Method and apparatus for controlling offers that are provided at a point-of-sale terminal

• US 6,223,163 B1
• Filed: 03/20/1998
• Issued: 04/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Van Luchene, Andrew S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tesfamariam, Mussie
• Application Number:
  US09/045,084
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: 705/16, 705/26, 705/14, 705/10, 705/23, 705/1, 705/44, 340/825.35, 902/22
• US Class Current: 705/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• 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 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 15/005 with dispensing of lottery tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/24 with change-giving
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10
• 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 5/00 : Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00

Abstract

A POS terminal or other computing device provides a plurality of offers to customers, and then measures a performance rate of each offer. For example, the acceptance rate or the profit rate of the offers may be measured. Based on the performance rates, a subset of offers is selected. In one embodiment, the highest performing offers are selected. In another embodiment, those offers having performance rates above a predetermined threshold are selected. The selected subset of offers is then provided, while the remaining, less desirable offers are discontinued.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for controlling offers that are provided at a point-of-sale terminal, comprising:

providing a plurality of upsells at a point-of-sale terminal;

measuring a performance rate of each upsell, thereby defining a plurality of performance rates;

selecting a subset of upsells based on at least one of the plurality of performance rates; and

providing the subset of upsells at a point-of-sale terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the step of providing a plurality of upsells is performed during a first time period;

and in which the step of providing the subset of upsells is performed during a second time period which is subsequent to the first time period.

3. The method of claim 1, in which the step of providing a plurality of upsells comprises:

providing an upsell of the plurality of upsells at each of a plurality of terminals.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring a performance rate of the subset; and

if the performance rate of the subset is less than a predetermined threshold,

providing the plurality of upsells after the step of providing the subset of upsells.

5. The method of claim 1, in which the step of selecting a subset of upsells comprises:

selecting upsells that have at least a predetermined performance rate.

6. The method of claim 1, in which the step of selecting a subset of upsells comprises:

selecting a predetermined number of highest-performing upsells.

7. An apparatus for controlling offers that are provided at a point-of-sale terminal, comprising:

a storage device; and

a processor connected to the storage device,

the storage device storing a program for controlling the processor; and

the processor operative with the program to;

provide a plurality of upsells at a point-of-sale terminal;

measure a performance rate of each upsell thereby defining a plurality of performance rates;

select a subset of upsells based on at least one of the plurality of performance rates; and

provide the subset of upsells at a point-of-sale terminal.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, in which the processor is further operative with the program to:

provide a plurality of upsells during a first time period; and

provide the subset of upsells during a second time period which is subsequent to the first time period.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, in which the processor is further operative with the program to provide an upsell of the plurality of upsells at each of a plurality of terminals.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, in which the processor is further operative with the program to:

measure a performance rate of the subset; and

if the performance rate of the subset is less than a predetermined threshold,

provide the plurality of upsells after a provision of the subset of upsells.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, in which the processor is further operative with the program to select upsells that have at least a predetermined performance rate.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, in which the processor is further operative with the program to select a predetermined number of highest-performing upsells.

13. A computer-implemented method for controlling offers that are provided at a point-of-sale terminal, comprising:

providing a first upsell at a point-of-sale terminal;

measuring a performance rate of the first upsell; and

if the performance rate of the first upsell is below a predetermined threshold,

providing a second upsell at a point-of-sale terminal.

14. An apparatus for controlling offers that are provided at a point-of-sale terminal, comprising:

a storage device; and

a processor connected to the storage device,

the storage device storing a program for controlling the processor; and

the processor operative with the program to;

provide a first upsell at a point-of-sale terminal;

measure a performance rate of the first upsell; and

if the performance rate of the first upsell is below a predetermined threshold,

provide a second upsell at a point-of-sale terminal.

15. A computer-implemented method for controlling offers that are provided at a point-of-sale terminal, comprising:

providing a first upsell at a first point-of-sale terminal;

providing a second upsell at a second point-of-sale terminal;

measuring a performance rate of the first upsell;

measuring a performance rate of the second upsell; and

if the performance rate of the second upsell is less than the performance rate of the first upsell,

providing the first upsell at the second point-of-sale terminal.

16. An apparatus for controlling offers that are provided at a point-of-sale terminal, comprising:

a storage device; and

a processor connected to the storage device,

the storage device storing a program for controlling the processor; and

the processor operative with the program to;

provide a first upsell at a first point-of-sale terminal;

provide a second upsell at a second point-of-sale terminal;

measure a performance rate of the first upsell;

measure a performance rate of the second upsell; and

if the performance rate of the second upsell is less than the performance rate of the first upsell,

provide the first upsell at the second point-of-sale terminal.

17. A computer implemented method for controlling offers that are provided at a point-of-sale terminal, comprising:

for each of a plurality of purchases,

determining an upsell in dependence on the purchase,

determining an upsell price, each upsell price being based on a purchase, and

offering to exchange the upsell price for the upsell;

measuring a performance rate of each upsell, thereby defining a plurality of performance rates;

selecting a subset of upsells based on at least one of the plurality of performance rates; and

providing the subset of upsells at a point-of-sale terminal.

18. An apparatus for controlling offers that are provided at a point-of-sale terminal, comprising:

a storage device; and

a processor connected to the storage device,

the storage device storing a program for controlling the processor; and

the processor operative with the program to, for each of a plurality of purchases;

determine an upsell in dependence on the purchase,

determine an upsell price, each upsell price being based on a purchase, and

offer to exchange the upsell price for the upsell;

measure a performance rate of each upsell, thereby defining a plurality of performance rates;

select a subset of upsells based on at least one of the plurality of performance rates; and

provide the subset of upsells at a point-of-sale terminal.