Patent ID: 8313023
Filing Date: 2012-11-20
Classification: G06Q,G07F

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: at least one of one or more computers identifying non-negotiable credits earned as part of a rewards program of an entity that provides a payment artifact, the non-negotiable credits being accrued or earned by charging amounts to an account linked to the payment artifact, the amounts charged being for goods or services purchased using the payment artifact, wherein the reward program credits are stored as digitally encoded information in at least one storage device, wherein the goods or services purchased are purchased from at least one different entity than the entity; at least one of one or more computers receiving a request to transfer or convert a quantity of the non-negotiable credits to entity independent funds of a commerce partner, the commerce partner being a company that is not the entity; and responsive to the request to transfer or convert the quantity of non-negotiable funds, at least one of one or more computers transferring or converting at least a subset of the non-negotiable credits into entity independent funds that the commerce partner accepts for goods or services that the commerce partner provides, wherein in absence of the non-negotiable credits being converted or transferred into the entity independent funds the commerce partner does not accept the non-negotiable credits for the goods or services that the commerce partner provides.