GB2304625A

GB2304625A - Combined telephone and retail outlet loyalty points card

Info

Publication number: GB2304625A
Application number: GB9517331A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Sean Gerrard Murray
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-08-24
Filing date: 1995-08-24
Publication date: 1997-03-26
Also published as: GB9517331D0

Abstract

The card 1 comprises one or more magnetic strips 3,5 for storing information representative of credits accumulated through use of the card at a retail outlet which can be used to pay for telephone charges.

Description

A CARD This invention relates to cards or like information stores.

Many petrol stations and supermarkets currently provide customers with loyalty cards to try to attract the customer back to the petrol station or supermarket. These loyalty cards usually include a machine readable/writable strip, often a magnetic strip, which is passed through a machine at the time of sale to store points on the card reflecting the value of the purchase being made by the customer. The customer is able, in the future, to redeem the accumulated points against other purchases or gifts, depending upon the particular scheme. As will be appreciated, the provider of the loyalty card is aiming to make the card benefits as attractive as possible to ensure that the customer returns to the card provider for future purchases more often than would probably otherwise occur.

Phone cards, which carry a machine readable/writable magnetic strip are also known. These cards are purchased with a predetermined number of telecommunications units written onto the magnetic strip. A user inserts the card into a telephone box and is able to make calls up to the value of the units on the card. If all the units on the card are not used at the end of a call, the phone card can be withdrawn by the user after a record has been entered onto the magnetic strip by the telephone box indicating the number of units remaining.

Although the aforementioned two types of card are very well known, it is unknown to combine the two into one card.

The present inventor has, however, foreseen the advantages of combining the two prior art cards to produce a new card which has significant benefits to both the card provider and the card user. Accordingly, the present invention is based on this or similar combinations.

According to the present invention, there is provided a card or like information store comprising means for storing information representative of credits accumulated through use of the card, and credit means carried by the card which, when activated, provide a user of the card with credits which can be used to pay for telecommunications charges.

Although such a card is likely to be provided initially with a number of telecommunications credits pre-credited to the card, this does not necessarily have to be the case.

The card could be provided free with no credits, so that the user can purchase as many credits as he or she wishes to be associated with the card. Further, credits may be replenished in the future upon payment, if the user so wishes.

In one embodiment, the credit means comprise a prestored telecommunications unit allowance which can be redeemed at a phone card payphone kiosk. If this is the case, the telecommunications units may be recorded on a machine readable/writable magnetic strip on the card.

In an alternative embodiment, the credit means may comprise a toll free telephone number and a PIN number (or other identification means) which can be used access credits allocated to the card at a central processor or switching station.

If the credits for a particular card are stored at a central processor, a user may replenish credits allocated to the card by making payments of some form or another to the service provider.

Preferably the means for storing information representative of credits accumulated through use of the card is a machine readable/writable magnetic strip on the card. Other means for storing the relevant information may, of course, be known to those skilled in the art.

The credits accumulated through use of the card may be used to pay for telecommunications charges. Hence, as a user presents the card when making a purchase at a petrol station or supermarket or the like, the card may immediately be credited with credits for use when making a telephone call.

In an alternative arrangement, which is probably more likely, the credits accumulated through use of the card are loyalty points which can be redeemed at predetermined outlets. Clearly the supplier of the card can dictate where such loyalty points may be redeemed.

Advertising material is preferably applied to the card.

If the credit means comprise a toll free telephone number and PIN number (or other identification means), a user of the card preferably hears a pre-recorded presentation by the card provider prior to being able to enter the PIN number or other identification means and gain access to the pre-paid telecommunications line. In this way, the card provider has access to the user for advertising purposes, which can assist the card provider in attracting the user back to the petrol station or supermarket or the like for further purchases. Clearly this is extremely beneficial to the card provider.

During such advertising presentations, special offers and discounts at other stores may also be advertised, thereby perhaps attracting further revenue for the card provider.

Specific embodiments of the present invention are now described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a rear view of a first embodiment of loyalty phone card according to the present invention; and Figure 2 is a rear view of a second embodiment of loyalty phone card according to the present invention.

With reference to Figure 1 of the drawings, a loyalty phone card 1 includes a first machine readable/writable magnetic strip 3 and a second machine readable/writable magnetic strip 5 on its rear surface. On the front surface (not shown) of the card 1, the card provider's name and details, together with any other relevant advertising material, is displayed. Further advertising information (not shown) may, of course, also be applied to the rear of the card, if desired.

