Methods systems and computer program products for notifying consumers of recurring purchases

• US 8,538,824 B1
• Filed: 07/29/2010
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Graves, Michael J., McKay, Phillip J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zukanovich, Brandy A
• Application Number:
  US12/846,701
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.1, 705/27.1
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule

Abstract

Systems, methods and computer program products for identifying recurring purchases of the same good or service based upon item-level electronic transaction data. Item-level electronic transaction data is analyzed to determine a purchase interval of a good or service. A consumer is reminded to purchase the good or service based on the determined purchase interval by receiving an electronic message at a consumer computer or mobile communication device, e.g., in the form of an electronic shopping list. Purchase intervals of different items may be determined such that a list generated at one time may include certain goods and services but a list generated at another time may include other goods and services due to the variable time between purchasing different goods and services.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for notifying a consumer about recurring purchases of the same item, the computer-implemented method being performed by an intermediate computer in communication with a computing device of a consumer and respective computers of respective electronic sources through respective networks, the computer-implemented method comprising:

aggregating, by the intermediate computer, respective item-level electronic transaction data from respective electronic sources, the aggregated item-level electronic transaction data representing respective prior purchases by the consumer;

identifying, by the intermediate computer and within the aggregated item-level electronic transaction data, first item-level electronic transaction data of recurring purchases of a first item by the consumer;

determining, by the intermediate computer, a first purchase interval of the first item based at least in part upon the first item-level electronic transaction data;

generating, by the intermediate computer, a first estimate comprising a first estimated date when the consumer will purchase the first item again based at least in part upon the determined first purchase interval; and

notifying the consumer about purchasing the first item again before or on the first estimated date.

2. The method of claim 1, the aggregated item-level electronic transaction data being received from a financial management system hosted by the intermediate computer and utilized by the consumer to access consumer account data, the item-level electronic transaction data being aggregated by the financial management system from respective electronic sources.

3. The method of claim 2, the item-level electronic transaction data being received by the financial management system from an electronic source comprising a computer of a financial institution at which the consumer has an account.

4. The method of claim 3, the respective item-level electronic transaction data being received by the financial management system from electronic sources comprising respective computers of respective financial institutions at which consumer has respective accounts.

5. The method of claim 2, the item-level electronic transaction data being received by the financial management system from an electronic source comprising an electronic payment device of a merchant.

6. The method of claim 5, the respective item-level electronic transaction data being received from electronic sources comprising respective electronic payment devices of respective merchants.

7. The method of claim 2, the aggregated item-level electronic transaction data comprising:

first item-level electronic transaction data of a first electronic source comprising an electronic payment device of a merchant, and

second item-level electronic of a second electronic source comprising a computer of a financial institution at which the consumer has an account.

8. The method of claim 1, the aggregated item-level electronic transaction data comprising Level III data.

9. The method of claim 1, the first item-level electronic transaction data specifically identifying the first item by an identifier selected from the group consisting of a name, a description, a code and a symbol.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the intermediate computer, whether the first item was purchased a minimum number of times within a pre-determined amount of time based at least in part upon the first item-level electronic transaction data to establish a purchase pattern for the first item, the first estimate being generated when the first item was purchased a minimum number of times within the pre-determined amount of time.

11. The method of claim 1, notifying the consumer comprising transmitting an electronic message to a mobile communication device or a computer of the consumer.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring, by the intermediate computer, subsequent purchases of the first item;

determining, by the intermediate computer, a second purchase interval reflecting a different number of purchases of the first item within a pre-determined amount of time relative to the first purchase interval;

generating, by the intermediate computer, a second estimate comprising a second estimated date when the consumer will purchase the first item again based, at least in part, upon the determined second purchase interval; and

notifying the consumer about purchasing the first item again before or on the second estimated date.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, by the intermediate computer and within the aggregated item-level electronic transaction data, second item-level electronic transaction data of recurring purchases of a second item by the consumer, the second item being different than the first item;

determining, by the intermediate computer, a second purchase interval of the second item based at least in part upon the second item-level electronic transaction data;

generating, by the intermediate computer, a second estimate comprising a second estimated date when the consumer will purchase the second item again based at least in part upon the determined second purchase interval; and

notifying the consumer about purchasing the first item before or on the first estimated data and about purchasing the second item before or on the second estimated date.

