US 8,708,233 B2 · Systems and methods for data collection and providing coupons at a point of return

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for collecting data at a merchant's point of return for use in processing a merchandise return transaction that is being requested by a customer. In various embodiments, the data may be collected using a wide variety of data collection technologies and may be used in conjunction with stored data, including data collected from other merchants, by a return authorization system to make a determination whether to accept or deny the requested merchandise return and whether to provide a coupon to the customer. The data may additionally or alternatively be used to determine whether to issue a warning to the customer about limitations on future return transactions presented by the customer. Examples of data categories that may be collected include, but are not limited to, information about: the merchant, the customer, the requested transaction, the merchandise being returned, one or more receipts, a clerk processing the transaction, and other general applicable information.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A method of processing a merchandise return comprising:

generating with a merchandise return device a request to authorize a merchandise return made by a consumer at a merchant's point of return;
determining with one or more computer devices whether to authorize a credit for the merchandise return made by the consumer at the merchant's point of return based at least in part on whether the consumer has made prior merchandise returns;
determining with the one or more computer devices whether to offer a coupon to the consumer at the merchant's point of return based at least in part on the authorization of the merchandise return, wherein the coupon incentivizes the consumer to make a purchase with at least a portion of the credit;
and
electronically transmitting to the merchandise return device, a recommendation that displays on the merchandise return device whether to offer the coupon to the customer.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

14/057,309Filed 18 Oct 2013 · continuation

Priority

18 Apr 2005

Published

US 2014/0046750 A113 Feb 2014

Granted

29 Apr 2014

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

G06Q 30/016
Providing customer assistance, e.g. assisting a customer within a business location or via helpdesk: after-sales
G06Q 10/087
Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management: inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling,…
G06Q 10/08728
Using inventory planning: of returned inventory
G06Q 20/202
Point-of-sale [POS] network systems: interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network…

Family

Application60/672,322Us provisional application · filed 18 Apr 2005

Application60/673,566Us provisional application · filed 21 Apr 2005

Application11/263,890Parent of this continuation · filed 1 Nov 2005

Application12/273,775Parent of this continuation · filed 19 Nov 2008

US 7,455,226 B1Parent of this continuation · filed 25 Nov 2008

Application13/244,058Parent of this continuation · filed 23 Sep 2011

US 8,025,229 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 27 Sep 2011

Application13/649,766Parent of this continuation · filed 11 Oct 2012

US 8,356,750 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 22 Jan 2013

US 2014/0046750 A1Pre-grant publication · published 13 Feb 2014

US 8,561,896 B2Parent of this continuation

US 2009/0076870 A1Published application

US 2012/0166296 A1Published application

US 2013/0073408 A1Published application

US 8,708,233 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Systems and methods for data collection and providing coupons at a point of return

Life of this patent

Systems and methods for data collection and providing coupons at a point of return

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16