Patent ID: 8229783

Claim:
A method comprising: generating, by a computer-based system for determining desired industry segments, a first ranking of an industry segment based upon a first data set, wherein the first data set relates to a group of merchants in an industry segment, and wherein the first data set includes at least one of: a cost of goods sold associated with at least a subset of the merchants within the industry segment, a number of the merchants associated with the industry segment, and a raw materials and inventory cost of goods sold associated with at least the subset of the merchants within the industry segment, and wherein each of the data in the first data set is weighted; generating, by the computer-based system, a second ranking of the industry segment based upon a second data set, wherein the second data set relates to a group of merchant account holders in the industry segment, and wherein the second data set includes at least one of: an average amount of spending for the merchant account holders within the industry segment, a percentage of merchant account holders actively spending on raw materials and inventory in the industry segment, a merchant account holder penetration in the industry segment, and a total estimated amount of spending for transaction accounts in the industry segment, and wherein each of the data in the second data set is weighted; validating, by the computer-based system and based upon a third data set, that a merchant in the group of merchants in the industry segment is interested in increasing charging, wherein the third data set includes data acquired through at least one of interviews with industry experts, interviews with business owners, data associated with industry reports and census data; generating, by the computer-based system, a third ranking of the industry segment based upon the validating; combining, by the computer-based system, the first ranking, the second ranking, and the third ranking to generate a combined ranking; determining, by the computer-based system and based upon the combined ranking, at least one of: that the industry segment is available for an increase in charging by the group of merchant account holders and a potential for new account holders in the industry segment; and targeting for follow up communications, by the computer-based system and in response to the determining, at least one of: a merchant in the group of merchants in the industry segment and a merchant account holder in the group of merchant account holders in the industry segment.