Patent Publication Number: US-2010131344-A1

Title: Electronic transaction methods of a retail merchant with a retail consumer

Description:
BACKGROUND  
     The present invention relates to electronic transactions conducted between a retail merchant and a retail consumer, and is particularly directed to electronic transaction methods of a retail merchant with a retail consumer. 
     In a typical electronic transaction between a retail merchant and a retail consumer, the merchant interacts with the consumer via an electronic device such as kiosk, for example. After the electronic transaction, the merchant provides a receipt to the consumer for having purchased goods or services. The receipt provided to the consumer may be a hard copy paper receipt or a paperless electronic receipt. A known type of electronic receipt allows the merchant to offer post-purchase services to the consumer, such as offering an extended warranty on the goods or services just purchased. After the merchant has delivered the electronic receipt to the consumer, the merchant is unable to offer some types of services to the consumer. As an example, the merchant is unable to offer the consumer a choice as to whether to redeem points from a loyalty program account for the goods or services just purchased by the consumer. As another example, the merchant is unable to offer the consumer a choice as to whether to redeem a rebate or a coupon for the goods or services just purchased by the consumer. It would be desirable to enable the merchant to offer these types of services to the consumer before an electronic receipt for the purchase of goods or services is provided to the consumer. 
     SUMMARY 
     In accordance an embodiment of the present invention, an electronic transaction method is provided of a retail merchant in an electronic transaction conducted between the retail merchant and a retail consumer. The electronic transaction method comprises receiving a request from the retail consumer to purchase a good or service, prompting the retail consumer to provide details associated with a loyalty program account to redeem points and thereby to reduce purchase price of the good or service desired to be purchased, receiving from the retail consumer the details associated with the loyalty program, and reducing purchase price of the good or service based upon the details received from the retail consumer. The loyalty program account may be associated with the retail merchant. The loyalty program account may be associated with a manufacturer who is other than the retail merchant. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the accompanying drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a flow diagram depicting a known electronic transaction method of a retail merchant with a retail consumer; 
         FIG. 2  is a flow diagram depicting steps of an electronic transaction method of a retail merchant with a retail consumer in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a flow diagram depicting steps of an electronic transaction method of a retail merchant with a retail consumer in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 4  is a flow diagram depicting steps of an electronic transaction method of a retail merchant with a retail consumer in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A known electronic transaction method of a retail merchant with a retail consumer is depicted in the flow diagram  10  of  FIG. 1 . The retail merchant presents to the retail consumer an offer of goods or services to be purchased (step  12 ). The merchant then receives from the consumer a request to purchase goods or services selected by the consumer (step  14 ). The merchant acknowledges to the consumer that the selected goods or services are available (step  16 ), and then requests payment for the selected goods or services (step  18 ). After the merchant receives payment from the consumer (step  20 ), the merchant fulfills the purchase transaction (step  22 ). An electronic receipt is prepared (step  24 ) and provided to the consumer (step  26 ). The process of creating of an electronic receipt and the subsequent providing of the electronic receipt to the consumer are well known and, therefore, will not be described. 
     One embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 2  is a flow diagram  10   a  depicting steps of an electronic transaction method of a retail merchant with a retail consumer in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The flowchart  10   a  of  FIG. 2  is generally the same as the flowchart  10  of  FIG. 1 , except that there are additional steps  110 ,  120  and  130  in accordance with the present invention shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 2 . Similar numerals are utilized to designate similar components, the suffix “a” being associated with the embodiment of  FIG. 2  to avoid confusion. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , steps  110 ,  120  and  130  occur between step  16   a  at which time the merchant acknowledges to the consumer the availability of the goods or services selected by the consumer and step  18   a  at which time the merchant requests payment from the consumer for the selected goods or services selected to be purchased. In step  110 , the merchant presents an invitation to the consumer inviting the consumer to redeem points from a loyalty program account. The loyalty program account may be associated with the particular merchant, for example. Alternatively, as another example, the loyalty program account may be associated with a particular manufacturer who is other that the merchant. 
