Method and apparatus for processing customized group reward offers

Claims

We claim:

1. A method for generating a customized reward offer for a sponsor of an affinity group, said method comprising the steps of:

accessing transaction data, said transaction data associated with a plurality of financial accounts, each controlled by a member of said affinity group;

determining aggregate performance data based on said transaction data, said aggregate performance data describing activity of said plurality of financial accounts; and

determining a performance target based on said aggregate performance data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of determining aggregate performance data includes a step of deriving an average outstanding balance.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of determining aggregate performance data includes a step of deriving an average charge volume.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of determining aggregate performance data includes a step of deriving an average number of transactions over a predetermined period.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining aggregate performance data includes a step of deriving an aggregate behavior score.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining aggregate performance data includes a step of deriving an aggregate profitability score.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining aggregate performance data includes a step of deriving an aggregate credit score.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining aggregate performance data includes a step of deriving an aggregate performance score.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of determining a performance target includes the steps of:

accessing comparative performance data; and

comparing said aggregate performance data to said comparative performance data.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said comparative data describes performance from a previous period.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said comparative data describes performance of a plurality of financial accounts, said plurality of financial accounts including at least one financial account controlled by a non-member.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

selecting a reward offer associated with said performance target; and

transmitting said performance target and said reward offer to said sponsor.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said step of selecting a reward offer includes the step of accessing reward preference data and wherein said reward offer is associated with said reward preference data.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of transmitting includes a step of printing a periodic statement.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising a step of transmitting said performance target to each member.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of transmitting said performance target to each member includes a step of printing a periodic account statement.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of transmitting includes a step of updating a database electronically accessible by said sponsor.

18. A method for processing a reward for a sponsor of an affinity group based on a plurality of financial accounts, said method comprising the steps of:

retrieving performance target data associated with said affinity group including a performance target parameter;

aggregating transaction data associated with said plurality of financial accounts to determine an aggregated performance value;

comparing said aggregated performance value to said performance target parameter to determine whether the reward is earned; and

if the reward is earned, processing the steps of:

accessing reward offer data associated with said pertormance target data; and

updating affinity group account data to reflect the reward.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of updating includes a step of modifying reward program point data.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said reward program point data represents frequent flyer miles associated with said sponsor.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of updating includes a step of processing a rebate.

22. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of updating account data associated with at least one of the affiliated financial accounts to reflect a member reward, said step of updating account data being performed if said reward is earned.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said account data associated with at least one of the affiliated financial accounts includes individual reward data representing rewards based on performance of said member and group reward data representing rewards based on performance of said affinity group.

24. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of updating affinity group account data to reflect a penalty.

25. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of updating account data associated with at least one of the affiliated financial accounts to reflect a member penalty, said step of updating account data being performed if said reward is not earned.

26. A device for generating a customized reward offer for a sponsor of an affinity group sponsor, said device comprising:

a memory configured to store:

data associated with said affinity group sponsor,

transaction data associated with a plurality of financial accounts, each controlled by a member of said affinity group,

aggregating performance data describing activity of said plurality of financial accounts,

target data specifying a performance target, and

reward data specifying a reward; and

a processor operatively connected to said memory, said processor configured to:

access said transaction data,

determine said aggregate performance data based on said transaction data, and

determine said performance target data based on said aggregate performance data.

27. The device of claim 26 wherein said processor is further configured to derive an average outstanding balance to determine said aggregate performance data.

28. The device of claim 26 wherein said processor is further configured to derive an average charge volume to determine said aggregate performance data.

29. The device of claim 26 wherein said processor is further configured to derive an average number of transactions over a predetermined period step to determine said aggregate performance data.

30. The device of claim 26 wherein said processor is further configured to derive an aggregate behavior score to determine said aggregate performance data.

31. The device of claim 26 wherein said processor is further configured to derive an aggregate profitability score to determine said aggregate performance data.

32. The device of claim 26 wherein said processor is further configured to derive an aggregate credit score to determine said aggregate performance data.

33. The device of claim 26 wherein said processor is further configured to derive an aggregate performance score to determine said aggregate performance data.

34. The device of claim 26 wherein said memory is further configured to store comparative performance data; and said processor is further configured to access said comparative performance data and compare said aggregate performance data to said comparative performance data to determine said performance target.

35. The device of claim 34 wherein said comparative data describes performance from a previous period.

36. The device of claim 34 wherein said comparative data describes performance of a plurality of financial accounts, said plurality of financial accounts including at least one financial account controlled by a non-member.

37. The device of claim 26 wherein said processor is further configured to:

select said reward data associated with said performance target; and

transmit said performance target and said reward offer to said sponsor.

38. The device of claim 37 wherein said processor is further configured to access reward preference data to select a reward offer and wherein said reward offer is associated with said reward preference data.

39. The device of claim 37 wherein said processor is further configured to print a periodic statement.

40. The device of claim 37 wherein said processor is further configured to transmit said performance target to each member.

41. The device of claim 40 wherein said processor is further configured to print a periodic account statement.

42. The device of claim 36 wherein said processor is further configured update a database electronically accessible by said sponsor.

43. A device for processing a reward for a sponsor of an affinity group based on account performance of a plurality of related financial accounts, said device comprising:

a memory configured to store:

a performance target parameter;

reward offer data associated with said performance target parameter;

transaction data associated with the plurality of financial accounts; and

affinity group account data;

a processor operatively connected to said memory, said processor configured to:

retrieve said performance target parameter;

aggregate said transaction data to determine an aggregated performance value;

compare said aggregated performance value to said performance target parameter to determine whether said reward is earned and

if said reward is earned, said processor configured to:

access said reward offer data associated with said performance target parameter; and

update affinity group account data to reflect said reward.

44. The device of claim 43 wherein said processor is further configured to modify reward program point data.

45. The device of claim 44 wherein said reward program point data represents frequent flyer miles associated with said sponsor.

46. The device of claim 43 wherein said processor is further configured to process a rebate.

47. The device of claim 43 wherein said processor is further configured to update member account data associated with at least one of the affiliated financial accounts to reflect a member reward, if said reward is earned.

48. The device of claim 47 wherein said account data associated with at least one of the affiliated financial accounts includes individual reward data representing rewards based on performance of said member and group reward data representing rewards based on performance of said affinity group.

49. The device of claim 43 wherein said processor is further configured to update said affinity group account data to reflect a penalty.

50. The device of claim 43 wherein said processor is further configured to update member account data associated with at least one of the affiliated financial accounts to reflect a member penalty, if said reward is not earned.

51. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with processing instructions for implementing a method for generating a customized reward offer for a sponsor of an affinity group, said processing instructions for directing a computer to perform the steps of:

accessing transaction data, said transaction data associated with a plurality of financial accounts, each controlled by a member of said affinity group;

determining aggregate performance data based on said transaction data, said aggregate performance data describing activity of said plurality of financial accounts; and

determining a performance target based on said aggregate performance data.

52. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with processing instructions for implementing a method for processing a reward for a sponsor of an affinity group based on a plurality of affiliated financial accounts, said processing instructions for directing a computer to perform the steps of:

retrieving performance target data associated with said affinity group including a performance target parameter;

aggregating transaction data associated with said plurality of financial accounts to determine an aggregate performance value;

comparing said aggregated performance value to said performance target parameter to determine whether the reward is earned; and

if the reward is earned, processing the steps of:

accessing reward offer data associated with said performance target data; and

updating affinity group account data to reflect the reward.