14. The method of claim 1, the first purchase interval being determined based upon an average number of purchases of the first item during a pre-determined amount of time.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the intermediate computer

receiving an expiration date of the first item from a computer of a manufacturer or supplier;

determining a date the first item was purchased based at least in part upon the first item-level electronic transaction data;

determining whether the first item was repurchased before the expiration date; and

notifying the consumer when the intermediate computer determines that the first item was not repurchased before the determined expiration date.

16. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium embodying one or more instructions executable by an intermediate computer in communication with a computing device of a consumer through a first network and respective computers of respective electronic sources through respective other networks, to perform a process for notifying a consumer about recurring purchases of the same item, the process comprising aggregating respective item-level electronic transaction data from respective electronic sources, the aggregated item-level electronic transaction data representing respective prior purchases by the consumer, identifying, within the aggregated item-level electronic transaction data, first item-level electronic transaction data of recurring purchases of a first item by the consumer, determining a first purchase interval of the first item based at least in part upon the first item-level electronic transaction data, generating a first estimate comprising a first estimated date when the consumer will purchase the first item again based at least in part upon the determined first purchase interval, and notifying the consumer about purchasing the first item again before or on the first estimated date.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, the aggregated item-level electronic transaction data being received from a financial management system hosted by the intermediate computer and utilized by the consumer to access consumer account data, the financial management system aggregating item-level electronic transaction data from respective electronic sources.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, the financial management system receiving item-level electronic transaction data from a computer of a financial institution at which the consumer has an account.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, the financial management system receiving respective item-level electronic transaction data from respective computers of respective financial institutions at which consumer has respective accounts.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, the financial management system receiving item-level electronic transaction data from an electronic payment device of a merchant.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, the financial management system receiving respective item-level electronic transaction data from respective electronic payment devices of respective merchants.

22. The computer program product of claim 17, the aggregated item-level electronic transaction data comprising

first item-level electronic transaction data of an electronic payment device of a merchant, and

second item-level electronic transaction data of a computer of a financial institution at which the consumer has an account.

23. The computer program product of claim 16, the aggregated item-level electronic transaction data comprising Level III data.

24. The computer program product of claim 16, the first item-level electronic transaction data specifically identifying the first item by an identifier selected from the group consisting of a name, a description, a code and a symbol.

25. The computer program product of claim 16 comprising one or more additional instructions executable by the intermediate computer to determine whether the first item was purchased a minimum number of times within a pre-determined amount of time based at least in part upon the first item-level electronic transaction data to establish a purchase pattern for the first item, the first estimate being generated when the first item was purchased a minimum number of times within the pre-determined amount of time.

26. The computer program product of claim 16, the consumer being notified by sending an electronic message from the intermediate computer to a mobile communication device or a computer a computing mobile communication device.

27. The computer program product of claim 16 comprising one or more additional instructions executable by the intermediate computer to perform further process steps comprising:

monitoring subsequent purchases of the first item;

determining a second purchase interval reflecting a different number of purchases of the first item within a pre-determined amount of time relative to the first purchase interval;

generating a second estimate comprising a second estimated date when the consumer will purchase the first item again based at least in part upon the determined second purchase interval; and

notifying the consumer about purchasing the first item again before or on the second estimated date.

28. The computer program product of claim 16 comprising one or more additional instructions executable by the intermediate computer to perform further process steps comprising

identifying second item-level electronic transaction data of recurring purchases of a second item by the consumer, the second item being different than the first item;

determining a second purchase interval of the second item;

generating a second estimate comprising a second estimated date when the consumer will purchase the second item again based at least in part upon the determined second purchase interval; and

notifying the consumer about purchasing the first item before or on the first estimated data and about purchasing the second item before or on the second estimated date.

29. The computer program product of claim 16, the first purchase interval being determined based upon an average number of purchases of the first item during a pre-determined amount of time.

