MERCHANT COMPETITION ALERT

• US 20100299208A1
• Filed: 04/26/2010
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Faith, Patrick, Hammad, Ayman, Carlson, Mark, Stan, Patrick, Rewis, Ben
• Granted Patent: US 9,710,802 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.64
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3221 Access to banking information through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a system and method for determining the products involved in a transaction, and transmitting messages containing product specific data. Systems may be implemented to product identifiers during payment processing. The messages may be sent including product identifiers, and further information regarding the products associated with the product identifiers.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a product identifier for a product purchased in a transaction conducted with a merchant, the product having a merchant price;

accessing a database including product data associated with the product identifier;

generating, using a computer server, a product alert indicator, the product alert indicator including at least a portion of the product data associated with the product identifier; and

sending a product alert message to a user device, the product alert message including the product alert indicator.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the merchant is a first merchant, the merchant price is a first merchant price, and the product data includes a second merchant price of the product from a second merchant.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second merchant price is lower than the first merchant price.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the product data further includes an approximate distance from the user device to the second merchant.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the product data includes a reliability assessment of the merchant.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the database includes a plurality of product identifiers and a plurality of product data, and each product identifier in the plurality of product identifiers is associated with product data from the plurality of product data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the product identifier is received as part of an authorization request message, and the sending a product alert message comprises:

generating, using the computer server, the product alert message, and sending the product alert message to the user device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the database is located on the edge of a payment processing network, further wherein the sending a product alert message comprises:

generating an authorization request message that references the product alert indicator; and

sending the authorization request message to a notification server computer, wherein the notification server computer generates the product alert message that includes the product alert indicator, and further wherein the notification server computer transmits the product alert message to the user device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user device comprises a wireless phone.

10. A computer readable medium comprising code executable by a processor, the code for implementing the method according to claim 1.

11. A server computer comprising the computer readable medium of claim 10.

12. A method comprising:

conducting a transaction with a merchant for a product having a merchant price, the product associated with a product identifier; and

receiving a product alert message at a user device, wherein the product alert message includes a product alert indicator, the product alert indicator including product data associated with the product identifier.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the merchant is a first merchant and the merchant price is a first merchant price, further wherein the product data includes a second merchant price of the product from a second merchant.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second merchant price is lower than the first merchant price.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the user device comprises a wireless phone.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the product alert indicator includes product data on one or more related products.

17. A system comprising:

a database comprising product data associated with product identifiers for products; and

a server computer coupled to the database, wherein the server computer comprises a processor and a computer-readable medium coupled to the processor, the computer-readable medium comprising code executable by the processor for implementing a method comprising;

receiving a product identifier for a product purchased in a transaction conducted with a merchant, the product having a merchant price;

generating a product alert indicator using the product identifier, the product alert indicator including at least a portion of the product data associated with the product identifier; and

sending a product alert message to a user device, the product alert message including the product alert indicator.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the system is coupled to a payment processing network configured to process the transaction.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the system is located on the edge of the payment processing network.