ANONYMOUS CHECK-IN AT A MERCHANT LOCATION

• US 20140297472A1
• Filed: 03/27/2014
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ryan, Michael Joseph
• Application Number:
  US14/228,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20140297472A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.42
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0615 Anonymizing

Abstract

There is provided systems and method for merchant anonymous check-in at a merchant location. A user may bring a user device to a merchant location where the user may have previously checked-in at the merchant location and perform an anonymous check-in at the merchant location. Thus, the user device may provide the merchant location with a different or obfuscated identifier so the merchant does not identify the user from the previous check-in. Once the user has checked-in with the merchant, the user may make service requests for the merchant'"'"'s staff, such as do not approach or service assistance. Additionally, the merchant may inform the user about loyalty account services and automatically enroll the user in a loyalty account. If the user has discounts, gift cards, or other benefits in a digital wallet, the merchant may offer the user other benefits related to the benefits in the digital to increase sales.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a non-transitory memory storing check-in information for a user; and

one or more hardware processors in communication with the non-transitory memory and configured to;

receive the check-in information comprising an identifier from the user, wherein the identifier is unknown to a merchant receiving the check-in information;

complete a check-in for the user using the check-in information, wherein the check-in associates the user as a first time user status based on the identifier.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the check-in information is received by a merchant device at a merchant location.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein check-in information is received from a server offering check-in services to the merchant.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein a previous identifier used to check-in with the merchant is obfuscated to generate the identifier.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein a different identifier from a previous identifier used with the merchant is utilized as the identifier.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the user selects an anonymous check-in preference prior to transmitting the check-in information to the merchant.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the user selects an anonymous check-in preference with a user device on a request for the check-in information from the merchant.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the user has previously checked-in with the merchant.

9. A method comprising:

receiving check-in information comprising an identifier of a user, wherein the identifier is unknown to a merchant receiving the check-in information;

completing, using one or more hardware processors, a check-in for the user using the check-in information, wherein the check-in associates the user as a first time user status based one the identifier.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

offering first time benefits to the user, wherein the first time benefits are offered to a plurality of users based on the first time user status.

11. The method Of claim 10, wherein the first time benefits comprise at least one of a loyalty account enrollment, merchant information, available sales and discounts, and sales associate help.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first time user status comprises one of a new customer status and a new visitor to a specific merchant location status.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein a previous identifier used to check-in with the merchant is obfuscated to generate the identifier.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein a different identifier from a previous identifier used with the merchant is utilized as the identifier.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the user selects an anonymous check-in preference with the user device to transmit the check-in information to the merchant.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions which, in response to execution by a computer system, cause the computer system to perform a method comprising:

receiving check-in information comprising an identifier of a user, wherein the identifier is unknown to a merchant receiving the check-in information;

completing a check-in for the user using the check-in information, wherein the check-in associates the user as a first time user status based one the identifier.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein a previous identifier used to check-in with the merchant is obfuscated to generate the identifier.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the previous identifier is obfuscated by one of scrambling data of the previous identifier, adding or removing values in the data of the previous identifier, and changes the values of the data of the previous identifier.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein a different identifier from a previous identifier used with the merchant is utilized as the identifier.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the user selects an anonymous check-in preference with the user device to transmit the check-in information to the merchant.