30. The computer program product of claim 16 further comprising one or more instructions executable by the intermediate computer for

receiving an expiration date of the first item from a computer of a manufacturer or supplier;

determining a date the first item was purchased based at least in part upon the first item-level electronic transaction data;

determining whether the first item was repurchased before the expiration date; and

notifying the consumer when the intermediate computer determines that the first item was not repurchased before the determined expiration date.

31. A system for notifying a consumer about recurring purchases of the same item, the system comprising:

an intermediate computer in communication with a computing device of a consumer through a first network and respective computers of respective electronic sources through respective other networks,

the intermediate computer being configured to aggregate respective item-level electronic transaction data representing respective prior purchases by the consumer from respective computers of respective electronic sources, identify, within the aggregated item-level electronic transaction data, first item-level electronic transaction data of recurring purchases of a first item by the consumer, determine a first purchase interval of the first item based at least in part upon the first item-level electronic transaction data, generate a first estimate comprising a first estimated date when the consumer will purchase the first item again based at least in part upon the determined first purchase interval, and notify the consumer about purchasing the first item again before or on the first estimated date.

32. The system of claim 31, the intermediate computer hosting a financial management system utilized by the consumer to access consumer account data, the financial management system being configured to aggregate item-level electronic transaction data from respective electronic sources.

33. The system of claim 32, the financial management system being configured to receive item-level electronic transaction data from a computer of a financial institution at which the consumer has an account.

34. The system of claim 33, the financial management system being configured to receive respective item-level electronic transaction data from respective computers of respective financial institutions at which consumer has respective accounts.

35. The system of claim 32, the financial management system being configured to receive item-level electronic transaction data of an electronic payment device of a merchant.

36. The system of claim 35, the financial management system being configured to receive respective item-level electronic transaction data of respective electronic payment devices of respective merchants.

37. The system of claim 32, the aggregated item-level electronic transaction data comprising

first item-level electronic transaction data of an electronic payment device of a merchant, and

second item-level electronic transaction data of a financial institution at which the consumer has an account.

38. The system of claim 31, the aggregated item-level electronic transaction data comprising Level III data.

39. The system of claim 31, the first item-level electronic transaction data specifically identifying the first item by an identifier selected from the group consisting of a name, a description, a code and a symbol.

40. The system of claim 31, the intermediate computer being further configured to determine whether the first item was purchased a minimum number of times within a pre-determined amount of time based at least in part upon the first item-level electronic transaction data to establish a purchase pattern for the first item and to generate the first estimate when the first item was purchased a minimum number of times within the pre-determined amount of time.

41. The system of claim 31, the intermediate computer being configured to notify the consumer by transmitting an electronic message to a mobile communication device or a computer of the consumer.

42. The system of claim 31, the intermediate computer being further configured to

monitor subsequent purchases of the first item;

determine a second purchase interval reflecting a different number of purchases of the first item within a pre-determined amount of time relative to the first purchase interval;

generate a second estimate comprising a second estimated date when the consumer will purchase the first item again based at least in part upon the determined second purchase interval; and

notify the consumer about purchasing the first item again before or on the second estimated date.

43. The system of claim 31, the intermediate computer being further configured to

identify, within aggregated item-level electronic transaction data, second item-level electronic transaction data of recurring purchases of a second item by the consumer, the second item being different than the first item;

determine a second purchase interval of the second item based at least in part upon the second item-level electronic transaction data;

generate a second estimate comprising a second estimated date when the consumer will purchase the second item again based at least in part upon the determined second purchase interval; and

notify the consumer about purchasing the first item before or on the first estimated date and about purchasing the second item before or on the second estimated date.

44. The system of claim 31, the intermediate computer being configured to determine the first purchase interval being based upon an average number of purchases of the first item during a pre-determined amount of time.

45. The system of claim 31, further comprising the sources of item-level electronic transaction data.

46. The system of claim 31, the intermediate computer being further configured to

receive electronic expiration data from a source of an item purchased by the customer and for which the intermediate computer has received item-level electronic transaction data;

determine a date the item was purchased based at least in part upon the received item-level electronic transaction data;

determine an expiration date based at least in part upon the received electronic expiration data and the date the item was purchased;

determine whether the item has been repurchased before the determined expiration date; and

notify the consumer when the intermediate computer determines that the item has not been repurchased before the determined expiration date.