# US 2017/0109772 A1 · Reorder tracking and credit attribution > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0109772 A1 - Document ID: US20170109772A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/292,803 - Filed: 2016-10-13 - Published: 2017-04-20 - Earliest claimed: 2015-10-16 - Assignees: Amway Corporation - Applicants: Amway Corp. - Inventors: Aaron L. Sundman; Thomas D. Paasche - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170109772A1 ## CPC - G06Q 30/0214: Referral reward systems - G06K 7/10366: {the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications} - G06K 7/1417: {2D bar codes} - G06K 19/06037: {multi-dimensional coding} - G06K 19/07758: {arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag} - G06Q 10/0833: Tracking - G06Q 30/0225: {Avoiding frauds} - G06Q 30/0281: {Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting} - G06Q 30/0633: {Managing shopping lists, e.g. compiling or processing purchase lists (shipping orders G06Q10/083; order filling G06Q10/087)} - G06Q 30/0635: {replenishment orders; recurring orders} - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS ## Abstract A system is disclosed for tracking and assigning credit to a direct seller in a multi-level marketing organization for reorders of a product. Products are tagged/labeled with a unique identifier that is used in the reorder process. A database associates the unique identifier with the seller and based on that association, the seller is credited with the reorder sale. The unique identifier may be part of a QR code, RFID tag, or other mechanism for encapsulating the unique identifier for use during the reorder process. The unique identifier may also be used for additional product tracking/monitoring and for fraud prevention. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for processing credit in a multi-level marketing organization, the system comprising: a database storing an association of products and a unique identifier for each of the products, wherein each of the products is tagged with an indication of its corresponding unique identifier; and a web server that receives an indication of a seller to receive a particular product, wherein the database is updated to further associate the unique identifier for the particular product with the seller. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the web server comprises a tracker. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2 wherein the tracker comprises: a tagger that assigns the indication to the product; an associate that associates the unique identifiers with the products in the database; an order processor that receives order requests that include a unique identifier; and a creditor that provides credit to a seller from the unique identifier in the order request. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the web server receives a request for a reorder based on a user interacting with the indication. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4 wherein the indication comprises a QR code and the interacting comprises scanning the QR code. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4 wherein the request includes the unique identifier and the seller is identified from the database. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6 wherein a receipt is sent for the reorder and the database records the reorder by updating the unique identifier in the database to be associated with a purchaser rather than the seller. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4 wherein the seller receives credit for the receipt of the reorder request. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8 wherein the credit comprises rewards within the multilevel marketing organization for sales or for sales by a downline of the seller. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the unique identifier comprises a code that is different for every product. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10 further comprising: a user device that connects with the web server over a network, wherein the user device comprises a scanner that scans a product. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11 wherein the scanning provides an option for displaying information about the product on the user device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11 wherein the scanning provides an option for the user to post information about the product to a social media site. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11 wherein the scanning provides options for the user to receive information about the seller including contact information. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11 wherein the scanning provides options for the user to comment or provide feedback about the product. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11 wherein the scanning provides options for the user to re-order the product. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11 wherein the scanning provides options for the user to join the multi-level marketing organization as a seller. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10 wherein the code includes a link that is activated upon scanning and the link provides a page with options that include reordering, contacting the seller, sharing product information, viewing product information, joining the multi-level marketing organization, and providing feedback about the product. ### Claim 19 A method for tagging and tracking products comprising: assigning a tag to each of the products, wherein the tag encodes a unique identifier; associating, upon shipment, each of the unique identifiers with a recipient of the corresponding product, wherein the association of the unique identifiers with the recipients is stored in a database; and updating the associations in the database depending on interactions by the recipients. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19 wherein the recipient comprises a seller who is a member of a multi-level marketing organization and the interactions comprise selling products. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20 further comprising: receiving a request for a purchase of a product, wherein the request includes the unique identifier for that product; and providing credit to the seller associated with the unique identifier. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19 wherein the tag comprises a code that is read or scanned. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22 wherein the tag comprises a QR code, an RFID, conductive ink, audio, text, Bluetooth, or micro-perforations. ### Claim 24 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19 wherein a box of products is separately tagged with an identifier and upon shipment, the box of products is scanned rather than individual products within the box. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24 wherein the associations for each of the products in the box is updated in the database based only on the scanning of the box.