# US 2020/0402002 A1 · Systems and methods for facilitating e-commerce product returns using an online marketplace

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2020/0402002 A1
- Document ID: US20200402002A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/449,719
- Filed: 2019-06-24
- Published: 2020-12-24
- Earliest claimed: 2019-06-24
- Assignees: Shopify Inc.
- Applicants: Shopify Inc.
- Inventors: ANTHONY NICHOLAS KENTRIS
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200402002A1

## CPC

- G06Q 10/0837: Return transactions
- G06Q 10/08345: {Pricing}
- G06Q 30/0222: {During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions}
- 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

## Abstract

A merchant can use an e-commerce platform to sell products to customers, and customers can use the e-commerce platform to return items that they are unsatisfied with back to the merchant. These product returns have an associated cost. Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to computer-implemented systems and methods to enable customer-to-customer product returns in an e-commerce platform. In a customer-to-customer return, a first customer that wants to return an item of a particular product is connected with a second customer that wants to purchase that product. The e-commerce platform then facilitates a shipment of the item from the first customer directly to the second customer. Embodiments of the present disclosure include online store implementations of customer-to-customer returns, and online marketplace implementations of customer-to-customer returns.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer-implemented method comprising:
storing, in memory, information related to a plurality of purchased items for resale on an online marketplace, the information indicating, for each purchased item of the plurality of purchased items: (i) a respective customer to which the purchased item belongs, and (ii) a respective merchant that sold the purchased item to the respective customer;
receiving an indication that a customer device associated with a particular customer has navigated to the online marketplace;
for each purchased item of at least some of the plurality of purchased items:
determining a first cost associated with shipping the purchased item from the respective customer to which the purchased item belongs to the particular customer;
determining a second cost associated with at least one of: (i) shipping the purchased item from the respective customer to which the purchased item belongs to the respective merchant that sold the purchased item, and (ii) shipping a new item from the respective merchant that sold the purchased item to the particular customer; and
based on a comparison between the first cost and the second cost, determining whether to include the purchased item in a set of items to present to the particular customer, the set of items comprising at least one of the plurality of purchased items and fewer than all of the plurality of purchased items; and
transmitting content for display on the customer device, the content comprising, for each purchased item of the set of items, a respective offer for a sale of the purchased item to the particular customer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:
determining the first cost comprises determining a first distance between the respective customer to which the purchased item belongs and the particular customer;
determining the second cost comprises determining a second distance between the respective customer to which the purchased item belongs and the respective merchant that sold the purchased item, and determining a third distance between the respective merchant that sold the purchased item and the particular customer; and
the comparison between the first cost and the second cost comprises a comparison between the first distance and a sum of the second distance and the third distance.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:
determining the first cost comprises receiving a first price for shipping the purchased item from the respective customer to which the purchased item belongs to the particular customer;
determining the second cost comprises receiving a second price for shipping the purchased item from the respective customer to which the purchased item belongs to the respective merchant that sold the purchased item, and a third price for shipping the new item from the respective merchant that sold the purchased item to the particular customer; and
the comparison between the first cost and the second cost comprises a comparison between the first price and a sum of the second price and the third price.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:
determining the first cost comprises determining the first cost based on a record of customer shipping locations stored in memory, the record of customer shipping locations comprising at least one of: (i) a shipping location of the respective customer to which the purchased item belongs, and (ii) a shipping location of the particular customer; and
determining the second cost comprises determining the second cost based on: (i) a record of merchant shipping locations stored in memory, the record of merchant shipping locations comprising a shipping location of the respective merchant that sold the purchased item, and (ii) the record of customer shipping locations.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second cost is further associated with repackaging the purchased item.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the comparison between the first cost and the second cost comprises a comparison between a predetermined threshold and a result of subtracting the first cost from the second cost.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
for each purchased item of the plurality of purchased items, receiving an indication that the respective customer to which the purchased item belongs intends to return the purchased item.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the customer device is a first customer device and the content is first content, and wherein receiving the indication that the respective customer to which the purchased item belongs intends to return the purchased item comprises:
transmitting second content for display on a second customer device that is associated with the respective customer to which the purchased item belongs, the second content comprising an option to return the purchased item; and
receiving, from the second customer device, a message comprising the indication that the respective customer to which the purchased item belongs intends to return the purchased item.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:
for each purchased item of the plurality of purchased items, transmitting third content for display on a merchant device that is associated with the respective merchant that sold the purchased item, the third content comprising an option to permit shipping the purchased item from the respective customer to which the purchased item belongs to another customer.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The computer-implemented method of claim 9, the method further comprising:
receiving, from the second customer device, a condition of the purchased item, wherein the third content further comprises the condition of the purchased item.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein receiving the condition of the purchased item comprises receiving an image of the purchased item.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving the indication that the customer device has navigated to the online marketplace comprises receiving, from the customer device, login credentials that are associated with an account of the particular customer on the online marketplace.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving, from the customer device, parameters for a search of the online marketplace,
wherein determining the set of items to present to the particular customer further comprises, for each purchased item of the at least some of the plurality of purchased items:
determining whether or not the purchased item matches the parameters of the search; and
based on whether or not the purchased item matches the parameters of the search, determining whether to include the purchased item in the set of items.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the customer device is a first customer device, the particular customer is a first customer, the set of items is a first set of items, and the content is first content, the method further comprising:
receiving an indication that a second customer device associated with a second customer has navigated to the online marketplace;
determining a second set of items to present to the second customer, the second set of items being different than the first set of items; and
transmitting second content for display on the second customer device, the second content comprising, for each purchased item of the second set of items, a respective offer for a sale of the purchased item to the second customer.

