Merchant alerts incorporating receipt data

• US 7,992,781 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2010
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hammad, Ayman
• Primary Examiner(s): Paik; Steve
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, TUYEN KIM
• Application Number:
  US12/953,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20110145148A1
• Time in Patent Office: 259 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/379, 235/380, 235/382, 235/383, 705/1, 705/4, 705/10, 705/14, 705/17, 705/26, 705/27, 705/30, 705/34, 705 35- 45, 705/60, 283/51, 283/59, 283/60.1, 283/81
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/047 using payment protocols involving electronic receipts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0221 Re-usable coupons
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0237 at kiosk
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 : Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 : Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00

Abstract

One embodiment of the invention is directed to a method comprising receiving an authorization request message for a transaction conducted by a consumer with a merchant, sending the authorization request message to an issuer, receiving an authorization response message, modifying the authorization response message using a server computer to include receipt preference data, wherein the receipt preference data is derived from receipt preferences of the consumer or the merchant, and sending the authorization response message comprising the receipt preference data to the merchant, wherein the merchant generates a receipt for the consumer according to the receipt preference data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an authorization request message for a during a transaction conducted by a consumer with a merchant at a server computer;

sending, by the server computer, the authorization request message to an issuer during the transaction;

receiving an authorization response message from the issuer at the server computer during the transaction;

modifying the authorization response message using the server computer during the transaction to include the receipt preference data, wherein the receipt preference data is derived from receipt preferences of the consumer or the merchant; and

sending, by the server computer during the transaction, the authorization response message comprising the receipt preference data to the merchant, wherein the merchant generates a receipt for the consumer according to the receipt preference data;

wherein the customer was previously enrolled in a receipt program, which allows a consumer to provided receipt preferences, and wherein the receipt program allows the consumer to specify a type of receipt based on a transaction amount.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving receipt data from the merchant; and

sending at least a portion of the receipt data to the consumer.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the receipt data includes stock keeping units (SKUs), and wherein the receipt preference data is derived from receipt preferences of the consumer and the merchant.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein receipt data is received out of band.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the server computer resides at a payment processing network, which resides between the issuer and an acquirer associated with the merchant.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining whether the consumer is enrolled in a receipts program.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending an alert message to a consumer device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein receipt preference data includes delivery channel, receipt format, file type, and conditions for receipts.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving enrollment information for a consumer to enroll in an electronic receipts program.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving receipt output preferences from the merchant or a third party associated with the merchant.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving receipt data from a plurality of merchants at the server computer;

determining by the server computer, how to process the receipt data according to receipt preference data provided by users; and

providing receipts to the users according to the receipt preference data.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the receipt data is received via authorization request messages from the plurality of merchants.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the receipt data includes SKU data.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the receipt data is received in a batch mode.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending a participation request message wherein the participation request message comprises information associated with a consumer; and

receiving a participation response message that includes the consumer receipt preference data.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the participation request message further comprises information associated with a merchant and wherein the participation response message further includes the merchant receipt preferences.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code adapted to be executed by a processor to implement a method comprising:

receiving an authorization request message during a transaction conducted by a consumer with a merchant at a server computer;

sending, by the server computer, the authorization request message to an issuer during the transaction;

receiving an authorization response message from the issuer at the server computer during the transaction;

modifying the authorization response message using the server computer during the transaction to include the receipt preference data, wherein the receipt preference data is derived from receipt preferences of the consumer or the merchant; and

sending, by the server computer during the transaction, the authorization response message comprising the receipt preference data to the merchant, wherein the merchant generates a receipt for the consumer according to the receipt preference data;

wherein the consumer was previously enrolled in a receipt program, which allows a customer to provide receipt preferences, and wherein the receipt program allows the consumer to specify a type of receipt based on a transaction amount.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein the method further comprises:

receiving receipt data from the merchant; and

sending at least a portion of the receipt data to the consumer.

19. A server computer comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium coupled to the processor, the non-transitory computer readable medium comprising code executable by the processor to execute a method comprising receiving an authorization request message during a transaction conducted by a consumer with a merchant at the server computer, sending, by the server computer, the authorization request message to an issuer during the transaction, receiving an authorization response message from the issuer at the server computer during the transaction, modifying the authorization response message using the server computer during the transaction to include the receipt preference data, wherein the receipt preference data is derived from receipt preferences of the consumer or the merchant, and sending, by the server computer during the transaction, the authorization response message comprising the receipt preference data to the merchant, wherein the merchant generates a receipt for the consumer according to the receipt preference data;

wherein the consumer was previously enrolled in a receipt program, which allows a customer to provide receipt preferences, and wherein the receipt program allows the consumer to specify a type of receipt based on a transaction amount.

20. The server computer of claim 19 wherein the method further comprises:

receiving receipt data from the merchant; and

sending at least a portion of the receipt data to the consumer.