Quick Legend Receipt System

• US 20150254627A1
• Filed: 04/14/2014
• Published: 09/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Square Inc (Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.))
• Inventors: Bell, Bruce, Wilson, Mathew, Knight, Gerard
• Granted Patent: US 9,495,670 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/29 characterised by micropayments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/326 Payment applications installed on the mobile devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/088 the card reader being part of the point of sale [POS] terminal or electronic cash register [ECR] itself
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for enabling more efficient tipping by providing a merchant the ability to reduce the time used on manually entering tip amounts. In one embodiment, a method includes automatically generating, by a point-of-sale (POS) system, a transaction receipt that indicates a plurality of selectable tip options, wherein said automatically generating the transaction receipt is based on one or more rules specified by a user of the POS system. The method further includes causing the transaction receipt to be printed as a printed receipt. The method further includes identifying, by the POS system, a one of the plurality of selectable tip options specified by a customer on the printed receipt. Among other benefits, the disclosed techniques reduce the time and effort the merchant needs to spend on collating the tipping at end of the business day.

Claims

1. A point-of-sale (POS) system comprising:

a display;

a receipt generation module configured to (a) enable, via the display, a merchant using the POS system to specify one or more rules that adjust how each of a plurality of selectable tip options, each representing a different tip amount, is generated and (b) generate, based on the one or more rules, a transaction receipt that includes a section indicating the plurality of selectable tip options; and

a printer module to print the transaction receipt as a printed receipt for allowing a customer to specify a one of the plurality of selectable tip options in the section on the printed receipt, wherein the plurality of selectable tip options are printed with indications showing what a total after-tip amount will be in each tip option so that the customer can approve both the tip amount and the total after-tip amount corresponding to the one option to be specified by the customer using a single selection,

wherein the receipt generation module is further configured to cause the POS system to display, after generation of the transaction receipt, the plurality of selectable tip options to the merchant and to prompt the merchant to input to the POS system the one of the plurality of selectable tip options specified by a customer on the printed receipt.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a camera, coupled to the POS system, to capture an image of the printed receipt; and

an image analysis module configured to identify the selected tip option on the printed receipt based on the image, wherein the receipt generation module is further configured to cause the printer to print the printed receipt to further include a machine-readable optical pattern that uniquely identifies the transaction receipt.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of selectable tip options include a custom tip option, and wherein the receipt generation module is further configured to:

if the one tip option specified by the customer is the custom tip option, prompt the merchant to manually enter a custom tip amount specified by the customer.

4. A method comprising:

enabling, via a display of a point-of-sale (POS) system, a user of the POS system to specify one or more rules, the one or more rules controlling how a plurality of selectable tip options are to be calculated based on an attribute of a transaction by the POS system;

generating, by the POS system, a transaction receipt that indicates the plurality of selectable tip options for the transaction based on the one or more rules specified by the user of the POS system;

causing the transaction receipt to be printed as a printed receipt;

receiving an input that identifies a one of the plurality of selectable tip options specified by a customer on the printed receipt; and

determining both a tip amount specified by the customer and a total amount of the transaction based on the input.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the receiving step comprises:

displaying, on the POS system, the plurality of selectable tip options; and

prompting the user to input to the POS system the one of the plurality of selectable tip options specified by the customer on the printed receipt.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the receiving step comprises:

capturing an image of the printed receipt; and

identifying, based on the image, the one tip option specified by the customer.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the identifying step comprises using an image analysis module to differentiate a selected tip option from a non-selected tip option on the printed receipt.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein causing the transaction receipt to be printed as a printed receipt comprises causing the printed receipt to include a machine-readable optical pattern that uniquely identifies the transaction receipt, and wherein the receiving step comprises:

recognizing the transaction receipt by the machine-readable optical pattern;

displaying the plurality of selectable tip options to the user; and

prompting the user to input to the POS system the one of the plurality of selectable tip options as specified by the customer on the printed receipt.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprises:

if the one tip option specified by the customer is a custom tip option which allows the customer to write a tip amount on the printed receipt, prompting the user to manually enter a tip amount.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprises:

if the one tip option specified by the customer is a custom tip option, using an image analysis module to automatically recognize a tip amount in the custom tip option; and

if a confidence score of automatic recognition of the tip amount is below a predetermined threshold, displaying the image on the POS system.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein the selectable tip options allow the customer to specify, using a single selection, the one of the plurality of selectable tip options in the section on the printed receipt.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of selectable tip options are printed with indications showing what a total after-tip amount will be in each tip option.

13. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

enabling, via a user interface of the POS system, the user to specify the one or more rules.

21. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more rules comprise:

if a total transaction price exceeds a predetermined transaction amount, producing a set of percentages, of the total transaction price, on which the selectable tip options are to be calculated; and

if the total transaction price does not exceed the predetermined transaction amount, producing a set of fixed amounts as the selectable tip options.

22. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a tip preference from an external source that is remote from the POS system; and

determining the selectable tip options based on the received tip preference.

25. The method of claim 4, wherein the attribute of the transaction includes at least one of:

a total amount of the transaction, a time of the transaction, or a location of the transaction.

14. A point-of-sales (POS) system comprising:

a display;

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor and having instructions stored therein which, when executed by the processor, cause the POS system to;

enable, via the display, a user of the POS system to specify one or more rules, the one or more rules controlling how each of a plurality of selectable tip options is to be calculated based on an attribute of a transaction;

generate, based on the one or more rules, a transaction receipt that includes a section indicating the plurality of selectable tip options for the transaction;

cause the transaction receipt to be printed as a printed receipt;

receive an input that identifies a one of the plurality of selectable tip options specified by a customer on the printed receipt; and

determine both a tip amount specified by the customer and a total amount of the transaction based on the input.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to, in performing the receiving step:

display the plurality of selectable tip options to the user; and

prompt the user to input to the POS system the one of the plurality of selectable tip options as specified by the customer on the printed receipt.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to, in performing the receiving step:

employ a camera, coupled to the POS system, to capture an image of the printed receipt; and

identify, based on the image, the one tip option specified by the customer.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to, in performing the identifying step, differentiate a selected tip option from a non-selected tip option on the printed receipt.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the printed receipt further includes a machine-readable optical pattern that uniquely identifies the transaction receipt, wherein the processor is further configured to, in performing the receiving:

recognize the transaction receipt by the machine-readable optical pattern;

display the plurality of selectable tip options to the user; and

prompt the user to input to the POS system the one of the plurality of selectable tip options as specified by the customer on the printed receipt.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to:

if the one tip option specified by the customer is a custom tip option which allows the customer to write a tip amount on the printed receipt, prompt the user to manually enter a tip amount.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to:

if the one tip option specified by the customer is a custom tip option, use an image analysis module to automatically recognize a tip amount in the custom tip option; and

if a confidence score of automatic recognition of the tip amount is below a predetermined threshold, display the image on the POS system.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the POS system is controlled by the one or more rules to:

if a total transaction price exceeds a predetermined transaction amount, produce a set of percentages, of the total transaction price, on which the selectable tip options are to be calculated; and

if the total transaction price does not exceed the predetermined transaction amount, produce a set of fixed amounts as the selectable tip options.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the POS system is further configured to:

receive a tip preference from an external source that is remote from the POS system; and

determine the selectable tip options based on the received tip preference.

26. The system of claim 14, wherein the attribute of the transaction includes at least one of:

a total amount of the transaction, a time of the transaction, or a location of the transaction.

27. A method comprising:

enabling, via a point-of-sale (POS) system, a user of the POS system to specify one or more rules, the one or more rules controlling how a plurality of selectable tip options are to be calculated based on an attribute of a transaction;

generating, by the POS system, a transaction receipt that indicates the plurality of selectable tip options for the transaction based on the one or more rules specified by the user of the POS system;

receiving an input that identifies a one of the plurality of selectable tip options specified by a customer on the transaction receipt; and

determining both a tip amount specified by the customer and a total amount of the transaction based on the input.