior to the request to enroll the consumer in the loyalty program. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 the remote server storing, in the account, an amount of loyalty points associated with the purchase, wherein the amount is determined at least partially based on a purchase price.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the account is a temporary account associated with a temporary consumer identifier, and wherein the method further comprises the remote server reconciling a loyalty point balance of the temporary account with a permanent account associated with a permanent consumer identifier. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 processing, at the remote server, a payment request from the merchant for the purchase of the item, wherein the payment request is processed contemporaneously with the remote server enrolling the consumer in the loyalty program.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the item is a product or a service. 
     
     
         30 . An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computer-based system, cause the computer-based system to perform operations that optimize operation of an automated point-of-sale terminal, wherein the operations performed by the computer-based system comprise:
 receiving, at a remote server, data transmitted from the automated point-of-sale terminal, wherein the data is associated with a purchase of an item by a consumer from a merchant at the automated point-of-sale terminal and is received during an electronic checkout process performed for the purchase of the item at the automated point-of-sale terminal;   the remote server determining whether the data includes a request to enroll the consumer in a loyalty program that is associated with a supplier of the item and the merchant;   in response to determining that the data includes the request to enroll, the remote server generating an account for the consumer in the loyalty program;   after the generating, associating with the account at least a portion of data associated with the consumer; and   transmitting, from the remote server to the automated point-of-sale terminal and during the electronic checkout process for the purchase of the item at the automated point-of-sale terminal, data for the consumer that specifies the account and instructing the automated point-of-sale terminal to display the data that specifies the account to the consumer, wherein the optimizing of operation of the automated point-of-sale terminal enables electronic tracking of consumer and product data across a plurality of distribution channels for the supplier or the merchant, or both the supplier and the merchant.   
     
     
         31 . The article of manufacture of  claim 30 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 subsequent to the transmitting, the remote server receiving an indication to activate the account, wherein the indication to activate the account is received in response to activity of the consumer and substantially without aid of a merchant employee performing the electronic checkout process.   
     
     
         32 . The article of manufacture of  claim 30 , wherein generating the account is performed using data about the consumer already in possession of the merchant prior to the request to enroll the consumer in the loyalty program. 
     
     
         33 . The article of manufacture of  claim 30 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 the remote server storing, in the account, an amount of loyalty points associated with the purchase, wherein the amount is determined at least partially based on a purchase price.   
     
     
         34 . The article of manufacture of  claim 33 , wherein the account is a temporary account associated with a temporary consumer identifier, and wherein the operations further comprise the remote server reconciling a loyalty point balance of the temporary account with a permanent account associated with a permanent consumer identifier. 
     
     
         35 . The article of manufacture of  claim 30 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 processing, at the remote server, a payment request from the merchant for the purchase of the item, wherein the payment request is processed contemporaneously with the remote server enrolling the consumer in the loyalty program.   
     
     
         36 . A system, comprising:
 one or more processors;   a non-transitory memory configured to communicate with the one or more processors, the non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations that optimize operation of an automated point-of-sale terminal, wherein the operations performed by the one or more processors comprise:   receiving, at a remote server, data transmitted from the automated point-of-sale terminal, wherein the data is associated with a purchase of an item by a consumer from a merchant at the automated point-of-sale terminal and is received during an electronic checkout process performed for the purchase of the item at the automated point-of-sale terminal;   the remote server determining whether the data includes a request to enroll the consumer in a loyalty program that is associated with a supplier of the item and the merchant;   in response to determining that the data includes the request to enroll, the remote server generating an account for the consumer in the loyalty program;   after the generating, associating with the account at least a portion of data associated with the consumer; and   transmitting, from the remote server to the automated point-of-sale terminal and during the electronic checkout process for the purchase of the item at the automated point-of-sale terminal, data for the consumer that specifies the account and instructing the automated point-of-sale terminal to display the data that specifies the account to the consumer, wherein the optimizing of operation of the automated point-of-sale terminal enables electronic tracking of consumer and product data across a plurality of distribution channels for the supplier or the merchant, or both the supplier and the merchant.   
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 subsequent to the transmitting, the remote server receiving an indication to activate the account.   
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 the remote server storing, in the account, an amount of loyalty points associated with the purchase, wherein the amount is determined at least partially based on a purchase price.   
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the account is a temporary account associated with a temporary consumer identifier, and wherein the operations further comprise the remote server reconciling a loyalty point balance of the temporary account with a permanent account associated with a permanent consumer identifier. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 processing, at the remote server, a payment request from the merchant for the purchase of the item, wherein the payment request is processed contemporaneously with the remote server enrolling the consumer in the loyalty program.