Patent ID: 8794518
Filing Date: 2014-08-05
Classification: G06Q,G07F

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: a computer serving a set of one or more Web pages for a loyalty program of a financial service company that provides credit cards to a set of members, wherein usage of the credit cards with retailers accepting the credit card earn loyalty points for the loyalty program as recorded in a credits account of a corresponding one of the members, wherein the financial service company is referred to as an entity, wherein the loyalty points are referred to as non-negotiable credits, wherein the Web pages are able to be rendered by one or more client-side browsers, which run on the one or more client-machines, wherein upon being rendered within one of the client-side browsers a corresponding user interface for the client-side browser presents a quantity of member earned loyalty points for the loyalty program, wherein the entity redeems the loyalty points via the Web pages in exchange for a restricted set of goods or services provided by the entity to the members as part of the loyalty program, wherein upon being rendered within one of the client-side browsers the user interface presents a conversion option permitting one of the members to: wherein the different loyalty points are referred to as entity independent funds and are recorded in a funds account, wherein the different loyalty points are redeemable for commerce partner services that the commerce partner provides to members of the different loyalty program, wherein the commerce partner services are not included in the restricted set of goods or services, wherein the commerce partner services for which the different loyalty points are redeemable comprise: wherein the different loyalty program of the commerce partner is a hotel, airline, rental car, train, cruise ship, gaming platform, gaming service, or game-specific loyalty program, wherein the funds account is neither owned nor controlled by the entity or by any subsidiary or parent of the entity, wherein the credits account is neither owned nor controlled by the commerce partner or by any subsidiary or parent of the commerce partner, wherein the entity does not: wherein an agreement exists between the entity and the commerce partner, wherein the agreement permits members to: wherein the agreement specifies that the entity or the commerce partner are to provide compensation to the other in an agreed upon amount for conversions between the loyalty points and the different loyalty points; the computer responsive to receiving a message indicating a selection of the conversion option, processing the selection to effectuate changes in the served set of Web pages; and responsive to the processing, the computer serving one or more Web pages or Web page updates that include the effectuated changes to at least one of the one or more client machines, wherein upon being rendered within one of the client-side browsers the user interface is updated with the effectuated changes, wherein the updated user interface presents a changed quantity of the loyalty points possessed by one of the members, said changed quantity resulting at least in part from a conversion performed responsive to the selection of the conversion option, wherein the computer serves the set of one or more Web pages, receives the selection, and serves the one or more Web pages or Web page updates that include the effectuated changes within a single user-interactive Web session.