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.

1 . 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 comprising: 
 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.    
     
     
         2 . The computerized method of  claim 1 , wherein the reward is a coupon.  
     
     
         3 . The computerized method of  claim 1 , wherein the reward is an instant discount.  
     
     
         4 . The computerized method of  claim 3 , wherein the instant discount is a rebate that is based at least in part on a purchase price of at least one item associated with the requested merchandise return.  
     
     
         5 . The computerized method of  claim 1 , wherein using the merchandise return transaction information comprises using information about at least one item whose return is requested.  
     
     
         6 . The computerized method of  claim 1 , wherein using the merchandise return transaction information comprises accessing stored information about the customer's return history.  
     
     
         7 . The computerized method of  claim 1 , wherein using the merchandise return transaction information comprises accessing stored information about the customer's purchase history.  
     
     
         8 . The computerized method of  claim 1 , wherein using the merchandise return transaction information comprises accessing stored information about the customer's profitability to the merchant.  
     
     
         9 . The computerized method of  claim 1 , wherein using the merchandise return transaction information comprises accessing information about a store at which the merchant's point of return is located.  
     
     
         10 . The computerized method of  claim 9 , wherein accessing information about the store comprises access information about at least one of the set consisting of: inventory, merchandise mix, mix of sales by SKU identifier, mix of inventory by SKU identifier, store sales performance, store profitability, average sale amount for the store, average return amount for the store, current coupon promotions, current sales promotions, store location, and local demographics.  
     
     
         11 . The computerized method of  claim 2 , further comprising determining terms of the coupon.  
     
     
         12 . The computerized method of  claim 11 , wherein terms include information about at least one of the set consisting of: value of the coupon, a percentage discount offered by the coupon, a dollar discount offered by the coupon, an expiration time, an expiration date, at least one eligible product, at least one eligible product category, at least one eligible store location for coupon redemption, at least one retailer who is not the merchant and at whose merchant location the coupon may be redeemed, whether or not the coupon may be used online or in a physical store or both, and at least one eligible department for coupon redemption.  
     
     
         13 . The computerized method of  claim 11 , wherein determining terms of the coupon is based at least in part on the customer's past return history.  
     
     
         14 . The computerized method of  claim 11 , wherein determining terms comprises selecting a set of potential terms for offering to the customer and allowing the customer to select from among the set of terms.  
     
     
         15 . A method of processing a requested merchandise return, comprising: 
 receiving information about a merchandise return requested by a customer, wherein the information is received from a merchant's point of return;    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.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising using the computerized system to determine whether the merchandise return is authorized.  
     
     
         17 . A computerized system for processing merchandise returns, the system comprising: 
 a processor communicatively coupled to a merchant's point of return, the processor configured to receive information about a merchandise return requested by a customer at the merchant's point of return; and    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.    
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to provide information about the coupon determination to the merchant's point of return.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the decision engine is further configured to determine terms associated with the coupon, if a coupon is to be issued.  
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , further comprising a computer repository comprising data about the consumer, wherein the determination is based, at least in part, on data stored in the repository.  
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the repository of consumer data includes stored information about the consumer's profitability to the merchant.  
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the repository of data about the consumer includes stored information about at least one of the set consisting of: the consumer's purchase history and the consumer's return history.  
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 17 , further comprising a computer repository comprising merchant data about the merchant, wherein the determination is based, at least in part, on data stored in the repository.  
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the repository of merchant data includes stored information about at least one of the set consisting of: inventory, merchandise mix, mix of sales by SKU identifier, mix of inventory by SKU identifier, store sales performance, store profitability, average sale amount for the store, average return amount for the store, current coupon promotions, current sales promotions, store location, local demographics, and merchant policies regarding coupons.  
     
     
         25 . A system for processing a merchandise return, the system comprising: 
 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.    
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , further comprising means for using the computerized system to determine whether the merchandise return is authorized.