Electronic receipt system and method

• US 20090271322A1
• Filed: 04/28/2008
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cyndigo Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cyndigo Corporation
• Inventors: Silla, Joseph, Schlabach, Dusty, Lay, Isaac
• Application Number:
  US12/150,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20090271322A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/75
• 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 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A system and method for auto generating an electronic receipt from virtually any type of public facing business having a live point-of-purchase and utilizing an electronic payment systems, namely, a point-of-sale (POS) system having a credit card terminal and/or an electronic cash registers (ECR). The system includes a software add-on which authenticates and identifies consumers at the POP using a pre-registered credit/debit card, deactivates normal receipt printing functionality, captures electronic receipt information and transmits this information to a membership or subscriber based Internet web-site, where consumers may then view and manage the information. The system can be used to automate a product return and/or generate and transmit a gift receipt. The system further includes a membership or provider based Internet website for merchants to view and manage information related to previous customers, from which merchants may distribute coupons and/or advertisements to these consumers.

Claims

1. A system for generating and storing electronic receipt information, the system comprising:

a remote server/database for storing electronic receipt information and providing access thereto;

a point-of-sale electronic payment system, resident at a merchant'"'"'s point-of-purchase, for capturing receipt data, deactivating the printing of a paper receipt and transmitting said electronic receipt information to the remote server/database;

wherein the electronic receipt information is truncated and encrypted before it is transmitted to said remote server database, and further wherein said electronic receipt information is decrypted before it is stored.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote server database may be accessed by a subscribing consumer via the Internet, in order to retrieve the receipt information stored therein.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein a subscribing consumer may access the remote server database and use the receipt information stored therein to generate a paper receipt which may be downloaded to and printed on a local printer.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the merchant may access the remote server database in order to retrieve an available subset of the receipt information, including information as to the purchaser'"'"'s name, address, items purchased and e-mail or mailing address.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the merchant may use the available subset of receipt information to track consumer purchases and provide electronic coupons.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein a subscribing consumer may access the remote server database and use the receipt information stored therein to generate a gift receipt, which may then be e-mailed to a gift recipient.

7. A system for generating and storing electronic receipt information, the system comprising:

a point-of-sale electronic payment system, resident at a point-of-purchase, for generating receipt information related to a transaction, said point-of-sale payment system being configured with a software add-on for receiving credit or debit card information from a purchaser for completing said transaction, and truncating/encrypting said credit or debit card information, thereby generating a result;

a remote server/database for providing subscription based access to electronic receipt information to consumers, said database being preloaded with membership information for each subscribing consumer, including truncated credit or debit card information;

wherein the point-of-sale electronic payment system is configured to transmit the result to the remote server/database, said result then being decrypted and compared to the preloaded truncated credit or debit card information for each subscribing consumer in order to verify whether the purchaser is a subscribing consumer; and

further wherein the point-of-sale electronic payment system is configured to transmit the receipt information to the remote server/database for storage therein if the purchaser is verified as a subscribing consumer.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the remote server database may be accessed by a subscribing consumer via the Internet, in order to retrieve the receipt information stored therein.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein a subscribing consumer may access the remote server database and use the receipt information stored therein to generate a paper receipt which may be downloaded to and printed on a local printer.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the merchant may access the remote server database in order to retrieve an available subset of the receipt information, including information as to the purchaser'"'"'s name, address, items purchased and e-mail or mailing address.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the merchant may use the available subset of receipt information to track consumer purchases and provide electronic coupons.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein a subscribing consumer may access the remote server database and use the receipt information stored therein to generate a gift receipt, which may then be e-mailed to a gift recipient.

13. A method for generating and storing electronic receipt information which may then later be accessed by a purchaser, said method comprising:

pre-associating said purchaser with an account by accepting credit or debit card information entered by said user, truncating said credit or debit card information, and storing said truncated credit or debit card information in a database;

receiving truncated and encrypted credit or debit card information from a point-of-sale electronic payment system located at a merchant'"'"'s point-of-purchase location;

decrypting the information received from the point-of-sale electronic payment system and comparing the decrypted information with the pre-associated truncated credit or debit card information previously stored; and

receiving additional electronic receipt information from the point of sale electronic payment system and storing it in the purchaser'"'"'s account if the decrypted information matches the pre-associated truncated credit or debit card information previously stored.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the additional steps of:

generating a header from said electronic receipt information; and

inserting said header into a chronological listing of headers, all of which are related to electronic receipt information for each purchase made by said purchaser.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the additional step of associating a detailed electronic receipt with each header in the listing.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the additional step of

providing the detailed electronic receipt to the purchaser so that it may be printed on a local printer in order to generate a paper receipt.

17. A system for initiating a product return using electronic receipt information related to the original purchase of said product, the system comprising:

a remote server/database in which the electronic receipt information related to the original purchase of said product has been previously stored,

a point-of-sale electronic payment system, resident at a point-of-purchase where the product to be returned was originally purchased; and

wherein the remote server database is configured to transmit the electronic receipt information to the point-of-sale electronic payment system when a user wishes to return the product.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the remote server database may be accessed by a subscribing consumer via the Internet, in order to retrieve the electronic receipt information stored therein.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein a subscribing consumer may access the remote server database and use the receipt information stored therein to generate a paper receipt which may be downloaded to and printed on a local printer.

20. A method for initiating a product return using electronic receipt information related to the original purchase of said product, the method comprising:

retrieving electronic receipt information related to the original purchase of said product that has been previously stored at a remote server/database;

transmitting said electronic receipt information from the remote serve/database to a point-of-sale electronic payment system resident at a point-of-purchase where the product to be returned was originally purchased;

returning the product to the point-of-purchase; and

using the electronic receipt information to process and complete a return of the product.

21. The method of claim 20 comprising the further step of generating updated electronic receipt information at the point-of-purchase, said updated electronic receipt information indicating that the return of the product has been completed.

22. The method of claim 21, comprising the further steps of:

transmitting the updated electronic receipt information from the point-of-sale electronic payment system resident at the point-of-purchase to the remote server/database; and

storing the updated electronic receipt information at the remote server/database.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the remote server/database may be accessed by a subscribing consumer via the Internet, in order to retrieve the updated electronic receipt information stored therein.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein a subscribing consumer may access the remote server/database and use the updated electronic receipt information stored therein in order to generate a paper receipt which may be downloaded to and printed on a local printer.