Patent ID: 7606730

Claim:
A method utilizing a computer system for facilitating the redemption of loyalty points to make a purchase, comprising: obtaining a loyalty card account having a unique identifier and general loyalty points associated therewith, said general loyalty points not being associated with a specific merchant; accessing a loyalty database stored in said computer system by utilizing said unique identifier, said loyalty database including said general loyalty points; converting at least a portion of said general loyalty points to a first merchant value associated with a specific first merchant; saving said first merchant value in a first database in said computer system associated with said loyalty card; converting at least a portion of said general loyalty points to a second merchant value associated with a specific second merchant; saving said second merchant value in a second database in said computer system associated with said loyalty card; redeeming said first merchant value at said first merchant to make a purchase, wherein said redeeming includes: receiving at said computer system purchase data including purchase price, applying at least some of said first merchant value stored in said computer system towards the purchase price, transferring at least some of said second merchant value stored in the computer system to said first merchant value, and applying said first merchant value that is transferred from said second merchant value towards the purchase price, and outputting from said computer system a resultant balance of the purchase price; and determining if a reward or loyalty points are earned based on a comparison of promotion rules and data from the purchase.