Merchant scoring system and transactional database

• US 8,725,597 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2008
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Mauseth, Michael Jon, Malik, Rajeev Kumar, Springer, Joel Richard, Jones, Woodrow Arnold Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Danneman, Paul
• Application Number:
  US12/109,772
• Publication Number:
  US 20080270209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,209 Days
• Field of Search: 705/10
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls

Abstract

A merchant scoring system predicts and reports the likelihood that a merchant is reliable (e.g., trustworthy, honest, and reputable), which is expected to translate into a positive consumer experience. The system collects data from a variety of data sources, including combinations of the merchant, third-parties, and/or customers who have transacted with the merchant. A scoring model is executed on this collected data to determine an independent and objective merchant reliability metric that predicts the expected reliability of a merchant within a range. The system may also track transactions of individual merchants, populating a transaction history database with information about each merchant for use in this collection and scoring process. The transaction history data and other data may also be accessible to a prospective customer to build his or her confidence in and understanding of the merchant reliability metric and his or her trust of the merchant.

Claims

1. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable program instructions embodied thereon that when executed by a computer cause the computer to predict reliability of merchants, the computer-readable program instructions comprising;

computer-readable program instructions to define an inspection template listing a first merchant reliability characteristic and a second merchant reliability characteristic;

computer-readable program instructions to collect data parameter values about the merchant based on the characteristics listed in the inspection template, the data parameter values comprising a binary parameter value representing the first merchant reliability characteristic and a variable parameter value representing the second merchant reliability characteristic;

computer-readable program instructions to map each of the determined parameter values to a corresponding a point value;

computer-readable program instructions to combine the point values into at a first sub-score value pertaining to a merchant-provided reliability characteristic and a second sub-score value pertaining to a non-merchant-provided reliability characteristic;

computer-readable program instructions to compute a merchant reliability metric, the merchant reliability metric predicting reliability of the merchant by applying each of the sub-score values as a contribution to the merchant reliability metric; and

computer-readable program instructions to present the merchant reliability metric to the potential customer of the merchant.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computing the merchant reliability metric comprises computer-readable program instructions to apply each of the sub-score values as a weighted contribution to the merchant reliability metric.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising:

computer-readable program instructions to apply a weighting to a collected data parameter value based on a level of importance placed on a merchant reliability characteristic identified by the potential customer, the collected parameter value corresponding to the merchant reliability characteristic identified by the potential customer; and

computer-readable program instructions to adjust the merchant reliability metric according to the applied weighting, prior to presenting the merchant reliability metric to the potential customer.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein a data parameter value mapped to the second sub-score for the non-merchant-provided reliability characteristic is provided by a prior customer of the merchant about a prior transaction with the merchant.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein a data parameter value mapped to the second sub-score for the non-merchant-provided characteristic is provided by a verification inspector that verifies a data parameter value of at least one merchant-provided characteristic using a data parameter value of at least one non-merchant-provided characteristic.

6. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein a data parameter value mapped to the second sub-score for the non-merchant-provided characteristic is provided by a third party that is not party to a transaction with the merchant.

7. A method of predicting reliability of a merchant, the method comprising:

defining, by one or more computing devices, an inspection template listing a first merchant reliability characteristic and a second merchant reliability characteristic;

collecting, by the one or more computing devices, data parameter values about the merchant based on the characteristics listed in the inspection template, including a binary parameter value representing the first merchant reliability characteristic of the merchant and a variable parameter value representing the second merchant reliability characteristic of the merchant;

mapping, by the one or more computing devices, each of the determined parameter values to a corresponding a point value;

combining, by the one or more computing devices, the point values into at a first sub-score value pertaining to a merchant-provided reliability characteristic and a second sub-score value pertaining to a non-merchant-provided reliability characteristic;

computing, by the one or more computing devices, a merchant reliability metric predicting reliability of the merchant by applying each of the sub-score values as a contribution to the merchant reliability metric; and

presenting by the one or more computing devices, the merchant reliability metric to a potential customer of the merchant.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the computing the merchant reliability metric comprises applying each of the sub-score values as a weighted contribution to the merchant reliability metric.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

applying a weighting to a collected data parameter value based on a level of importance placed on a merchant reliability characteristic identified by the potential customer, the collected parameter value corresponding to the merchant reliability characteristic identified by the potential customer; and

adjusting the merchant reliability metric according to the applied weighting, prior to presenting the merchant reliability metric to the potential customer.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein a data parameter value mapped to the second sub-score for the non-merchant-provided reliability characteristic is provided by a prior customer of the merchant about a prior transaction with the merchant.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein a data parameter value mapped to the second sub-score for the non-merchant-provided characteristic is provided by a verification inspector that verifies a data parameter value of at least one merchant-provided characteristic using a data parameter value of at least one non-merchant-provided characteristic.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein a data parameter value mapped to the second sub-score for the non-merchant-provided characteristic is provided by a third party that is not party to a transaction with the merchant.

13. A system for predicting reliability of merchants, comprising:

a storage medium; and

a processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions stored in the storage medium to cause the system to;

define an inspection template listing a first merchant reliability characteristic and a second merchant reliability characteristic;

collect data parameter values about the merchant based on the characteristics listed in the inspection template, the data parameter values comprising a binary parameter value representing the first merchant reliability characteristic and a variable parameter value representing the second merchant reliability characteristic;

map each of the determined parameter values to a corresponding a point value;

combine the point values into at a first sub-score value pertaining to a merchant-provided reliability characteristic and a second sub-score value pertaining to a non-merchant-provided reliability characteristic;

compute a merchant reliability metric, the merchant reliability metric predicting reliability of the merchant by applying each of the sub-score values as a contribution to the merchant reliability metric; and

present the merchant reliability metric to the potential customer of the merchant.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the computing the merchant reliability metric comprises applying each of the sub-score values as a weighted contribution to the merchant reliability metric.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to execute computer-executable instructions stored in the storage medium to cause the system to:

to apply a weighting to a collected data parameter value based on a level of importance placed on a merchant reliability characteristic identified by the potential customer, the collected parameter value corresponding to the merchant reliability characteristic identified by the potential customer; and

adjust the merchant reliability metric according to the applied weighting, prior to presenting the merchant reliability metric to the potential customer.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein a data parameter value mapped to the second sub-score for the non-merchant-provided reliability characteristic is provided by a prior customer of the merchant about a prior transaction with the merchant.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein a data parameter value mapped to the second sub-score for the non-merchant-provided characteristic is provided by a verification inspector that verifies a data parameter value of at least one merchant-provided characteristic using a data parameter value of at least one non-merchant-provided characteristic.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein a data parameter value mapped to the second sub-score for the non-merchant-provided characteristic is provided by a third party that is not party to a transaction with the merchant.