Systems and methods for data collection and providing coupons at a point of return
First Claim
1. A method of processing a merchandise return comprising:
- receiving a request to authorize a merchandise return made by a consumer at a merchant'"'"'s point of return;
determining with one or more computer processors whether to authorize a credit for a current merchandise return made by the consumer at the merchant'"'"'s point of return based at least in part on whether the consumer has made prior merchandise returns;
determining with one or more computer processors the acceptability of future merchandise returns by the consumer based at least in part on information about the return history of the prior merchandise returns made by the consumer; and
determining whether to offer a coupon to the consumer at the merchant'"'"'s point of return based at least in part on the authorization of the current merchandise return, wherein the coupon incentivizes the consumer to make a purchase with at least a portion of the credit.
10 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods are described for collecting data at a merchant'"'"'s point of return for use in processing a merchandise return transaction that is being requested by a customer. In various embodiments, the data may be collected using a wide variety of data collection technologies and may be used in conjunction with stored data, including data collected from other merchants, by a return authorization system to make a determination whether to accept or deny the requested merchandise return. The data may additionally or alternatively be used to determine whether to issue a warning to the customer about limitations on future return transactions presented by the customer. Examples of data categories that may be collected include, but are not limited to, information about: the merchant, the customer, the requested transaction, the merchandise being returned, one or more receipts, a clerk processing the transaction, and other general applicable information.
67 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of processing a merchandise return comprising:
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receiving a request to authorize a merchandise return made by a consumer at a merchant'"'"'s point of return; determining with one or more computer processors whether to authorize a credit for a current merchandise return made by the consumer at the merchant'"'"'s point of return based at least in part on whether the consumer has made prior merchandise returns; determining with one or more computer processors the acceptability of future merchandise returns by the consumer based at least in part on information about the return history of the prior merchandise returns made by the consumer; and determining whether to offer a coupon to the consumer at the merchant'"'"'s point of return based at least in part on the authorization of the current merchandise return, wherein the coupon incentivizes the consumer to make a purchase with at least a portion of the credit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus for processing a merchandise return comprising:
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a merchandise return device executing in at least one computer processor, the merchandise return device configured to receive information about a request to authorize a current merchandise return made by a consumer at a merchant'"'"'s point of return for a credit, wherein the merchandise return device is further configured to determine whether to authorize a credit for a current merchandise return made by the consumer at the merchant'"'"'s point of return based at least in part on whether the consumer has made prior merchandise returns; wherein the merchandise return device is further configured to determine the acceptability of future merchandise returns by the consumer based at least in part on information about the return history of prior merchandise returns made by the consumer, and wherein the merchandise return device is further configured to determine whether to offer a coupon to the consumer at the merchant'"'"'s point of return based at least in part on the authorization of the current merchandise return, wherein the coupon incentivizes the consumer to make a purchase with at least a portion of the credit. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification