Method and system for collecting and processing marketing data
First Claim
1. A method of collecting marketing information, comprising:
- collecting, at a first point-of-sale operated by a first retailer, line item data pertaining to a first transaction;
establishing a first communication link between the first point-of-sale and a credit authorization location operated by a credit authorization authority distinct from the first retailer;
transmitting a first credit authorization request from the first point-of-sale to the credit authorization location via the first communication link;
transmitting the line item data pertaining to the first transaction from the first point-of-sale to the credit authorization location via the first communication link;
collecting at a second point-of-sale operated by a second retailer, line item data pertaining to a second transaction;
establishing a second communication link between the second point-of-sale and the credit authorization location, the entity operating the credit authorization location being distinct from the second retailer;
transmitting a second credit authorization request from the second point-of-sale to the credit authorization location via the second communication link;
transmitting the line item data pertaining to the second transaction from the second point-of-sale to the credit authorization location via the second communication link; and
storing the transmitted line item data pertaining to the first and second transactions in a searchable database operated by an entity that is distinct from the first and second retailers.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for the collection of marketing data simultaneously captures at a point-of-sale all financial and non-financial data pertaining to a specific consumer transaction. An electronic invoice is constructed from the captured data and transmitted to a credit authorization location via a communication link necessarily established to transmit a credit authorization request for the transaction. The electronic invoice contains line item data for each item purchased as part of the transaction. The invoice is organized around the identification number of the payment vehicle employed by the customer to pay for the transaction, thus linking the purchasing information contained in the invoice to a particular consumer. The credit authorization location receives the transmitted electronic invoice and forwards the invoice to a data warehouse, which may be located in a location remote from the credit authorization location. The data warehouse comprises a plurality of related data structures for storing the received data. The related data structures facilitate simple and flexible analysis and searching of the collected market data.
-
Citations
10 Claims
-
1. A method of collecting marketing information, comprising:
-
collecting, at a first point-of-sale operated by a first retailer, line item data pertaining to a first transaction; establishing a first communication link between the first point-of-sale and a credit authorization location operated by a credit authorization authority distinct from the first retailer; transmitting a first credit authorization request from the first point-of-sale to the credit authorization location via the first communication link; transmitting the line item data pertaining to the first transaction from the first point-of-sale to the credit authorization location via the first communication link;
collecting at a second point-of-sale operated by a second retailer, line item data pertaining to a second transaction;establishing a second communication link between the second point-of-sale and the credit authorization location, the entity operating the credit authorization location being distinct from the second retailer; transmitting a second credit authorization request from the second point-of-sale to the credit authorization location via the second communication link; transmitting the line item data pertaining to the second transaction from the second point-of-sale to the credit authorization location via the second communication link; and storing the transmitted line item data pertaining to the first and second transactions in a searchable database operated by an entity that is distinct from the first and second retailers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A system for organizing marketing data, comprising:
-
a first point-of-sale computer belonging to a first retailer; a second point-of-sale computer belonging to a second retailer; a credit authorization computer belonging to a credit issuing institution distinct from the first and second retailers; a first communications link linking the first point-of-sale computer and the credit authorization computer; a second communications link linking the second point-of-sale computer and the credit authorization computer; a data storage connected to the credit authorization computer; a database resident in the data storage and comprising a plurality of data structures; wherein at least one of the data structures stores line item information pertaining to a plurality of transactions executed by the first and second point-of-sale computers and reported to the credit authorization computer; and at least a second one of the data structures stores information indicative of the payment vehicles used to pay for the plurality of transactions; the payment vehicle information for each transaction of the plurality of transactions being linked to the line item information for the transaction. - View Dependent Claims (10)
-
Specification