Patent ID: 8756099

Claim:
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with computer-executable instructions which when executed by a computer causes the computer to perform the steps of: building a consumer/transaction database configured to be populated with a plurality of data sets, each data set relating to a specified consumer and a specified merchant and having a plurality of data fields therein, wherein the building comprises using received data from a merchant or consumer related to a specified consumer and a specified merchant in the consumer/transaction database; receiving, from a merchant computer, a consumer/transaction data set having a plurality of data fields therein during a transaction between the specified consumer and the specified merchant; comparing at least a portion of the received consumer/transaction data set to at least one existing data field in an existing data set relating to the specified consumer and the specified merchant in the consumer/transaction database; determining in real time, based at least in part upon the comparing, a consumer activity data set, wherein the consumer activity data set includes: data of prior activity of the consumer with the specified merchant and with an unaffiliated merchant who have both agreed to sharing information about the consumer compiled by the specified merchant and the unaffiliated merchant, and data of a merchant offering to allow the specified merchant to make a real-time decision regarding the transaction or a future transaction with the consumer; and communicating, in real-time to the merchant computer of the specified merchant prior to consummation of the transaction, the consumer activity data set, including the prior activity data and the real time merchant offering data.