### Claim 15

A system comprising:
a memory to store information related to a plurality of purchased items for resale on an online marketplace, the information indicating, for each purchased item of the plurality of purchased items: (i) a respective customer to which the purchased item belongs, and (ii) a respective merchant that sold the purchased item to the respective customer; and
a processor to:
receive an indication that a customer device associated with a particular customer has navigated to the online marketplace;
for each purchased item of at least some of the plurality of purchased items:
determine a first cost associated with shipping the purchased item from the respective customer to which the purchased item belongs to the particular customer;
determine a second cost associated with at least one of: (i) shipping the purchased item from the respective customer to which the purchased item belongs to the respective merchant that sold the purchased item, and (ii) shipping a new item from the respective merchant that sold the purchased item to the particular customer; and
based on a comparison between the first cost and the second cost, determine whether to include the purchased item in a set of items to present to the particular customer, the set of items comprising at least one of the plurality of purchased items and fewer than all of the plurality of purchased items; and
transmit content for display on the customer device, the content comprising, for each purchased item of the set of items, a respective offer for a sale of the purchased item to the particular customer.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein:
the first cost comprises a first distance between the respective customer to which the purchased item belongs and the particular customer;
the second cost comprises a second distance between the respective customer to which the purchased item belongs and the respective merchant that sold the purchased item, and a third distance between the respective merchant that sold the purchased item and the particular customer; and
the comparison between the first cost and the second cost comprises a comparison between the first distance and a sum of the second distance and the third distance.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further to:
receive a first price for shipping the purchased item from the respective customer to which the purchased item belongs to the particular customer, a second price for shipping the purchased item from the respective customer to which the purchased item belongs to the respective merchant that sold the purchased item, and a third price for shipping the new item from the respective merchant that sold the purchased item to the particular customer,
wherein the first cost comprises the first price, the second cost comprises the second price and the third price, and the comparison between the first cost and the second cost comprises a comparison between the first price and a sum of the second price and the third price.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the memory is further to:
store a record of customer shipping locations comprising at least one of: (i) a shipping location of the respective customer to which the purchased item belongs, and (ii) a shipping location of the particular customer; and
store a record of merchant shipping locations comprising a shipping location of the respective merchant that sold the purchased item,
wherein the first cost is based on the record of customer shipping locations, and the second cost is based on the record of customer shipping locations and the record of merchant shipping locations.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the second cost is further associated with repackaging the purchased item.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the comparison between the first cost and the second cost comprises a comparison between a predetermined threshold and a result of subtracting the first cost from the second cost.

### Claim 21 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further to:
for each purchased item of the plurality of purchased items, receive an indication that the respective customer to which the purchased item belongs intends to return the purchased item.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The system of claim 21, wherein the customer device is a first customer device, the content is first content, and the processor is further to:
transmit second content for display on a second customer device that is associated with the respective customer to which the purchased item belongs, the second content comprising an option to return the purchased item; and
receive, from the second customer device, a message comprising the indication that the respective customer to which the purchased item belongs intends to return the purchased item.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The system of claim 22, wherein the processor is further to:
for each purchased item of the plurality of purchased items, transmit third content for display on a merchant device that is associated with the respective merchant that sold the purchased item, the third content comprising an option to permit shipping the purchased item from the respective customer to which the purchased item belongs to another customer.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The system of claim 23, wherein the processor is further to:
receive, from the second customer device, a condition of the purchased item,
wherein the third content further comprises the condition of the purchased item.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The system of claim 24, wherein the condition of the purchased item comprises an image of the purchased item.

### Claim 26 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further to:
receive, from the customer device, login credentials that are associated with an account of the particular customer on the online marketplace,
wherein the indication that the customer device has navigated to the online marketplace comprises the login credentials.

### Claim 27 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further to:
receive, from the customer device, parameters for a search of the online marketplace; and
for each purchased item of the at least some of the plurality of purchased items:
determine whether or not the purchased item matches the parameters of the search, and
based on whether or not the purchased item matches the parameters of the search, determine whether to include the purchased item in the set of items.

### Claim 28 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the customer device is a first customer device, the particular customer is a first customer, the set of items is a first set of items, and the content is first content, wherein the processor is further to:
receive an indication that a second customer device associated with a second customer has navigated to the online marketplace;
determine a second set of items to present to the second customer, the second set of items being different than the first set of items; and
transmit second content for display on the second customer device, the second content comprising, for each purchased item of the second set of items, a respective offer for a sale of the purchased item to the second customer.