Patent ID: 8583478
Filing Date: 2013-11-12
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A computerized system for providing a reward incentive to a customer desiring to return merchandise to a merchant at a point of return, the system comprising: a device operated by a clerk at a merchant facility, the device configured to receive information that identifies the clerk and the device further configured to receive information about a current merchandise return by a customer at a merchant's point of return within a merchant's physical location, wherein the current merchandise return comprises one or more items that the customer desires to return to the merchant for a credit; at least one database comprising return data wherein the return data comprises information about return history of prior merchandise returns associated with the return of one or more items by customers to merchants; and at least one decision engine comprising computer hardware having one or more computer processors configured to perform a first analysis regarding a return authorization that determines whether to authorize the credit for the current merchandise return; wherein the decision engine is further configured to perform a second analysis regarding whether to offer a reward incentive to the customer at the point of return, wherein the reward incentive is in addition to a credit given for the returned items; wherein the decision engine analyzes in the second analysis customer identification data to create a customer identity that correlates the customer identity with external customer information obtained from one or more external data sources, the external customer information comprising at least a customer's address; wherein the decision engine in the second analysis uses the customer's address associated with the external customer information to determine a geographical distance from a customer's address to the merchant facility where the merchandise return transaction occurs; wherein the decision engine in the second analysis determines whether to offer the reward incentive based on the geographical distance from the customer's address to the merchant facility; wherein the decision engine further determines in the second analysis whether to offer the reward incentive by comparing a home address of the clerk with the customer's address associated with the external customer information; wherein the decision engine further determines in the second analysis whether to offer the reward incentive based at least in part on the information about the current merchandise return, wherein the decision engine determines a reward incentive that provides a discount for different types of items than the items being returned by the customer; wherein the decision engine further determines in the second analysis whether to offer the reward incentive based at least in part on the authorization of the credit for the current merchandise return; wherein the decision engine further determines in the second analysis whether to offer the reward incentive based at least in part on the return history; and wherein the device, in response to the determinations by the decision engine, provides the return authorization and provides the reward incentive at the point of return within the merchant's physical location, wherein the reward incentive incentivizes the customer to make a purchase with at least a portion of the credit before leaving the merchant's physical location.