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  Systems and methods for determining whether to offer a reward at a point of returnUSPTO Application #: 20060235747Title: Systems and methods for determining whether to offer a reward at a point of return Abstract: Computerized decision-making systems and methods are described for determining whether to provide one or more rewards, such as a coupon or instant discount, to a customer requesting to make a merchandise return at a store, and, if so, to determine the terms of the reward, such as value, expiration date/time and other terms that may be associated with a coupon. The reward determinations may be implemented in conjunction with a system for authorizing the requested merchandise return transaction. Information about the requested return may be used together with data about the customer's past purchase, return transactions, and other customer-related data. In some embodiments, the determinations are based, at least in part, on store-related information and policies. The reward may be printed with a receipt issued to the customer at the point of return and/or may be provided to the customer using a wide variety of other communications technologies. (end of abstract)
Agent: Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP - Irvine, CA, US Inventors: Mark S. Hammond, Peter L. Bradshaw USPTO Applicaton #: 20060235747 - Class: 705014000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Data Processing: Financial, Business Practice, Management, Or Cost/price Determination, Automated Electrical Financial Or Business Practice Or Management Arrangement, Distribution Or Redemption Of Coupon, Or Incentive Or Promotion Program The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060235747. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
PRIORITY CLAIMS [0001] This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/672,322, filed on Apr. 18, 2005 and titled SYSTEM FOR COLLECTING, ANALYZING, AND MAKING DECISIONS ON CONSUMER RETAIL DATA, and of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/673,566, filed on Apr. 21, 2005 and titled SMART COUPONS, the entireties of which are incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The invention relates to offering rewards at a point of return. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Many retail merchants have found that customers appreciate shopping at a store with a liberal merchandise return acceptance policy. However, implementing a liberal return acceptance policy may significantly decrease the store's profitability when existing sales are rescinded and returned merchandise may need to be re-sold at a discount, if it is sold again at all. Merchants would therefore like to provide the desired liberal return acceptance policy while reducing loss of sales. [0004] Furthermore, many merchants have found that customers who make returns often do not soon shop again at the store. For example, one study of consumer behavior at a number of retail stores found that less than 15% of customers who returned merchandise made another purchase at the store within the next thirty days, and that over 50% of customers who returned merchandise did not make any other purchase at the store within the next eighteen months. These figures can be explained in part by customers who are unhappy with the merchandise purchased at the store and who may be disgruntled with the store as a whole. The figures may also be explained in part by shoppers who are returning gifts purchased by others or who may be otherwise in the store for the first time. Merchants would like to encourage both of these types of customers, as well as others, to shop in their stores and to become long-term customers, especially if it can be determined that they are not engaging in merchandise return activity that is fraudulent or abusive of store return policies. Currently, there is little, if any, incentive offered to a customer at the merchant's point of return to reconsider making a return, to immediately use any returned funds to re-purchase at the merchant's store, or to otherwise make another purchase within a defined span of time. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0005] Computerized decision-making systems and methods are described for determining whether to provide one or more coupons or other rebates or rewards to a customer requesting to make a merchandise return at a store, and, if so, to determine the terms of the reward, such as value of a coupon, expiration date/time and other limitations and/or options that may be included. Such coupons, especially if valid for only a very short duration, may encourage a customer who has made a merchandise return to make another purchase in the store before leaving. Furthermore, since research has indicated that as much as 70% of shopping decisions are made inside the store, coupons offered in-store may be especially effective in generating additional sales. The reward determination may be implemented in conjunction with a system for authorizing the requested merchandise return transaction. Embodiments of the systems and methods may intelligently identify customers whose return and purchase behavior indicates that they are "good" customers and tailor the coupon offering or other reward for the identified customers. In various embodiments, information about the requested return may be used together with data about the customer's past purchase and return transactions, as well as other customer-related data. In some embodiments, the determinations are based, at least in part, on current store conditions and policies, or on other store-related information. The reward may be printed on a receipt issued to the customer at the point of return and/or may be provided to the customer using a wide variety of other communications technologies [0006] Embodiments are described of a computerized method of determining whether to offer a reward to a customer in association with a requested merchandise return transaction at a merchant's point of return. The method comprises: receiving information about the requested merchandise return transaction and using at least a portion of the merchandise return transaction information to determine whether to offer the customer a reward at the point of return. [0007] Embodiments of a method of processing a requested merchandise return are described. The method comprises receiving information about a merchandise return requested by a customer, wherein the information is received from a merchant's point of return. The method further comprises using a computerized system to determine whether to issue a reward to the customer, and if a reward is to be issued, transmitting information about the reward to the point of return. [0008] Embodiments of a computerized system for processing merchandise returns are described. The system comprises a processor communicatively coupled to a merchant's point of return, wherein the processor is configured to receive information about a merchandise return requested by a customer at the merchant's point of return. The system further comprises a decision engine configured to receive the information about the merchandise return and to determine whether to issue a coupon in association with the merchandise returns, based, at least in part, on the information. [0009] Embodiments of a system for processing a merchandise return are described. The system comprises: means for receiving from a merchant's point of return information about a requested customer merchandise return, means for using a computerized system to determine whether to issue a reward to the customer, and if a reward is to be issued, means for transmitting information about the reward to the point of return. [0010] For purposes of summarizing embodiments of the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such aspects, advantages, or novel features will be embodied in any particular embodiment of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0011] A general architecture that implements various features of specific embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings and the associated descriptions are provided to illustrate embodiments of the invention and not to limit the scope of the invention. Throughout the drawings, reference numbers are re-used to indicate correspondence between referenced elements. In addition, the first digit of each reference number indicates the figure in which the element first appears. [0012] FIG. 1 is a block diagram depicting one embodiment of a merchandise point of return system. [0013] FIG. 2 is a block diagram depicting a closer view of one embodiment of a return authorization service. [0014] FIG. 3 depicts one embodiment of a dedicated point of return device. [0015] FIG. 4 depicts a series of user interface screenshots for one embodiment of a process for collecting data at a point of return. [0016] FIGS. 5A-5C depict embodiments of coupons that may be issued at a point of return. [0017] FIG. 6 depicts a set of factors that may be used to influence one embodiment of an authorization process and/or a process for determining whether to provide a reward at a point of return. [0018] FIG. 7 is a flowchart that illustrates one embodiment of a process for collecting data at a point of return. [0019] FIG. 8 is a flowchart that illustrates one embodiment of a process for providing a coupon to a customer at a point of return. Continue reading... Full patent description for Systems and methods for determining whether to offer a reward at a point of return Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Systems and methods for determining whether to offer a reward at a point of return patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. 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