System and method for independently tracking payment transactions

Abstract

System and method that utilizes unique virtual credit card accounts each associated in a one-to-one correspondence with purchase transactions. The one-to-one correspondence between a purchase transaction and a unique virtual credit card account enables each purchase transaction to be independently tracked by a number associated with the unique virtual credit card account.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A system, comprising:
 a program manager server; and   a virtual payment provider server communicatively coupled to the program manager server via a communication network,   said program manager server including a memory device containing instructions that, when executed by the program manager server, configure the program manager server to:
 receive a plurality of requests to transact a plurality of purchases, the requests received from one or more participant computing devices of the participants via the communication network, wherein each purchase of the plurality of purchases is for at least one item having a cash purchase price, wherein vendor systems of vendors of the items transact the purchases using currency, and wherein the participant computing devices transact the purchases using awarded points; and 
 request a unique, one-time use virtual credit card account from the virtual payment provider server for each purchase of the plurality of purchases; and 
   said virtual payment provider server including a memory device containing instructions that, when executed by the virtual payment provider server, configure the virtual payment provider server to:
 provide a plurality of virtual credit card accounts to transact the plurality of purchases, wherein each virtual credit card account has a number associated therewith, wherein each virtual credit card account number is uniquely connected in a one-to-one correspondence with only one purchase of the plurality of purchases, and wherein: 
 the only one purchase is trackable by the virtual credit card account number associated therewith, 
 the only one purchase can be identified by the virtual credit card account number associated therewith, and 
 the only purchase and no other purchases are associated with the virtual credit card account number. 
   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein each virtual credit card account is active only for the only one purchase associated therewith. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein each virtual credit card account has available credit equal to the cash purchase price of the only one purchase associated therewith. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the program manager server is further configured to provide a user interface to the one or more participant computing devices via the communication network for generating the plurality of requests. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the program manager server is further configured to:
 maintain the awarded points in a point account for each participant;   transmit the cash purchase price for each purchase to the virtual payment provider server in response to said requesting; and   deduct from the point account of the participant associated with each purchase awarded points corresponding to the points amount of each purchase.   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the virtual payment provider server is further configured to:
 receive a cancellation request of a purchase of the plurality of purchases;   activate, in response to said receiving the cancellation request, the virtual credit card account associated with the cancelled purchase;   receive an amount from the vendor system of the vendor of the cancelled purchase equal to the cash purchase price of the cancelled purchase;   deposit the received amount into the activated virtual credit card account; and   transmit the deposited amount to the program manager server.   
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the program manager server is further configured to:
 receive the deposited amount from the virtual payment provider server; and   credit, in response to said receiving, to the point account of the participant associated with the cancelled purchase points corresponding to the points amount of the cancelled purchase.   
     
     
         28 . A computerized system for use by a participant of a program which awards points to the participant, said system comprising:
 a program manager server configured to:   provide a user interface to a participant computing device communicatively coupled to the virtual payment provider server via a communication network;   receive from the participant computing device, via the user interface and the communication network, a request to transact a purchase, wherein the purchase is for at least one item having a cash purchase price, wherein a vendor system of a vendor of the item transacts the purchase using currency, and wherein the participant computing device transacts the purchase using the awarded points;   request a unique, one-time use virtual credit card account for the purchase from a virtual payment provider server;   receive, from the virtual payment provider server, a virtual credit card account to transact the purchase in response to said requesting, wherein the virtual credit card account has a number associated therewith, wherein the virtual credit card account number is uniquely connected in a one-to-one correspondence with only the purchase, and wherein:   the virtual credit card account number associated with the purchase is used to track only the purchase,   the virtual credit card account number associated with the purchase is used to identify only the purchase, and   the virtual credit card account number associated with the purchase is associated with only the purchase and no other purchases.   
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the virtual credit card account is active only for the only purchase associated therewith. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the virtual credit card account has available credit equal to the cash purchase price of the only purchase associated therewith. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the program manager server is further configured to:
 maintain the awarded points in a point account for the participant;   transmit the cash purchase price for the purchase to the virtual payment provider server in response to said requesting; and   deduct from the point account of the participant associated with the purchase awarded points corresponding to the points amount of the purchase.   
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the program manager server is further configured to:
 receive a deposited amount from the virtual payment provider server equal to an amount received from the vendor system in response to a cancellation request for the purchase; and   credit, in response to said receiving, to the point account of the participant associated with the cancelled purchase points corresponding to the points amount of the cancelled purchase.   
     
     
         33 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 receiving, by a program manager server, a plurality of requests to transact a plurality of purchases, the requests received from one or more participant computing devices via a communication network communicatively coupling the program manager server and the participant computing devices, wherein each purchase of the plurality of purchases is for at least one item having a cash purchase price, wherein vendor systems of vendors of the items transact the purchases using currency, and wherein the participant computing devices transact the purchases using awarded points;   requesting, by the program manager server, a unique, one-time use virtual credit card account from a virtual payment provider server for each purchase of the plurality of purchases;   providing, by the virtual payment provider server, a plurality of virtual credit card accounts to transact the plurality of purchases, wherein each virtual credit card account has a number associated therewith, wherein each virtual credit card account number is uniquely connected in a one-to-one correspondence with only one purchase of the plurality of purchases, and wherein the only one purchase and no other purchases are associated with the virtual credit card account number;   identifying, by the program manager server, the only one purchase by the virtual credit card account number associated therewith in response to a search of a plurality of purchases using the virtual credit card account number; and   tracking, by the program manager server, the only one purchase by the virtual credit card account number associated therewith.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein each virtual credit card account is active only for the only one purchase associated therewith. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein each virtual credit card account has available credit equal to the cash purchase price of the only one purchase associated therewith. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising:
 declining, by the virtual payment provider server, subsequent attempts to charge each virtual credit card account after the occurrence of the only one purchase associated therewith; and   declining, by the virtual payment provider server, attempts to charge each virtual credit card account for amounts greater than the available credit thereof.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising providing, by the program manager server, a user interface to the one or more participant computing devices via the communication network for generating the plurality of requests. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising:
 maintaining, by the program manager server, the awarded points in a point account for each participant;   transmitting, by the program manager server, the cash purchase price for each purchase to the virtual payment provider server in response to said requesting; and   deducting, by the program manager server, from the point account of the participant associated with each purchase awarded points corresponding to the points amount of each purchase.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the virtual payment provider server, a cancellation request of a purchase of the plurality of purchases;   activating, by the virtual payment provider server in response to said receiving, the virtual credit card account associated with the cancelled purchase;   receiving, by the virtual payment provider server, an amount from the vendor system of the vendor of the cancelled purchase equal to the cash purchase price of the cancelled purchase;   depositing, by the virtual payment provider server, the received amount into the activated virtual credit card account; and   transmitting, by the virtual payment provider server, the deposited amount to the program manager server.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the program manager server, the deposited amount from the virtual payment provider server; and   crediting, by the program manager server in response to said receiving, to the point account of the participant associated with the cancelled purchase points corresponding to the points amount of the cancelled purchase.