Deal generation using point-of-sale systems and related methods

• US 10,304,091 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Groupon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Groupon Incorporated
• Inventors: Scholl, Nathaniel Blake, Lerner, Yishai, Larrain, Francisco, Puckett, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): Sittner, Matthew T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ansari, Azam A
• Application Number:
  US13/839,226
• Time in Patent Office: 2,265 Days
• Field of Search: 705 1465
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]

Abstract

Systems, methods and computer readable media for providing a point-of-sale system that can be configured to facilitate the sale of products and transmit transaction data to a cloud based system are provided herein. The cloud based system can be maintained by a promotional party and be configured to generate deal offers and/or provide other services based on the transaction data received. In some embodiments, a fee may be charged for some or all of the services offered and/or the transactional data provided to the promotional system may be governed by an agreement between the promotional party and the merchant.

Claims

1. A method of generating a deal offer, comprising:

remotely configuring, by one or more servers via a network, a first merchant device to generate transaction data related to one or more transactions conducted at a first merchant location, wherein the transaction data includes timestamps and values associated with each sale made by the first merchant device, wherein the remotely configuring further comprises outputting, to the first merchant device, menu item configuration data configured to cause the first merchant device to modify the configuration of a plurality of menu items;

receiving, by the one or more servers, the transaction data from the first merchant device via the network in accordance with the remote configuration;

receiving, by the one or more servers and from at least one of the merchant device and a consumer device, consumer data comprising at least one of purchasing history data associated with a consumer account, deal-offer usage history data associated with the consumer account, and location history data associated with the consumer account;

programmatically generating, by the one or more servers, analysis data based on analytically processing the transaction data and the consumer data, wherein;

(i) analytically processing the transaction data comprises determining a lull period defining a time of day during which the first merchant device processes fewer transactions;

(ii) analytically processing the consumer data comprises predicting, based on the consumer data, a first predicted customer behavior and a second predicted customer behavior associated with the first merchant location;

(iii) the first predicted customer behavior describes one or more first expected customer purchasing behavior attributes associated with the first merchant location determined during the lull period; and

(iv) the second predicted customer purchasing behavior describes one or more second expected customer purchasing behavior attributes associated with the first merchant location determined during a first period of time after the lull period;

programmatically determining, by the one or more servers, a second merchant location, wherein;

(i) the second merchant location has a second customer attribute profile that is similar to a first customer attribute profile of the first merchant location; and

(ii) the second merchant location is different from the first merchant location;

programmatically generating, by the one or more servers, a deal offer based on the analysis data, including;

programmatically generating, by the one or more servers, a plurality of potential deal offers, wherein each potential deal offer of the plurality of potential deal offers is programmatically time restricted for redemption completion at the first merchant location and the second merchant location within the programmatically determined lull period;

programmatically determining, by the one or more servers and based on the first predicted customer behavior and the second predicted customer behavior, a respective predicted return on investment for each respective potential deal offer in the plurality of potential deal offers during a second period of time, wherein the second period of time includes the lull period and the first period of time; and

programmatically identifying, by the one or more servers, the deal offer based on the respective predicted return on investment for each respective potential deal offer in the plurality of potential deal offers;

outputting the deal offer to consumer devices via the network;

subsequent to outputting the deal offer to the consumer devices via the network, receiving, by the one or more servers via the network and from a redemption merchant device located at the first merchant location or the second merchant location, second transaction data generated within the lull period, the second transaction data being related to second transactions including deal offers that were programmatically time restricted for redemption completion within the lull period;

generating, by the one or more servers, report data based on analytically processing transaction-related data, wherein the report data includes at least a determination of an overspend amount associated with the redemption completion; and

outputting the report data to the first merchant device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein programmatically determining the lull period during which the first merchant device processes fewer transactions includes determining a time of day during which the first merchant location tends to have a lull in high value transactions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the deal offer is in response to receiving an indication of the first merchant location authorizing a promotional system to execute a promotional campaign using the transaction data.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising programmatically generating, by the one or more servers, the deal offer based upon additional transaction data from a plurality of other merchant devices in addition to the transaction data from the first merchant device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of other merchant devices and the merchant device are all associated with the first merchant location.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of other merchant devices and the merchant device are all associated with the first merchant location and at least one other unrelated merchant location.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

