Data analysis systems and methods for identifying recurring payment programs

An analytics computing system for analyzing payment transaction data to identify merchants having a recurring payment program comprising an analytics computing device, the analytics computing device comprising a processor communicatively coupled to a memory, the analytics computing device configured to:

• receive first payment transaction data for a plurality of transactions associated with a merchant, wherein the first payment transaction data for the plurality of transactions includes a plurality of transaction amounts and a merchant identifier;
• generate a first actual transaction amount distribution for the merchant using the transaction amounts from the first payment transaction data;
• compare the first actual transaction amount distribution to a stored model distribution including computing an angle distance between the first actual transaction amount distribution and the stored model distribution, wherein the stored model distribution represents a transaction amount distribution for a model merchant having products priced at numerous different transaction amounts;
• compare the angle distance to a predefined threshold value;
• and
• determine whether the merchant is a recurring payment merchant that performs recurring payment transactions based upon the computed angle distance and the comparison of the angle distance to the predefined threshold value.

A computer-implemented method for analyzing payment transaction data to identify merchants having a recurring payment program, said method implemented using an analytics computing device including a processor in communication with a memory, said method comprising

• receiving first payment transaction data for a plurality of transactions associated with a merchant, wherein the first payment transaction data for the plurality of transactions includes a plurality of transaction amounts and a merchant identifier;
• generating a first actual transaction amount distribution for the merchant using the transaction amounts from the first payment transaction data;
• comparing the first actual transaction amount distribution to a stored model distribution including computing an angle distance between the first actual transaction amount distribution and the stored model distribution, wherein the stored model distribution represents a transaction amount distribution for a model merchant having products priced at numerous different transaction amounts;
• comparing the angle distance to a predefined threshold value;
• and
• determining whether the merchant is a recurring payment merchant that performs recurring payment transactions based upon the computed angle distance and the comparison of the angle distance to the predefined threshold value.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein when executed by an analytics computing device having at least one processor coupled to at least one memory device, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to:

• receive first payment transaction data for a plurality of transactions associated with a merchant, wherein the first payment transaction data for the plurality of transactions includes a plurality of transaction amounts and a merchant identifier;
• generate a first actual transaction amount distribution for the merchant using the transaction amounts from the first payment transaction data;
• compare the first actual transaction amount distribution to a stored model distribution including computing an angle distance between the first actual transaction amount distribution and the stored model distribution, wherein the stored model distribution represents a transaction amount distribution for a model merchant having products priced at numerous different transaction amounts;
• compare the angle distance to a predefined threshold value;
• and
• determine whether the merchant is a recurring payment merchant that performs recurring payment transactions based upon the computed angle distance and the comparison of the angle distance to the predefined threshold value.