SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INTERNATIONAL MERCHANDISE RETURN SERVICE

• US 20140258098A1
• Filed: 03/06/2013
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Felix, Shea R., Sobel, Kate A., Clausen, Rachel E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,918,341 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0831 Overseas transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0837 Return transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

A system and method for generating a return label for merchandise being returned from a buyer or consumer in a first country to a merchant in a second country. A name and address of a consumer in the first country desiring to return merchandise and merchant or seller information including a merchant identifier is received. An address for receiving returns for the merchant or seller in the second country is accessed based on the merchant information. One or more machine readable identifiers for use by a first country carrier and for use by a second country carrier based at least on the consumer information, and information for routing the return merchandise are generated. A return label for merchandise being returned from the consumer to the merchant is generated. The return label can include the machine readable identifiers and a customs declaration for the merchandise.

Claims

1. A method of generating a return label for merchandise being returned from a consumer in a first country to a merchant in a second country, the method comprising:

receiving merchant information including a merchant identifier;

receiving identifying information of a user in a first country desiring to return merchandise;

identifying a merchant account and a merchandise returns location in a second country based on the merchant information;

obtaining, via a computing environment, information from a first country carrier for use in tracking the return merchandise;

generating, via a computing environment, a first machine readable identifier for use by the first country carrier based at least on the information for use in tracking the return merchandise;

generating, via a computing environment, a second machine readable identifier for use by a second country carrier based at least on information to route the return merchandise; and

generating, via a computing environment, a return label for merchandise being returned from the user in the first country to the merchandise returns location in the second country, the return label including the first machine readable identifier, the second machine readable identifier and a customs declaration for the merchandise.

2. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising identifying a carrier processing center in the second country that services the merchandise returns location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the return merchandise is routed to the carrier processing center.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the return label further includes a user name and address, merchant name and merchandise returns location address, and the carrier processing center address.

5. The method of claim 2, additionally comprising receiving a package at the processing center and computing an amount of a shipping charge due.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the return label further includes an area for the amount of shipping charge due to be added by the processing center.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the amount of shipping charge due is deducted from an account for the merchant.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the amount of shipping charge due is charged to a credit card for the merchant.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the return merchandise is routed to the merchandise returns location.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the customs declaration indicates a return merchandise value of zero.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the customs declaration indicates no commercial value for the return merchandise.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the customs declaration indicates a return and one or more tariff codes indicative of returned merchandise.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first country is Canada and the second country is the United States.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first country is the United States and the second country is Canada.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the identifying information of the user includes receiving a name and address of the user and a first country name.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the merchant information includes receiving a second country name.

17. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising electronically sending the generated return label to the user or configuring the return label for printing by the user.

18. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising generating a tracking code based at least on the information obtained from the first country carrier.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is a consumer of the merchandise.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second machine readable identifiers are a barcode.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the information obtained from the first country carrier is in response to a real-time web service call.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing environment includes a server associated with the second country carrier, a communications network in data communication with the server and a web application operating on the server.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the computing environment additionally comprises a server associated with the first country carrier, the server being in data communication with the communications network.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the computing environment additionally comprises a computing device associated with the user, the computing device being in at least intermittent data communication with the communications network.

25. A method of processing a return label for merchandise being returned from a user in a first country to a merchant or seller of the merchandise in a second country, the method comprising:

receiving identifying information of a user in a first country desiring to return merchandise;

receiving merchant information including a merchant identifier;

identifying a merchant account and a merchandise returns location in a second country based on the received merchant information;

receiving, in response to a web service call via a computing environment, information from a first country carrier for use in tracking the return merchandise;

producing, via a computing environment, a tracking code based on the information obtained from the first country carrier;

generating, via a computing environment, a first machine readable identifier for use by the first country carrier based at least on the tracking code;

generating, via a computing environment, a second machine readable identifier for use by a second country carrier based at least on information to route the return merchandise;

generating, via a computing environment, a return label for merchandise being returned from the user in the first country to the merchandise returns location in the second country, the return label including the first machine readable identifier, the second machine readable identifier and a customs declaration for the merchandise;

receiving a package with the return label affixed thereupon at a carrier processing center in the second country that services the merchandise returns location;

computing an amount of shipping charges due for the received package;

deducting the shipping charges due from an account for the merchant or charging a credit card for the merchant; and

reimbursing the first country carrier for service rendered by the first country carrier.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein receiving the identifying information of the user includes receiving a name and address of the user and a first country name.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the first and second machine readable identifiers are a barcode.

28. A method of processing a return label for merchandise being returned from a user in a first country to a merchant or seller of the merchandise in a second country, the method comprising:

receiving identifying information of a user in a first country desiring to return merchandise;

receiving merchant information including a merchant identifier;

identifying a merchant account and a merchandise returns location in a second country based on the received merchant information;

receiving, in response to a web service call via a computing environment, information from third-party shared database for use in tracking the return merchandise;

producing, via a computing environment, a tracking code based on the information obtained from the third-party shared database;

generating, via a computing environment, a first machine readable identifier for use by a first country carrier based at least on the tracking code;

generating, via a computing environment, a second machine readable identifier for use by a second country carrier based at least on information to route the return merchandise;

generating, via a computing environment, a return label for merchandise being returned from the user in the first country to the merchandise returns location in the second country, the return label including the first machine readable identifier, the second machine readable identifier and a customs declaration for the merchandise;

receiving a package with the return label affixed thereupon at a carrier processing center in the second country that services the merchandise returns location;

computing an amount of shipping charges due for the received package;

deducting the shipping charges due from an account for the merchant or charging a credit card for the merchant; and

reimbursing the first country carrier for service rendered by the first country carrier.

