Patent ID: 8800857

Claim:
A system for crediting loyalty program points to a loyalty program account, comprising: a host computer comprising a programmable processor and a storage unit; an object comprising an embedded electronic tag, wherein the embedded electronic tag comprises tag identification information, wherein the tag identification information is associated with a loyalty program account file stored in the storage unit of the host computer; a tag identification information reader; and a point-of-sale device in communication with the tag identification information reader, wherein the tag identification information reader is configured to receive the tag identification information from the embedded electronic tag at the time of making a purchase transaction at the point-of-sale device, wherein the point-of-sale device is configured to form a transaction file unique to the purchase transaction by combining the tag identification information with a purchase transaction amount, date and location of the purchase transaction, wherein the point-of-sale device is further in communication with the host computer, wherein the host computer is configured to receive the transaction file, wherein the programmable processor is configured to determine the tag identification information contained in the transaction file, determine the loyalty program account file that is associated with the tag identification information, store the purchase transaction amount, date and location of purchase in the associated loyalty program account file, determine whether loyalty points should be credited to the loyalty program account file according to predetermined conditions and aggregate credited loyalty program points in the loyalty program account file; wherein the system allows a merchant to: (a) identify, prior to the purchase transaction, a loyalty program customer who has achieved a defined participation level in the loyalty program, and (b) offer a reward to the loyalty program customer prior to the purchase transaction.