Patent ID: 7680688

Claim:
A computer implemented method for facilitating acquisitions from a merchant, wherein payment for an acquisition is made using at least one transaction card account which is to be at least partially reimbursed using loyalty points from at least one loyalty account, the method comprising the automated steps of: receiving account data at a merchant computer related to the at least one transaction card account from a user; receiving information at an exchange system computer from the merchant computer via a network relating to the acquisition, wherein the information comprises the account data and loyalty data, and wherein the loyalty data indicates that the acquisition was at least partially paid for using the at least one transaction card account that is to be at least partially reimbursed using loyalty points from the at least one loyalty account; authenticating the information; debiting the at least one transaction card account, in a transaction account system connected to the exchange system by a network, by an amount to be paid for using the at least one transaction card account; debiting the at least one loyalty account, in a loyalty account system connected to the exchange system by a network, for the acquisition, based on loyalty data corresponding to the acquisition, by an amount of loyalty points equivalent to a currency value of a reimbursement amount that is at least a portion of a total amount of the acquisition; and crediting the at least one transaction card account by the reimbursement amount for the acquisition.