29. A method of generating a return label for merchandise being returned from a user in a first country to a merchant or seller of the merchandise in a second country, the method comprising:

receiving merchant information including a merchant identifier;

receiving identifying information of a user in a first country desiring to return merchandise;

identifying an address for a merchandise returns location in a second country based on the merchant information;

generating, via a computing environment, a first machine readable identifier for use by a first country carrier based at least on the user information;

generating, via a computing environment, a second machine readable identifier for use by a second country carrier based at least on information to route the return merchandise; and

generating, via a computing environment, a return label for merchandise being returned from the user in the first country to the merchandise returns location in the second country, the return label including the first machine readable identifier, the second machine readable identifier and a customs declaration for the merchandise.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein receiving the identifying information of the user includes receiving a name and address of the user and a first country name.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the first and second machine readable identifiers are a barcode.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the first machine readable identifier is additionally based on information obtained from the first country carrier in response to a real-time web service call via the computing environment.

33. A computer-readable storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

receiving merchant information including a merchant identifier;

receiving identifying information of a user in a first country desiring to return merchandise;

identifying an address for a merchandise returns location in a second country based on the merchant information;

generating a first machine readable identifier for use by a first country carrier based at least on the user information;

generating a second machine readable identifier for use by a second country carrier based at least on information to route the return merchandise; and

generating a return label for merchandise being returned from the consumer in the first country to the merchandise returns location in the second country, the return label including the first machine readable identifier, the second machine readable identifier and a customs declaration for the merchandise.

34. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein receiving the identifying information of the user includes receiving a name and address of the user and a first country name.

35. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein the first and second machine readable identifiers are a barcode.

36. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein the first machine readable identifier is additionally based on information obtained from the first country carrier in response to a real-time web service call via a computing environment.

37. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein the first machine readable identifier is additionally based on information obtained from a third-party shared database via a computing environment.

38. A method of generating a return label for merchandise being returned from a user in a first country to a merchant or seller of the merchandise in a second country, the method comprising:

receiving merchant information including a merchant identifier;

receiving identifying information of a user in a first country desiring to return merchandise;

accessing an address for a merchandise returns location in a second country based on the merchant information;

generating, via a computing environment, a machine readable identifier for use in tracking delivery based at least on the user information; and

generating, via a computing environment, a return label for merchandise being returned from the user in the first country to the merchandise returns location in the second country, the return label including the machine readable identifier and a customs declaration for the merchandise.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein receiving the identifying information of the user includes receiving a name and address of the user and a first country name.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the machine readable identifier is a barcode.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein the machine readable identifier is additionally based on information obtained from a first country carrier in response to a real-time web service call via the computing environment.

42. The method of claim 38, wherein the machine readable identifier is additionally based on information obtained from a third-party shared database via the computing environment.

43. A method of processing a return label for merchandise being returned from a user in a first country to a merchant or seller of the merchandise in a second country, the method comprising:

providing an origination shipping label for merchandise being shipped from a merchant or seller of the merchandise in a second country to a user in a first country;

receiving identifying information of the user in the first country desiring to return merchandise;

receiving merchant information including a merchant identifier;

identifying a merchant account and a merchandise returns location in the second country based on the received merchant information;

receiving, via a computing environment, information from a first country carrier for use in tracking the return merchandise;

producing, via a computing environment, a tracking code based on the information obtained from the first country carrier;

generating, via a computing environment, a first machine readable identifier for use by the first country carrier based at least on the tracking code;

generating, via a computing environment, a second machine readable identifier for use by a second country carrier based at least on information to route the return merchandise;

generating, via a computing environment, a return label for merchandise being returned from the user in the first country to the merchandise returns location in the second country, the return label including the first machine readable identifier, the second machine readable identifier and a customs declaration for the merchandise;

receiving a package with the return label affixed thereupon at a carrier processing center in the second country that services the merchandise returns location;

computing an amount of return shipping charges due for the received package;

determining if the second country carrier is the same carrier for both an origination shipment of the merchandise and the merchandise return;

deducting the return shipping charges due from the account for the merchant or charging a credit card for the merchant if the second country carrier is not the same carrier for both the origination shipment of the merchandise and the merchandise return shipment; and

reimbursing the first country carrier for service rendered by the first country carrier.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the merchant is not charged for the return shipping charges if the second country carrier is the same carrier for both the origination shipment of the merchandise and the merchandise return shipment.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the merchant is charged an amount for the return shipping charges that is less than the regular rate for a particular class of shipping service if the second country carrier is the same carrier for both the origination shipment of the merchandise and the merchandise return shipment.

46. The method of claim 43, wherein the merchant is charged a flat rate amount for the return shipping charges that is less than the regular rate for a particular class of shipping service if the second country carrier is the same carrier for both the origination shipment of the merchandise and the merchandise return shipment, and the user initiates a return of the merchandise.

47. The method of claim 43, wherein the customs declaration includes a tariff code indicative of returned merchandise and an item description of the merchandise.