Method and apparatus for selecting a supplemental product to offer for sale during a transaction

• US 7,542,919 B1
• Filed: 06/26/2000
• Issued: 06/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Wahlquist, Shane J., Van Luchene, Andrew S., Mueller, Raymond J., Marrazzo, George M., Douglas, David H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US09/603,677
• Time in Patent Office: 3,263 Days
• Field of Search: 705/16, 705/17, 705/22, 705/26, 705/27, 705/21, 705/23, 705/24, 705/15, 463/17, 463/18, 463/25, 463/42
• 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 20/387 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 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0042 for hiring of objects
• 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 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 method and apparatus a user or other customer, controller, point-of-sale terminal, etc. to conduct a transaction for the purchase of one or more products and/or services, during which a supplemental product or service to offer a user during a transaction, either in addition to the products and/or services the user is purchasing or as a replacement to one or more of the products and/or services that the user is purchasing. The method may be implemented in retail embodiment where a user is purchasing products and/or services at a cash register or other point-of-sale terminal. The method may also be implemented in a online embodiment where a user is purchasing products and/or services using a computer, terminal, telephone or other client or user device and accessing a World Wide Web site, online catalog, interactive voice response unit or system, etc.

Claims

1. A method for conducting a transaction, comprising:

receiving information for a transaction;

determining, via a processor, a pool of at least one possible supplemental product;

scoring at least one supplemental product in said pool based at least on profit that the at least one possible supplemental product would produce when sold;

determining an offer amount for said supplemental product,

wherein said offer amount is based, at least in part, on an amount of change due;

selecting at least one supplemental product from said pool for said transaction;

providing an indication of said at least one supplemental product selected from said pool; and

providing an indication of the offer amount.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting at least one supplemental product for said transaction includes

selecting a plurality of possible supplemental products.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

scoring each supplemental product in said plurality of supplemental products.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said scoring uses at least one of the following:

scoring based on preparation time of one or more products;

scoring based on inventory level of one or more products;

scoring based on popularity of one or more products for a specific user;

scoring based on popularity of one or more products for a group of one or more users;

scoring based on discount; and

composite scoring.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said selecting comprises choosing at least one supplemental product that has a score that at least equals a predetermined threshold.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said selecting comprises choosing at least one of the following:

an additional supplemental product;

a replacement supplemental product; and

an upgrade supplemental product.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of the following:

providing said at least one supplemental product; and

arranging for said at least one supplemental product to be provided.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the following:

establishing at least one predetermined scoring threshold.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of the following:

establishing at least one filter; and

applying at least one filter.

10. A method for conducting a transaction, comprising:

receiving information associated with a sale of a product;

identifying, via a processor, a supplemental product based at least in part on profitability of said product;

determining an offer amount for said supplemental product,

wherein said offer amount is based, at least in part, on at least one of an amount of change due or a round-up amount;

providing an indication of an offer to sell said supplemental product at said offer amount; and

receiving an indication of an acceptance to purchase said supplemental product at said offer amount.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said identifying includes determining at least one product category involved in the transaction.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said identifying includes creating at least one product group involved in the transaction.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said identifying includes determining at least one complimentary product category.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said identifying includes determining a pool of at least one possible supplemental product.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

scoring at least one possible supplemental product.

16. A method for conducting a transaction, comprising:

receiving information associated with a sale of a product, said information including a tender amount and a transaction total;

determining an offer amount for said supplemental product,

wherein said offer amount is based, at least in part, on an amount of change due;

identifying, via a processor, a supplemental product based at least in part on profitability of said product;

providing an indication of an offer to sell said supplemental product at the offer amount; and

receiving an indication of an acceptance to purchase said supplemental product at said offer amount.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said offer amount comprises a difference between said tender amount and said transaction total.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said identifying includes:

scoring at least one possible supplemental product.

19. A method for conducting a transaction, comprising:

processing a sale of a product;

receiving a tender amount for said product;

determining an offer amount for said supplement product,

wherein said offer amount is based, at least in part, on an amount of change due;

selecting, via a processor, a supplemental product from a plurality of products based at least in part on profitability of said supplemental product and said tender amount; and

providing an indication of an offer to sell said supplemental product at the offer amount.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said offer amount is based on at least one of the following:

an amount of change due a user during the transaction;

a round-up amount;

a difference between said tender amount and a transaction total;

a cost for said at least one supplemental product; and

a fixed amount.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said selecting includes associating a score with said supplemental product.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

establishing a pool of at least one possible supplemental product.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

scoring at least one possible supplemental product.

24. A system for conducting a transaction, comprising:

a memory;

a communication port; and

a processor connected to said memory and said communication port, said processor being operative to;

receive information for a transaction;

determine a pool of at least one possible supplemental product;

score at least one supplemental product in said pool based at least on profit the at least one possible supplemental product would produce when sold;

determine an offer amount for said supplemental product,

wherein said offer amount is based, at least in part, on an amount of change due;

select at least one supplemental product from said pool for said transaction;

provide an indication of said at least one supplemental product selected from said pool; and

providing an indication of the offer amount.

25. A system for conducting a transaction, comprising:

a memory;

a communication port; and

a processor connected to said memory and said communication port, said processor being operative to;

process a sale of a product;

receive a tender amount for said product;

determine an offer amount for said supplemental product,

wherein said offer amount is based, at least in part, on an amount of change due;

select a supplemental product from a plurality of products based at least in part on profitability of said supplemental product and said tender amount; and

provide an indication of an offer to sell said supplemental product at an offer amount.