Patent decision

BL number

O/551/14

Concerning rights in

GB1109626.0

Hearing Officer

Miss J Pullen

Decision date

17 December 2014

Person(s) or Company(s) involved

MasterCard International Incorporated

Provisions discussed

Section 1(2)

Keywords

Excluded fields (refused)

Related Decisions

None

Summary

The application relates to redeeming credits in a loyalty program, such as airmiles in an airline frequent flyer program, against purchases a retail environment and processing the transaction on a point-of-sale (“POS”) terminal. In order to complete the transaction the cost of the purchase must be converted from a POS terminal currency, using an exchange rate, to the equivalent number of loyalty program credits. If the user has sufficient credits available the transaction will be processed, if not the transaction will be declined. The Hearing Officer found that the invention related to computer implemented methods of doing business as such, could find no saving amendments, and refused the application.

Full decision O/551/14 257Kb