Patent ID: 8626593

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a first I/O port configured for connection to a point of sale device; a second I/O port configured for connection to a purchase recording device, wherein the second I/O port is of a same type as the first I/O port, wherein the second I/O port is connected to the first I/O port such that data passed into the first I/O port is allowed to pass through the apparatus to the second I/O port unimpeded in at least a first operating mode; a processor; and a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions thereon wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to, upon connection of the first I/O port to the point of sale device and connection of the second I/O port to the purchase recording device: extract information passed from the point of sale device connected to the first I/O port to the purchase recording device connected to the second I/O port while the information passes unimpeded to the purchase recording device, identify, from the information, a particular type of data stream; after identifying the particular type of data stream, collect, from further information passed from the point of sale device to the purchase recording device, data associated with the identified data stream, identify, from the data associated with the identified data stream, transaction data; and provide, to an external computing device, the transaction data.