Systems and methods for providing real-time monitoring of spending limits

Abstract

In one embodiment, a server is provided for providing real-time monitoring of spending limits. The server may include memory storing software instructions, and a processor(s) configured to execute the software instructions to perform operations. The operations may include determining that a user has interacted with a store item in a retail environment. The operations may also include accessing a user profile of the user that includes a savings goal of the user, and determining that purchase of the store item would meet at least one trigger condition associated with the savings goal. The operations may further include generating an analysis of the estimated impact of the purchase to the savings goal, and providing the analysis to a device for display to the user while the user remains within the retail environment.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method for providing real-time monitoring of spending limits, the method comprising:
 determining that a user has interacted with a store item within a retail environment;   accessing a user profile of the user, the user profile including a savings goal of the user;   determining that a purchase of the store item would meet a first trigger condition from among a plurality of trigger conditions associated with the savings goal;   generating an analysis of the estimated impact of the purchase on the savings goal; and   providing the analysis to a device for display to the user while the user remains within the retail environment.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising communicating with a hub physically located within the retail environment, and the hub is configured to detect a location of a user tag carried by the user and a location of a product tag affixed to the store item within the retail environment. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising communicating with the hub over a network and the one hub detects the location of the user tag and the product tag over an in-store hub network. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 receiving a communication from the hub indicating the user has interacted with the store item when the hub determines that the user tag and the product tag are linked; and   determining the user has interacted with the store item based on the received communication.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the user tag and the product tag are linked without physical contact. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the user tag and product tag are battery-less. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein providing the analysis to the user while the user remains within the retail environment comprises at least one of a push notification, short message service message, or e-mail to a mobile device operated by the user. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the analysis is provided to the device while the user interacts with the store item. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 determining that the user initiated a financial transaction to purchase the store item; and   updating the plurality of trigger conditions based on the determination that the user initiated the financial transaction.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising:
 lowering a threshold associated with a remaining budget remaining to meet a savings goal from the savings goal.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising:
 prompting the user to add a savings goal associated with the store item when the purchase of the store item would exceed a spending limit, wherein the first trigger condition comprises a spending limit.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 determining that the user has entered the retail environment;   accessing an inventory of store items within the retail environment; and   providing a budget to the device based on the savings goal of the user.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the analysis comprises a personalized cost metaphor, the personalized cost metaphor comparing a cost of the retail item to a regular expense of the user. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 accessing financial records of the user; and   generating the user profile based on the accessed financial records.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , further comprising:
 identifying savings practices of the user based on the accessed financial records;   identifying spending practices of the user based on the accessed financial records; and   configuring the savings goal of the user based on the identified savings practices and the identified spending practices; and   generating the plurality of trigger conditions associated with the savings goal.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 identifying additional information needed to generate the user profile;   providing a user profile survey to the device requesting the additional information; and   configuring the savings goal of the user based on a response to the user profile survey.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 accessing one or more social network accounts of the user; and   generating the user profile based on the accessed one or more social network accounts of the user.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 receiving mobile device usage data for a mobile device operated by the user;   identifying communication preferences of the user based on the received mobile device usage data; and   generating the user profile based on the identified communication preferences.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein determining that the user has interacted with the store item comprises receiving a notification that the user has operated the device to scan a machine-readable code affixed to the store item. 
     
     
         40 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations for providing real-time monitoring of spending limits, the operations comprising:
 determining that a user has interacted with a store item within a retail environment;   accessing a user profile of the user, the user profile including a savings goal of the user;   determining that a purchase of the store item would meet a first trigger condition from among a plurality of trigger conditions associated with the savings goal;   generating an analysis of the estimated impact of the purchase on the savings goal; and   providing the analysis to a device for display to the user while the user remains within the retail environment.