     If the consumer has a loyalty program account from which points can be redeemed and makes a request to redeem points, then the merchant receives the request from the consumer to redeem the points (step  120 ). The request has the number of points to be redeemed. The merchant reduces the price of a selected good or service based upon the number of points redeemed from the loyalty program account (step  130 ). This reduces the total payment requested from the consumer for all selected goods or services (step  18   a ). 
     A second embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 3  is a flow diagram  10   b  depicting steps of a transaction method of a retail merchant with a retail consumer in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention. The flowchart  10   b  of  FIG. 3  is generally the same as the flowchart  10   a  of  FIG. 2 , except that steps  210 ,  220  and  230  shown in  FIG. 3  replace steps  110 ,  120  and  130  shown in  FIG. 2 . Similar numerals are utilized to designate similar components, the suffix “b” being associated with the embodiment of  FIG. 3  to avoid confusion. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , steps  210 ,  220  and  230  occur between step  16   b  at which time the merchant acknowledges to the consumer the availability of the goods or services selected by the consumer and step  18   b  at which time the merchant requests payment from the consumer for the selected goods or services selected to be purchased. In step  210 , the merchant presents to the consumer a redeemable rebate associated with a selected good or service desired to be purchased. The rebate may be associated with the particular merchant, for example. Alternatively, as another example, the rebate may be associated with a particular manufacturer who is other that the merchant. 
     If the consumer desires to apply the rebate presented to the consumer in step  210 , then the consumer makes a request to apply the rebate. The merchant receives the request from the consumer to apply the rebate (step  220 ). The merchant then reduces the price of a selected good or service based upon the value of the rebate (step  230 ). This reduces the total payment requested from the consumer for all selected goods or services (step  18   b ). 
     A third embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in  FIG. 4 .  FIG. 4  is a flow diagram  10   c  depicting steps of a transaction method of a retail merchant with a retail consumer in accordance with the third embodiment of the present invention. The flowchart  10   c  of  FIG. 4  is generally the same as the flowchart  10   b  of  FIG. 3 , except that steps  310 ,  320  and  330  shown in  FIG. 4  replace steps  210 ,  220  and  230  shown in  FIG. 3 . Similar numerals are utilized to designate similar components, the suffix “c” being associated with the embodiment of  FIG. 4  to avoid confusion. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , steps  310 ,  320  and  330  occur between step  16   c  at which time the merchant acknowledges to the consumer the availability of the goods or services selected by the consumer and step  18   c  at which time the merchant requests payment from the consumer for the selected goods or services selected to be purchased. In step  310 , the merchant presents to the consumer a redeemable coupon associated with a selected good or service desired to be purchased. The coupon may be associated with the particular merchant, for example. Alternatively, as another example, the coupon may be associated with a particular manufacturer who is other that the merchant. 
     If the consumer desires to apply the coupon presented to the consumer in step  310 , then the consumer makes a request to apply the coupon. The merchant receives the request from the consumer to apply the coupon (step  320 ). The merchant then reduces the price of a selected good or service based upon the value of the coupon (step  330 ). This reduces the total payment requested from the consumer for all selected goods or services (step  18   c ). 
     It should be apparent that the above-described electronic transaction methods of a retail merchant with a retail consumer are occurring before a receipt is provided to the consumer. It should also be apparent that the merchant is interacting with the consumer via an electronic device such as a kiosk, for example. The consumer may be interacting either directly with the merchant&#39;s electronic device or indirectly with the merchant&#39;s electronic device via a handheld mobile electronic device, for example. 
     The particular arrangements disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention. From the above description, those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates will perceive improvements, changes and modifications. Numerous substitutions and modifications can be undertaken without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. Such improvements, changes and modifications within the skill of the art to which the present invention relates are intended to be covered by the appended claims