Patent ID: 7251625

Claim:
A computer implemented method for identifying a customer in a customer database system that tracks purchase transactions, the customer having purchased a product at a point of sale location by using a payment mechanism to pay for the product purchase, the method comprising: a) determining a customer name for the customer from the payment mechanism without requiring the customer to disclose their customer name other than by completing the purchase with the payment mechanism; b) creating a computerized list of potential matches, the potential matches each being an identity of a particular person, wherein an identity constitutes information that uniquely identifies a particular person, the list of potential matches being created by i) searching in a computerized database for identities having a name similar to the customer name, with similar names being determined through at least one mechanism chosen from the set including identically matching names, nicknames, abbreviations, and known variations of the customer name, and ii) combining a plurality of the identities found by searching the computerized database into the computerized list of potential matches; and c) developing a profile of demographic characteristics based upon the purchased product, at least one of the demographic characteristics included in the profile coming from the set of characteristics comprising income, parental status, marital status, education, and age; d) selecting a best match identity from the computerized list of potential matches, the best match identity indicating which of the plurality of identities in the list of potential matches is to be selected as the identity for the customer name, the best match being selected by i) obtaining demographic data concerning each identity within the list of potential matches, and ii) comparing demographic data concerning each identity within the list of potential matches with the profile developed based upon the purchased product; and e) using the best match identity as the identity for the customer name in the customer database system.