programmatically authenticating, by the one or more servers, merchant credentials from a merchant related to the first merchant device;

programmatically generating, in circumstances where the merchant credentials have been positively authenticated, a report based on the transaction and sending the report to a remote device accessible by the merchant related to the first merchant device, wherein the remote device is remote from a point-of-sale system that comprises at least of the first merchant device.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising, by the one or more servers:

receiving consumer data from a consumer device; and

analyzing the consumer data, wherein the generating of the deal offer is based on the analysis of the transaction data and analysis of the consumer data.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein a selectable option is provided with the report, and the method further includes, in response to determining the selectable option is selected, outputting the deal offer to the consumer devices.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the deal offer to the consumer devices comprises outputting one or more impressions, each including an indication of the deal offer.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein common attribute between the first merchant location and the second merchant location is a common geographic area.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the redemption merchant device is the first merchant device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the redemption merchant device is a second merchant device located at the second merchant location.

14. A promotional system, comprising:

one or more servers including processing circuitry configured to;

remotely configure, via a network, a first merchant device to generate transaction data related to one or more transactions conducted at a first merchant location, wherein the transaction data includes timestamps and values associated with each sale made by the first merchant device;

receive, via the network, the transaction data from the first merchant device via the network in accordance with the remote configuration of the merchant device by the one or more servers;

programmatically generate analysis data based on analytically processing the transaction data and the consumer data, wherein;

(i) analytically processing the transaction data comprises determining a lull period defining a time of day during which the first merchant device processes fewer transactions;

(ii) analytically processing the consumer data comprises predicting, based on the consumer data, a first predicted customer behavior and a second predicted customer behavior associated with the first merchant location;

(iii) the first predicted customer behavior describes one or more first expected customer purchasing behavior attributes associated with the first merchant location determined during the lull period; and

(iv) the second predicted customer purchasing behavior describes one or more second expected customer purchasing behavior attributes associated with the first merchant location determined during a first period of time after the lull period;

programmatically determine a second merchant location wherein;

(i) the second merchant location has a second customer attribute profile that is similar to a first customer attribute profile of the first merchant location; and

(ii) the second merchant location is different from the first merchant location;

programmatically generate a deal offer based on the analysis data, including;

(i) programmatically generating, by the one or more servers, a plurality of potential deal offers, wherein each potential deal offer of the plurality of potential deal offers is programmatically time restricted for redemption completion at the first merchant location and the second merchant location within the programmatically determined lull period;

(ii) programmatically determining, by the one or more servers and based on the first predicted customer behavior and the second predicted customer behavior, a respective predicted return on investment for each respective potential deal offer in the plurality of potential deal offers during a second period of time, wherein the second period of time includes the lull period and the first period of time; and

(iii) programmatically identifying, by the one or more servers, the deal offer based on the respective predicted return on investment for each respective potential deal offer in the plurality of potential deal offers; and

output the deal offer to consumer devices via the network;

subsequent to outputting the deal offer to the consumer devices via the network, receive, via the network and from a redemption merchant device located at the first merchant location or the second merchant location, second transaction data generated within the lull period, the second transaction data being related to second transactions including deal offers that were programmatically time restricted for completion of redemption within the lull period.

15. The promotional system of claim 14, wherein the processing circuitry configured to programmatically determine the lull period includes the processing circuitry being configured to determine a time of day during which the first merchant device tends to have a lull in high value transactions.

16. The promotional system of claim 14, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to generate the deal offer in response to receiving an indication of the first merchant authorizing the promotional system to execute a promotional campaign using the transaction data.

17. The promotional system of claim 14, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to programmatically generate the deal offer based upon additional transaction data from a plurality of other merchant devices in addition to the transaction data from the first merchant device.

