Method and system for building a database for use with selective incentive marketing in response to customer shopping histories

• US 5,638,457 A
• Filed: 02/28/1994
• Issued: 06/10/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Credit Verification Corporation
• Inventors: Deaton, David W., Gabriel, Rodney G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Couso, Jose L.
• Application Number:
  US08/178,056
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 Days
• Field of Search: 382/1, 382/7, 382/9, 382/12, 382/48, 235/379, 235/380, 235/383, 235/385, 340/825.33, 340/825.34, 364/400, 364/401, 379/91, 902/4, 902/5, 902/6
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/00 Cash registers alarm indicators G07G3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/12 electronically operated digital data processing aspects G06Q20/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/145 PLU-management

Abstract

The present invention includes automatic check reading techniques which enables the detection of a customer'"'"'s checking account number on a check, regardless of the bank, bank branch or type of account. The customer identification code is automatically used to provide check verification as well as to provide various targeted marketing techniques based upon the customer'"'"'s prior transactional history with the store.

Claims

1. A system for targeted customer promotion at a retail store comprising:

terminals for entering a customer'"'"'s identification code, along with customer transaction data including at least the dollar volume for a sales transaction, at a plurality of points-of-sale in the retail store;

a memory coupled to said terminals for storing a database of a plurality of previously entered customer identification codes and transaction data from a plurality of prior shopping visits by said customers over a period of time, such that data regarding individual customers'"'"' dollar volume histories are stored;

a processor associated with said memory and responsive to the presentation of the customer'"'"'s identification code at a point-of-sale for generating incentive signals representative of specific customer'"'"'s dollar volume histories prior to the current visit, said incentive signals having different values in dependence upon different dollar volume histories; and

a printer for printing incentives at the point-of-sale during a customer'"'"'s checkout having values responsive to said incentive signals, the value of said incentives related to the specific customer'"'"'s dollar volume history prior to the current visit and redeemable at a future time in order to incent said customer to return to the retail store, wherein different customers are incented in different ways in dependence upon their previous dollar volume histories.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said terminal comprises a data entry device operated by a human operator.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said terminal comprises a reader for reading indicia on a financial transaction instrument.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said terminal comprises a check reader.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said check reader reads the MICR code of the customer'"'"'s check to determine a customer'"'"'s identification code.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said terminal has a keyboard for entering said customer transactional data.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said database is continually updated with information from said terminal.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said database stores information about the prior transaction dates and dollar amount spent by specific customers.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said signals are also generated in response to the number of times a customer has previously shopped during a specified time interval.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said signals are also generated in response to the dollar volume of purchases by the customer in prior visits during a preselected time period.

11. A system for performing targeted marketing on customers in a retail establishment comprising:

a terminal for entering data relating to the customer'"'"'s shopping transactions including at least the dollar volume at the point-of-sale;

a processor responsive to said terminal for creating a database of a plurality of the store'"'"'s individual customer'"'"'s prior transaction data and a plurality of preselected sales promotions;

said processor generating a signal upon the detection of a specific customer at a point-of-sale whose transactions prior to the current shopping visit at the store meet one of a plurality of predetermined dollar volume history criteria, said signal having different promotion values in dependence upon said dollar volume history criteria; and

circuitry responsive to said signal for printing an incentive for one of said preselected sales promotions at the point-of-sale during a customer'"'"'s checkout to said customer whose prior transactions meet one of said predetermined dollar volume history criteria over a specified prior time interval, wherein a plurality of different incentives are printed in dependence upon said signal, such that different customers with different prior dollar volume histories receive different value sales promotions and wherein said sales promotion requires said customers to return to said retail establishment at a future time to redeem said incentive.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said dollar volume history criteria also comprises the number of shopping visits during said specified time interval.

13. A system for customer promotion wherein different customers can be incented in different ways to return to a retail store, comprising:

a terminal for entering a customer'"'"'s transaction data including at least the dollar volume at the point-of-sale;

a memory for storing a database of previously entered transaction data of a plurality of individual customers and preselected sales promotions; and

circuitry for generating a signal representative of a specific customer'"'"'s dollar volume history prior to the current shopping visit, said signal having different value sales promotions in dependence upon said specific customers dollar volume history, wherein incentives representing preselected sales promotions may be printed and issued to a customer during a current shopping visit whose dollar volume history prior to the current shopping visit meets predetermined dollar volume history criteria as indicated by said signal and wherein different sales promotions with different values are provided for different customers with different prior dollar volume histories, said incentives redeemable in order to incent said customers.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said dollar volume history criteria also comprises the number of shopping visits during a selected prior time interval.

15. A system for performing targeted marketing on shopping customers of a store comprising:

a terminal for entering at the point-of-sale an individual customer'"'"'s transaction data, said data including at least the dollar volume tendered by said customer in a sales transaction at the point-of-sale;

a memory for creating a database of a plurality of the store'"'"'s individual customers'"'"' previous shopping transactions and preselected sales incentives, said previous shopping transactions being directed to criteria other than purchase of a specific product;

circuitry for generating a signal in response to specific customers conducting a current shopping transaction at the store whose shopping transactions prior to the current shopping visit at the store meet predetermined dollar volume history criteria, said signal indicating a different discount value in dependence upon said specific customers dollar volume history; and

apparatus, in response to said signal, for effecting one of said preselected sales incentives to said customers at the point-of-sale during a customer'"'"'s checkout who meet said dollar volume amount history criteria, such that customers with different dollar volume histories receive different discount value sales incentives.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said dollar volume history criteria also comprises the number of shopping visits over a selected time interval.

17. A system for differentiated customer promotion in a retail establishment comprising;

a terminal for entering customer transaction data at the point-of-sale including at least the dollar volume in a sales transaction;

a memory for storing a plurality of different types of previously entered customer transaction data regarding a plurality of individual customers'"'"' dollar volume histories over a period of time;

said memory further storing a plurality of predetermined incentive values, said incentive values being differentiated from one another and related to different dollar volume history criteria;

circuitry responsive to said memory for generating a signal representative of a specific customer'"'"'s dollar volume history prior to the current visit; and

a printer for printing incentives at the point-of-sale during a customer'"'"'s checkout in response to said signal, said incentives related to the customer'"'"'s prior dollar volume history such that customers whose dollar volume history meets one of said dollar volume history criteria receive incentives comprising a first incentive value and customers whose dollar volume history meets a different dollar volume history criteria receive incentives comprising a second incentive value, said incentives provided to customers with different dollar volume histories having different values.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said customer dollar volume criteria also comprises shopping visit frequency over a preselected prior time interval.