Patent ID: 8452654

Claim:
A variable level reward system comprising: a transaction data computer for: (a) receiving from a plurality of sources financial card transaction data for a plurality of card holders; (b) organizing said financial card transaction data according to card holder accounts for said plurality of card holders; and (c) storing said financial card transaction data organized according to said card holder accounts for said plurality of card holders; and a reward computer for determining a reward for one of said plurality of card holders by: (d) receiving from said transaction data computer financial card transaction data for said card holder, said financial card transaction data related to transactions occurring during a transactional time period; (e) assigning each of said transactions to at least one of a plurality of transaction categories; (f) determining an expenditure level for said transactions in each of said plurality of transaction categories; (g) determining a transaction category having a highest expenditure level; (h) applying a high-level reward rate to expenditures in said transaction category having a highest expenditure level to determine a first reward amount; (i) applying a low-level reward rate to expenditures in at least one transaction category other than said transaction category having said highest expenditure level to determine a second reward amount; and (j) determining a total reward amount based on said first reward amount and said second reward amount.