SYSTEM, METHOD, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIA RELATED TO PROVIDING REAL-TIME PRICE MATCHING

• US 20170213271A1
• Filed: 01/22/2016
• Published: 07/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal-Mart Stores Texas LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Daniyalzade, Eytan, Atikoglu, Berk, Nelms, David Martin
• Granted Patent: US 10,489,840 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/201 Price look-up processing, e.g. updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 using wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3274 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being displayed on the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4012 Verifying personal identification numbers [PIN]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0629 for generating comparisons
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0081 the reader being a portable scanner or data reader G07G1/009 takes precedence

Abstract

Techniques related to retail transaction are disclosed. The techniques involve comparing the prices associated with a customer order with the prices being charged by competitors prior to the transaction being completed. The customer is given the opportunity to apply a credit based on the difference in prices being charged by the retailer and competitors, to the transaction.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first database configured to store a plurality of goods and a customer account associated with a customer of a retailer, the customer account including the customer identification number and a method of payment; and

a sale computer system being configurable to communicate with the database and configured to receive a customer order associated with the customer, the customer order including a list of goods to be purchased, the customer identification number, and a total cost of the customer order, the sale computer system being configured to access the customer account in the database as a function of the customer identification number and to process the customer order by;

a. for each one of the goods on the customer order, sending a price for the associated good to a price comparison system and responsively receiving an indication of credit from the price comparison system, the credit being responsive to a difference between the price of the associated good at the retailer and pricing information of the associated good with at least one other retailer,

b. aggregating any credit associated with all of the goods in the list of goods to be purchased,

c. sending, to a customer control device, on a mobile device associated with the customer, a request to apply the aggregated credit to the customer order, and

d. in response to the customer approving application of the aggregated credit, modifying the total cost of the customer order as a function of the aggregated credit;

e. authorizing payment for the customer order using the method of payment.

2. A system, as set forth in claim 1, including a second database configured to store pricing information associated with a plurality of products for a plurality of other retailers, the sale computer system being configured to send a search engine request to the price comparison system, the search engine request being a function of the customer order, the price comparison system including:

a search engine module coupled to the second database and being configured to receive the search engine search request, the search engine search request including a price associated with at least one of the goods in the customer order, the search engine module further configured to perform a search of the second database as a function of the search engine search request and return pricing information of the product associated with at least one of the other retailers;

a credit determination module coupled to the first database and the search engine module and being configured to compare the price of the at least one good and the pricing information of the at least one good associated with at least one of the other retailers, the credit determination module being further configured to establish the amount of the credit associated with the at least one good if the comparison of the price of the one good at the retailer and the pricing information of the product associated with at least one of the other retailers meets predefined criteria.

3. A system, as set forth in claim 2, further comprising a customer control unit associated with the customer, the customer control unit being configured to allow the customer to scan goods for purchase and to send an identification of the good and an associated price of the good at the retailer to the price comparison system.

4. A system, as set forth in claim 2, further comprising a sale terminal, the sale terminal being configured to allow the goods to be scanned prior to purchase and to scan the goods to be purchased and to send an identification of the goods and an associated price for each of the goods at the retailer to the price comparison system.

5. A system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the customer order is received by the sale computer system online from a website.

6. A system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sale computer system includes a sale computer located at a retail environment and a server in communication with the sale computer over a computer network.

7. A system, as set forth in claim 6, wherein the retail environment is a physical store.

8. A system, as set forth in claim 7, wherein the retail environment is a delivery vehicle.

9. A system, as set forth in claim 3, wherein the customer control unit is embodied in a mobile device carried by the customer.

10. A method, including the steps of:

storing, in a first database, a plurality of goods and a customer account associated with a customer of a retailer, the customer account including the customer identification number and a method of payment; and

receiving, at a sale computer system, a customer order associated with the customer, the customer order including a list of goods to be purchased, the customer identification number, and a total cost of the customer order;

for each one of the goods on the customer order, sending a price for the associated good to a price comparison system and responsively receiving an indication of credit from the price comparison system, the credit being responsive to a difference between the price of the associated good at the retailer and pricing information of the associated good with at least one other retailer;

aggregating any credit associated with all of the goods in the list of goods to be purchased;

sending, to a customer control device, on a mobile device associated with the customer, a request to apply the aggregated credit to the customer order;

in response to the customer approving application of the aggregated credit, modifying the total cost of the customer order as a function of the aggregated credit;

authorizing payment for the customer order using the method of payment.

11. A method, as set forth in claim 10, including the steps of:

sending a search engine request to the price comparison system, the search engine request being a function of the customer order;

receiving the search engine request, the search engine search request including a price associated with at least one of the goods in the customer order;

performing a search on the second database as a function of the search engine search request and returning pricing information of the product associated with at least one of the other retailers, the second database being configured to store pricing information associated with a plurality of products for a plurality of other retailers;

comparing the price of the at least one good and the pricing information of the at least one good associated with at least one of the other retailers and responsively establishing the amount of the credit associated with the at least one good if the comparison of the price of the one good at the retailer and the pricing information of the product associated with at least one of the other retailers meets predefined criteria.

12. A method, as set forth in claim 11, including the step of allowing the customer to scan goods for purchase using a customer control unit associated with the customer and sending an identification of the goods and an associated price of the goods at the retailer to the price comparison system.

13. A method, as set forth in claim 11, including the steps of allowing the goods to be scanned prior to purchase and sending an identification of the goods and an associated price for each of the goods at the retailer to the price comparison system.

14. A method, as set forth in claim 10, wherein the customer orders online from a website.

15. A method, as set forth in claim 10, wherein the sale computer system includes a sale computer located at a retail environment and a server in communication with the sale computer over a computer network.

16. A method, as set forth in claim 15, wherein the retail environment is a physical store.

17. A method, as set forth in claim 15, wherein the retail environment is a delivery vehicle.

18. A method, as set forth in claim 12, wherein the customer control unit is embodied in a mobile device carried by the customer.

19. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media, having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein when executed by at least one processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to:

store, in a first database, a plurality of goods and a customer account associated with a customer of a retailer, the customer account including the customer identification number and a method of payment; and

receive, at a sale computer system, a customer order associated with the customer, the customer order including a list of goods to be purchased, the customer identification number, and a total cost of the customer order;

for each one of the goods on the customer order, send a price for the associated good to a price comparison system and responsively receive an indication of credit from the price comparison system, the credit being responsive to a difference between the price of the associated good at the retailer and pricing information of the associated good with at least one other retailer;

aggregate any credit associated with all of the goods in the list of goods to be purchased;

send, to a customer control device, on a mobile device associated with the customer, a request to apply the aggregated credit to the customer order;

in response to the customer approving application of the aggregated credit, modify the total cost of the customer order as a function of the aggregated credit; and

,

authorize payment for the customer order using the method of payment.