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

• US 8,744,923 B1
• Filed: 09/16/2013
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Graves, Michael J., McKay, Philip J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zukanovich, Brandy A
• Application Number:
  US14/028,280
• Time in Patent Office: 260 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 consumers about recurring item purchases, the computer-implemented method being performed by an intermediate computer in communication with respective computing devices of respective consumers and respective computers of respective electronic sources through respective networks, the computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by the intermediate computer, item-level electronic transaction data of at least one electronic source, the item-level electronic transaction data representing respective prior purchases by a consumer;

identifying, by the intermediate computer and within the 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, a first estimated date when the first consumer will purchase the first item again based at least in part upon the determined first purchase interval, and a first category corresponding to the first item;

generating, by the intermediate computer, an electronic shopping list comprising the first category; and

transmitting, by the intermediate computer, the electronic shopping list to a computing device of the consumer, the electronic shopping list notifying the first consumer about purchasing an item of the first category before or on the first estimated date.

2. The method of claim 1, receiving item-level electronic transaction data of at least one electronic source 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, the first item-level electronic transaction data being identified within the aggregated item-level electronic transaction data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

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

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, a second estimated date when the first consumer will purchase the second item again based at least in part upon the determined second purchase interval, and a second category corresponding to the second item,

the electronic shopping list comprising the first category and the second category and notifying the first consumer about purchasing an item of the first category before or on the first estimated date and an item of the second category before or on the second estimated date.

4. The method of claim 3, the electronic shopping list comprising the first item, the first category corresponding to the first item and the second category corresponding to the second item.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

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

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, a second estimated date when the first consumer will purchase the second item again based at least in part upon the determined second purchase interval, and a second category corresponding to the second item;

generating, by the intermediate computer, a second electronic shopping list comprising the second category; and

transmitting, by the intermediate computer, the second electronic shopping list to the computing device of the consumer, the second electronic shopping list notifying the first consumer about purchasing an item of the second category before or on the second estimated date.

6. The method of claim 1, the 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 received by the financial management system from the at least one electronic source.

7. The method of claim 6, 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.

8. The method of claim 7, 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.

9. The method of claim 6, 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.

10. The method of claim 9, the respective item-level electronic transaction data being received from electronic sources comprising respective electronic payment devices of respective merchants.

11. The method of claim 1, the 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.

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

13. 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.

14. 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 electronic shopping list comprising the first category being generated when the first item was purchased a minimum number of times within the pre-determined amount of time.

15. The method of claim 1, the electronic shopping list being transmitted within an electronic message to a mobile communication device or a computer of the consumer.

16. The method of claim 15, the electronic message comprising a Short Message Service (SMS) message.

17. The method of claim 15, the electronic message comprising an electronic mail message.

18. 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; and

generating, by the intermediate computer, a second estimate comprising a second date when the consumer will purchase the first item again based, at least in part, upon the determined second purchase interval, wherein the electronic shopping list comprises the first category and notifies the first consumer about purchasing an item of the first category before or on the second estimated date.

19. 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.

20. The method of claim 1, the category being determined by 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 received by the financial management system from the at least one electronic source.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the intermediate computer, item-level electronic receipt data provided by the consumer, identifying item-level electronic data of recurring purchases of the first item being based at least in part upon the item-level electronic receipt data provided by the consumer.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the intermediate computer, whether the consumer has returned the first item, wherein the purchase interval determined based at least in part upon any first items purchased and returned by the consumer.

23. The method of claim 1, the electronic shopping list comprising the first item and the first category corresponding to the first item.

24. 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 consumers about recurring item purchases, the process comprising:

receiving item-level electronic transaction data of at least one electronic source, the item-level electronic transaction data representing respective prior purchases by a consumer;

identifying, by the intermediate computer and within the 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, a first estimated date when the first consumer will purchase the first item again based at least in part upon the determined first purchase interval, and a first category corresponding to the first item;

generating, by the intermediate computer, an electronic shopping list comprising the first category; and

transmitting, by the intermediate computer, the electronic shopping list to a computing device of the consumer, the electronic shopping list notifying the first consumer about purchasing an item of the first category before or on the first estimated date.

25. 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 receive item-level electronic transaction data of at least one electronic source, the item-level electronic transaction data representing respective prior purchases by a consumer;

identify within the 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, a first estimated date when the first consumer will purchase the first item again based at least in part upon the determined first purchase interval, and a first category corresponding to the first item;

generate an electronic shopping list comprising the first category; and

transmit the electronic shopping list to a computing device of the consumer, the electronic shopping list notifying the first consumer about purchasing an item of the first category before or on the first estimated date.

26. The system of claim 25, the item-level electronic transaction data comprising data of 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.

27. The system of claim 26, 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.

28. The system of claim 26, the financial management system being configured to receive respective data of respective computers of respective financial institutions at which consumer has respective accounts.

29. The system of claim 26, the financial management system being configured to receive item-level electronic transaction data of an electronic payment device of a merchant.

30. The system of claim 29, the financial management system being configured to receive respective item-level electronic transaction data of respective electronic payment devices of respective merchants.

31. The system of claim 25, the item-level electronic transaction data comprising:

first data received from an electronic payment device of a merchant; and

second data received from a computer of a financial institution at which the consumer has an account.

32. The system of claim 25, further comprising the at least one electronic source.