Reprint of a physical receipt and receipt history from an electronic receipt for reducing fraudulent returns

• US 10,032,142 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2012
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Argue, Stuart, Marcar, Anthony Emile
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, Florian M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Racic, Milena
• Application Number:
  US13/665,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20140122275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,092 Days
• Field of Search: 705 16, 705 17, 705 1426, 705 24
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/047 using payment protocols involving electronic receipts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device

Abstract

A method is disclosed for reprinting a paper copy of a receipt at a physical store location. The receipt printing may be based off of an electronic receipt. A customer may provide receipt identification to a returns associate at a POS terminal in a store location. Information may be sent to a server or computer system to request that a receipt be reprinted. The server may then process the request and transmit receipt information to the POS terminal where a paper copy of the receipt is printed for the returns associate. A modified receipt may be printed which includes receipt information for additional transactions. A modified receipt may be printed which includes additional information regarding items on the receipt.

Claims

1. A method for preventing fraudulent returns comprising:

providing an optical scanner and a receipt printer at a sales terminal;

prompting, by an application installed on a mobile electronic device, a customer to select an electronic receipt corresponding to an item provided to the customer by a retailer, wherein the retailer retains a copy of the electronic receipt on a receipts management server;

prompting, by the sales terminal of the retailer, the customer to provide identification information corresponding to the electronic receipt, the identification information comprising at least a machine-readable code;

scanning, by the optical scanner of the sales terminal, the machine-readable code;

the sales terminal transmitting a request to the receipts management server for the copy of the electronic receipt, at least one related receipt, and a summary timeline of at least one related transaction;

identifying, by the receipts management server, at least one stored copy of the electronic receipt and at least one stored copy of the at least one related receipt, based on the identification information;

determining, by the receipts management server, that the identification information identifies a legitimate receipt for a returns-eligible item;

analyzing, by the receipts management server, metadata of the identification information of the at least one stored copy of the at least one related receipt;

determining, by the receipts management server, one or more relationships between the at least one stored copy of the electronic receipt and the at least one stored copy of the at least one related receipt by using the metadata of the identification information linking the at least one stored copy of the electronic receipt and the at least one stored copy of the at least one related receipt together;

modifying, by the receipts management server, the at least one stored copy of the electronic receipt to indicate the one or more relationships between the at least one stored copy of the electronic receipt and the at least one stored copy of the at least one related receipt;

preparing, by the receipts management server, the summary timeline of the at least one related transaction;

the receipts management server transmitting receipt information corresponding to the at least one stored copy of the electronic receipt, as modified, the at least one stored copy of the at least one related receipt, and the summary timeline of the at least one related transaction to the sales terminal;

formatting, by the receipts management server, the at least one stored copy of the electronic receipt, as modified, to increase visibility of one or more relevant portions of the at least one stored copy of the receipt, as modified;

the sales terminal printing a printed copy of the electronic receipt at the receipt printer;

processing, by the sales terminal, a return of the item based on the printed copy of the electronic receipt, as printed;

sending, by the sales terminal to the receipts management server, information corresponding to the return of the item substantially concurrently with the return of the item using a heartbeat connection to update the at least one stored copy of the electronic receipt stored at the receipts management server;

sending, by the receipts management server to the application, the information corresponding to the return of the item; and

updating, by the application, the at least one stored copy of the electronic receipt at the receipts management server with the information corresponding to the return of the item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the receipts management server processing the receipt information, and the receipts management server transmitting modified receipt information to the sales terminal such that a modified receipt is printed.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the modified receipt comprises returns policy information for the item.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the modified receipt comprises additional information for the item.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the modified receipt comprises multiple transactions related to the electronic receipt.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the modified receipt comprises a single receipt comprising multiple transactions related to the electronic receipt.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein formatting the at least one stored copy of the electronic receipt, as modified, to increase the visibility of the one or more relevant portions of the at least one stored copy of the electronic receipt, as modified, comprises lining out, by the receipts management server, any previously returned items.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising indicating, by the receipts management server, one or more return dates associated with the any previously returned items on the at least one stored copy of the electronic receipt, as modified.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the machine-readable code is entered as an alphanumeric code.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the machine-readable code is scanned directly from a matrix barcode.

11. A method for preventing fraudulent returns comprising:

providing an optical scanner and a receipt printer at a sales terminal;

prompting a customer to operate electronic receipts software on an application of a mobile electronic device;

prompting, by the application, the customer to select an electronic receipt provided to the customer by a retailer, wherein the retailer retains a copy of the electronic receipt on a receipts management server;

prompting, by the sales terminal of a retailer, the customer to provide identification information to the sales terminal, the identification information comprising at least a machine-readable code;

the sales terminal transmitting a request to the receipts management server to identify the electronic receipt, as selected, at least one related receipt, and a summary timeline of at least one related transaction;

analyzing, by the receipts management server, metadata of the identification information of at least one stored copy of the at least one related receipt;

identifying, by the receipts management server, at least one stored copy of the electronic receipt and the at least one stored copy of the at least one related receipt, based on the identification information;

determining, by the receipts management server, one or more relationships between the at least one stored copy of the electronic receipt and the at least one stored copy of the at least one related receipt by using the metadata of the identification information linking the at least one stored copy of the electronic receipt and the at least one stored copy of the at least one related receipt together;

modifying, by the receipts management server, the at least one stored copy of the electronic receipt to indicate the one or more relationships between the at least one stored copy of the electronic receipt and the at least one stored copy of the at least one related receipt;

preparing, by the receipts management server, the summary timeline of the at least one related transaction;

determining, by the receipts management server, that the identification information identifies a legitimate receipt for a returns-eligible item;

the receipts management server transmitting data corresponding to the electronic receipt, the at least one stored copy of the at least one related receipt, and the summary timeline of the at least one related transaction to the sales terminal;

formatting, by the receipts management server, the at least one stored copy of the electronic receipt, as modified, to increase visibility of one or more relevant portions of the at least one stored copy of the electronic receipt, as modified;

the sales terminal printing a paper copy of the electronic receipt at the receipt printer;

processing, by the sales terminal, a return of at least one item based on the paper copy of the electronic receipt;

sending, by the sales terminal to the receipts management server, information corresponding to the return of the at least one item substantially concurrently with the return of the at least one item using a heartbeat connection to update the at least one stored copy of the electronic receipt stored at the receipts management server;

sending, by the receipts management server to the application, the information corresponding to the return of the at least one item; and

updating, by the application, the at least one stored copy of the electronic receipt at the receipts management server with the information corresponding to the return of the at least one item.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the receipts management server processes the data identifying the electronic receipt to provide a modified receipt related to the electronic receipt to the sales terminal.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the modified receipt comprises multiple receipts for transactions related to the electronic receipt.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the modified receipt comprises a single receipt comprising multiple transactions related to the electronic receipt.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the modified receipt comprises additional information for the at least one item.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the modified receipt comprises returns policy information for the at least one item.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein formatting the at least one stored copy of the electronic receipt, as modified, to increase the visibility of the one or more relevant portions of the at least one stored copy of the electronic receipt, as modified, comprises lining out, by the receipts management server, any previously returned items.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising indicating, by the receipts management server, one or more return dates associated with the any previously returned items on the at least one stored copy of the electronic receipt, as modified.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the machine-readable code is entered as an alphanumeric code.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the machine-readable code is scanned directly from a matrix barcode.