18. The promotional system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of other merchant devices and the first merchant device are all associated with the first merchant location.

19. The promotional system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of other merchant devices and the first merchant device are all associated with the first merchant location and at least one other unrelated merchant location.

20. The promotional system of claim 14, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to enable a merchant associated with the first merchant location to access the transaction data from a machine located remote from a point-of-sale system including the first merchant device.

21. The promotional system of claim 14, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

receive consumer data from a consumer device;

analyze the consumer data; and

generate the deal offer based on the analysis of the transaction data and the analysis of the consumer data.

22. The promotional system of claim 14, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

generate a report including sales analytics based on the analysis of the transaction data; and

output the report to the first merchant device.

23. The promotional system of claim 22, wherein a selectable option is provided with the report, and, the processing circuitry is further configured to output the deal offer to the consumer devices in response to determining the selectable option was selected.

24. The promotional system of claim 14, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to output the deal offer to the consumer devices by outputting one or more impressions, each including an indication of the deal offer.

25. The promotional system of claim 14, wherein common attribute between the first merchant location and the second merchant location is a common geographic area.

26. The promotional system of claim 14, wherein the redemption merchant device is the first merchant device.

27. The promotional system of claim 14, wherein the redemption merchant device is a second merchant device located at the second merchant location.

28. A promotional system, comprising:

one or more servers including processing circuitry configured to;

remotely configure, via a network, a first merchant device to generate transaction data related to one or more transactions conducted at a first merchant location, wherein the transaction data includes timestamps and values associated with each sale made by the first merchant device, wherein the remotely configuring further comprises outputting, to the first merchant device, menu item configuration data configured to cause the first merchant device to modify the configuration of a plurality of menu items;

receive, via the network, the transaction data from the first merchant device via the network in accordance with the remote configuration;

receive, via the network, consumer data comprising at least one of purchasing history data associated with a consumer account, deal-offer usage history data associated with the consumer account, and location history data associated with the consumer account;

programmatically generate analysis data based on analytically processing the transaction data and the consumer data, wherein;

(i) analytically processing the transaction data comprises determining a lull period defining a time of day during which the first merchant device processes fewer transactions (ii) analytically processing the consumer data comprises predicting, based on the consumer data, a first predicted customer behavior and a second predicted customer behavior associated with the first merchant location;

(iii) the first predicted customer behavior describes one or more first expected customer purchasing behavior attributes associated with the first merchant location determined during the lull period; and

(iv) the second predicted customer purchasing behavior describes one or more second expected customer purchasing behavior attributes associated with the first merchant location determined during a first period of time after the lull period;

programmatically determine a second merchant location, wherein;

(i) the second merchant location has a second customer attribute profile that is similar to a first customer attribute profile of the first merchant location; and

(ii) the second merchant location is different from the first merchant location;

programmatically generate a deal offer based on the analysis data, including;

programmatically generating, by the one or more servers, a plurality of potential deal offers, wherein each potential deal offer of the plurality of potential deal offers is programmatically time restricted for redemption completion at the first merchant location and the second merchant location within the programmatically determined lull period;

programmatically determining, by the one or more servers and based on the first predicted customer behavior and the second predicted customer behavior, a respective predicted return on investment for each respective potential deal offer in the plurality of potential deal offers during a second period of time, wherein the second period of time includes the lull period and the first period of time; and

programmatically identifying, by the one or more servers, the deal offer based on the respective predicted return on investment for each respective potential deal offer in the plurality of potential deal offers;

output the deal offer to consumer devices via the network;

subsequent to outputting the deal offer to the consumer devices via the network, receiving, by the one or more servers via the network and from a redemption merchant device located at the first merchant location or the second merchant location, second transaction data generated within the lull period, the second transaction data being related to second transactions including deal offers that were programmatically time restricted for redemption completion within the lull period;

generate report data based on analytically processing transaction-related data, wherein the report data includes at least a determination of an overspend amount associated with the redemption completion; and

output the report data to the first merchant device via the network.