The first magnetic strip 3 is designed to be passed through an electronic reader/writer at a point of purchase to store credits on the card indicative of the amount being spent by the purchaser. These points accumulate on the card during future use and, when a sufficient number of points have been stored, the purchaser can redeem the points for free or subsidised goods or services.

The second magnetic strip 5, in contrast, carries information indicative of the number of telecommunications units available to the user of the card. These units may be pre-stored on the card before the user receives the card.

Further, and more preferably, additional units can be added to the card at any time in the future, so that the card continues to be a useful tool. On presenting the second magnetic strip 5 to a phone card telephone box, the magnetic strip 5 is read by the telephone box and the user is able to exchange units stored on the strip 5 for corresponding units of telephone line time. As with a normal phone card, the phone box leaves a record on the magnetic strip 5 indicating the number of units remaining after use of the card 1.

Although two magnetic strips 3,5 are included on the card 1 in the first embodiment shown in Figure 1, in theory a single magnetic strip could be included. This strip (not shown) may accommodate the required information regarding loyalty points and telecommunications units stored on the card 1 at any time. Indeed, it may be possible to store telecommunications units on the card immediately at a checkout in place of loyalty points. If this is the case, the user will not have to exchange loyalty points for goods or services, but can simply use the telecommunications units which have been allocated in place of the loyalty points.

Clearly the idea of a combined loyalty points card and telephone card results in a user having one less card to carry around. Further, by enabling the user to replenish telecommunications units on the card 1, the card does not become obsolete and is more likely, therefore, to remain in the possession of the user. A further advantage for the card provider may be that, if the users name and address is supplied to the card provider upon receipt of the loyalty phone card 1, the card provider can arrange for advertising literature and other special offers to be sent by mail directly to the user. This provides the card provider with an additional avenue for advertising to the user.

A second embodiment of loyalty phone card is shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. In this embodiment, a machine readable/writable magnetic strip 7 is provided on the rear of the card in a similar fashion to the first magnetic strip 3 of the embodiment shown in Figure 1. In the same way, loyalty points can be stored on the magnetic strip 7 whenever a user makes a purchase at the relevant supermarket, petrol station or other outlet. In this second embodiment, however, the second magnetic strip 5 of the first embodiment is replaced with a PIN number 9 or other identification means. A freephone telephone number (not shown) is also included on the card within a written explanation 11 of how to use the card. This telephone number will be unique to the card provider.

The instruction 11 on the card explains to the user that he should ring the telephone number mentioned on the card prior to dialling in the user's PIN number 9. On dialling the telephone number, the user will receive a presentation pre-recorded by the card provider which advertises the goods and services currently available at the card provider's premises, for example. Special offers and other discounts available to the card user may also be relayed to the user down the telephone line. At the end of the presentation, the user will be asked to dial in his PIN number 9 to obtain access to a telecommunications line. The user will then be able to make a normal telephone call having a length dictated by the number of units allocated to that particular PIN number. A record of the number of units available to the user will be stored at a central processor or switching station. If the user wishes, he may purchase additional telecommunications units at any participating outlet, which will once again give the card provider an opportunity to attract the user back to its premises for further sales.

Although two embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other forms of loyalty phone card may be envisaged which fall within the scope of the invention.

It will of course be understood that the present invention has been described above purely by way of example, and that modifications of detail can be made within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A card or like information store comprising means for storing information representative of credits accumulated through use of the card, and credit means carried by the card which, when activated, provide a user of the card with credits which can be used to pay for telecommunications charges.

2. A card as claimed in claim 1, wherein the credit means comprise a pre-stored telecommunications unit allowance which can be redeemed at a phone card payphone kiosk.

3. A card as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pre-stored telecommunications unit allowance is recorded on a machine readable/writable magnetic strip on the card.

4. A card as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the credit means comprise a toll free telephone number and identification means which can be used to access credits allocated to the card.

5. A card as claimed in claim 4, wherein the identification means is a PIN number.

6. A card as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the means for storing information representative of credits accumulated through use of the card is a machine readable/writable magnetic strip on the card.

7. A card as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the credits accumulated through use of the card can be used to pay for telecommunications charges.

8. A card as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein credits for telecommunications charges can be replenished on demand.

9. A card as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the credits accumulated through use of the card are loyalty points which can be redeemed at predetermined outlets.

10. A card as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein advertising is applied to the card.

11. A card or like information store substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

12. A method of using a card as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein on dialling a freephone telephone number, the user hears a presentation by the card provider prior to gaining access to a pre-paid telephone line.