Electronic receipting

• US 7,487,912 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2005
• Issued: 02/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated), Western Union
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated), Western Union
• Inventors: Seifert, Dean, Keane, Tim
• Primary Examiner(s): Hess; Daniel A
• Application Number:
  US11/238,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20070069013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 705/16, 705/24, 705/26, 705/27, 705/39
• US Class Current: 235/380
• 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 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/12 electronically operated digital data processing aspects G06Q20/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/14 Systems including one or more distant stations co-operating with a central processing unit data transmission in general H04L; telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00

Abstract

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for receipting transactions transacted at a POS device. More specifically, but not by of limitation, embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems for electronically receipting POS transactions and, in some embodiments, of providing the electronic receipts to a destination selected by a party to the POS transaction.

Claims

1. An electronic receipting system, comprising:

means for receiving data from a point-of-sale device, wherein;

the data includes information associated with a transaction, and

the transaction comprises a dealing between a selling party and a customer for a good and/or a service;

means for receiving a request for an electronic receipt for the transaction, wherein the means for receiving the request comprises a display screen for displaying selectable prompts for electronic receipting options, wherein the electronic receipting options include at least two of;

a display on the display screen, to an email address, to a mobile device, to a smart card and to a portable device, wherein;

the request includes a destination for the electronic receipt, and

the destination is associated with the customer;

means for generating the electronic receipt, wherein;

the electronic receipt includes payment information associated with the transaction; and

the means for generating the electronic receipt provides for configuration of the electronic receipt for transmission to the destination;

means for transmitting the electronic receipt to the destination; and

means for storing a set of customer-specified rules that govern the generation of electronic receipts, wherein the means for generating the electronic receipt complies with the rules, and wherein under application of the rules different types of receipts are automatically generated for different transactions, and electronic receipts from transactions involving a first kind of goods are sent to a first destination, and electronic receipts from transactions involving a second kind of goods are sent to a second destination.

2. The electronic receipting system as recited in claim 1, wherein the means for receiving the request is further configured to receive options for organizing the data and the type of data to be included in the electronic receipt.

3. The electronic receipting system as recited in claim 2, wherein the options for organizing the data are selected from a group consisting of a date and time of purchase, an order reference number or job number, an account code, a merchant name, a merchant address, a VAT, a tax ID number, a product code, a type of good, a description of goods, a VAT category, a unit price, a quantity, a value of the item, a type of currency, a subtotal, a VAT, and a gross amount.

4. The electronic receipting system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a communications means configured to communicate with a customer device, whereby the customer device is able to negotiate with the receipting system as to the organization and type of data for the receipt.

5. The electronic receipting system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

means for dispensing a hard copy receipt to the customer.

6. The electronic receipting system as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the destination includes an email address; and

the means for transmitting is configured to transmit the electronic receipt over a computer network to the email address.

7. The electronic receipting system as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the destination includes a wireless phone, and

the means for transmitting is configured to transmit the electronic receipt to the wireless phone number.

8. The electronic receipting system as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the destination includes a portable device; and

the means for transmitting is configured to transmit the electronic receipt to the portable device.

9. The electronic receipting system as recited in claim 8, wherein the portable device comprises one of a PDA, a wireless phone and a smart card.

10. The electronic receipting system as recited in claim 8, wherein the electronic receipt is transmitted to the portable device as one of an infrared transmission, Blue Tooth, wi-fi, mi-max, and a radio wave transmission.

11. The electronic receipting system as recited in claim 10, wherein the portable device comprises one of a PDA, a wireless phone and a smart card.

12. The electronic receipting system as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the request for the electronic receipt is received from a portable device associated with the customer; and

the means for transmitting is configured to transmit the electronic receipt to the portable device.

13. The electronic receipting system of claim 1, wherein under application of the rules, transactions for certain kinds of goods or services are electronically receipted and transactions for other kinds of goods or services are not electronically receipted.

14. The electronic receipting system of claim 1, wherein under application of the rules whether or not a transaction is electronically receipted depends on whether the amount of the transaction exceeds a predetermined monetary threshold.

15. The electronic receipting system of claim 1, wherein the means for storing the customer-specified set of rules comprises a host computer.

16. The electronic receipting system of claim 1, wherein the means for storing the customer-specified set of rules comprises a portable electronic device, and wherein the rules are communicated to the point-of-sale device during the transaction.

17. An electronic receipting system, comprising:

a computer system configured to receive data from a point-of-sale device and to generate an electronic receipt from the received data, wherein;

the data comprises information associated with a transaction between a selling party and a customer;

the transaction is transacted between the selling party and the customer at a location associated with the point-of-sale device; and

the data includes information concerning a payment made by the customer to the selling party for one of a good, a service and a combination of a good and a service;

a display screen in communication with the computer system for displaying selectable prompts for electronic receipting options, wherein the electronic receipting options include at least two of;

a display on the display screen, to an email address, to a mobile device, to a smart card and to a portable device;

an input device associated with the computer system and configured to receive a request for issuance of the electronic receipt, wherein the request includes a destination for the electronic receipt;

a communication device that is configured to communicate with the point of sale device and a customer device, the communication device being configured to receive from the customer device a request to revise the organization and type of data for the receipt and to provide the request to the point of sale device; and

a transmitting device associated with the computer system and configured to transmit the electronic receipt to the destination;

and wherein the generation of electronic receipts follows a set of rules previously specified by the customer, and wherein under the rules different types of transactions result in the automatic generation of different types of receipts.

