provider 302 preferably establishes rule 602 associated with forming group 604 such as by requiring merchants to possess one or more characteristics as shown in fig6 purchases of goods services are made by consumers 306 from one of merchants 304 a 304 b after a consumer 306 completes a particular transaction information is transmitted to program provider 302 and credits are issued to the consumer 306 who made the purchases although the embodiment illustrated in fig6 represents a merchants group 604 comprising merchants that satisfy a single selection rule 602 the invention is not so limited fig7 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention wherein a merchant can be associated with one or more merchant group in the example shown in fig7 three merchant selection rules 602 a 602 c are shown each with corresponding merchants 304 that satisfy the rules by possessing characteristic s required of the rules three merchants 304 a 304 b and 304 c are each members of two merchant selection groups specifically merchant 304 a meets requirements of rules 602 a and 602 b and merchants 304 b and 304 c meet the requirements of rules 602 b and 602 c for example a first merchant selection rule 602 a may require that a merchant 39 s store location be within a three block radius of a particular street intersection a second merchant selection rule 602 b may require that a merchant includes used books in its product inventory merchant 304 a is located within the three block radius and sells used books among its inventory therefore merchant 304 a satisfies both selection rules 602 a and b and.