18. The electronic receipting system of claim 17, wherein the input device is further configured to receive options for organizing the data and the type of data to be included in the electronic receipt.

19. The electronic receipting system of claim 18, wherein the options for organizing the data are selected from a group consisting of a date and time of purchase, an order reference number or job number, an account code, a merchant name, a merchant address, a VAT, a tax ID number, a product code, a type of good, a description of goods, a VAT category, a unit price, a quantity, a value of the item, a type of currency, a subtotal, a VAT, and a gross amount.

20. The electronic receipting system of claim 17, further comprising a communications device that is configured to communicate with a customer device, whereby the customer device is able to negotiate with the receipting system as to the organization and type of data for the receipt.

21. The electronic receipting system of claim 17, wherein the computer system further comprises a database with preferences for configuring the receipt, and wherein the input device comprises one of an Internet site and a mobile phone interface.

22. The electronic receipting system recited in claim 17, further comprising:

a printer in communication with the computer system and configured to print a hard copy of a receipt for the transaction.

23. The electronic receipting system as recited in claim 17, wherein the input device comprises one of a keyboard, a touch-screen, a card reader, a scanner, a wireless receiver, a mobile phone, and an infra-red receiver.

24. The electronic receipting system as recited in claim 17, wherein:

the request comprises an email address; and

the transmitting device is configured to send the electronic receipt over a computer network to the email address.

25. The electronic receipting system as recited in claim 17, wherein:

the request comprises a wireless phone, and

the transmitting device is configured to transmit the electronic receipt to the wireless phone.

26. The electronic receipting system as recited in claim 17, wherein the transmitting device comprises one of an infrared transmitter, a Blue Tooth transmitter, a wi-fi transmitter, a wi-max transmitter, and a radio wave transmitter.

27. A method for providing electronic receipting for a transaction transacted at a point-of-sale, the method comprising:

receiving information from a point-of-sale device, wherein;

the information describes a payment made by a customer to a seller at the point-of-sale; and

the point-of-sale device is located at the point-of-sale and is configured to record the payment;

displaying on a display screen of the point of sale device selectable prompts for electronic receipting options, wherein the electronic receipting options include at least two of;

a display on the display screen, to an email address, to a mobile device, to a smart card and to a portable device;

receiving a request from the customer to provide an electronic receipt for the transaction, wherein the request includes a destination for the electronic receipt that is selected from the receipting options displayed on the display screen;

using a computer to generate the electronic receipt from the information and to configure the electronic receipt for transmission to the destination;

receiving, from the customer before the transaction, a set of rules that govern the generation of electronic receipts, wherein under the rules different transactions are automatically receipted differently, and electronic receipts from transactions involving a first kind of goods are sent to a first destination, and electronic receipts from transactions involving a second kind of goods are sent to a second destination; and

transmitting the electronic receipt to the destination according to the rules.

28. The method as recited in claim 27, further comprising communicating with the point-of-sale device regarding a request to provide the data in the electronic receipt in a certain format or to provide a certain type of data.

29. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the communications with the point-of-sale device occurs with a wireless device.

30. The method as recited in claim 29, further comprising providing the wireless device with an acceptance or a denial of the request.

31. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the type of data is selected from a group consisting of a date and time of purchase, an order reference number or job number, an account code, a merchant name, a merchant address, a VAT, a tax ID number, a product code, a type of good, a description of goods, a VAT category, a unit price, a quantity, a value of the item, a type of currency, a subtotal, a VAT, and a gross amount.

32. The method for providing electronic receipting for the transaction transacted at the point-of-sale as recited in claim 27, the method further comprising printing a hard copy of the electronic receipt for the customer.

33. The method for providing electronic receipting for the transaction transacted at the point-of-sale as recited in claim 27, wherein the destination comprises an email address and the transmitting the electronic receipt comprises transmitting the electronic receipt over a computer network to the email address.

34. The method for providing electronic receipting for the transaction transacted at the point-of-sale as recited in claim 27, wherein the destination comprises a wireless phone and the transmitting the electronic receipt comprises transmitting the electronic receipt over a telecommunication network to the wireless phone.

35. The method for providing electronic receipting for the transaction transacted at the point-of-sale as recited in claim 27, wherein the portable device and the transmitting the electronic receipt comprises transmitting the electronic receipt to the portable device.

36. The method for providing electronic receipting for the transaction transacted at the point-of-sale as recited in claim 27, wherein the electronic receipt is transmitted to the portable device as one of a radio signal and an infrared transmission.

37. The method of claim 27, wherein under the rules, transactions for certain kinds of goods or services are electronically receipted and transactions for other kinds of goods or services are not electronically receipted.

38. The method of claim 27, wherein under the rules, whether or not a transaction is electronically receipted depends on whether the amount of the transaction exceeds a predetermined monetary threshold.