SG185158A1

SG185158A1 - Electronic receipt system

Info

Publication number: SG185158A1
Application number: SG2011029170A
Authority: SG
Inventors: Ellan Dilek
Original assignee: Ellan Dilek
Priority date: 2011-04-21
Filing date: 2011-04-25
Publication date: 2012-11-29

Abstract

An electronic receipt system for managing transaction receipts (20) issued by a point ofsale (30) to a consumer, comprises the steps of providing an electronic receipt card to the consumer that comprises a consumer identifier, providing retailers with electronic means (30, 31) generating an electronic transaction receipt, transmitting the electronic transaction receipt (20) together with the costumers identifier to an electronic receipts database (41), providing at least one interface (35) for the consumer to access manage and organize storedelectronic receipts (20) within said electronic receipts database (41). It is characterized in that the electronic transaction receipt (20) generating electronic means (30) comprises an electronic funds transfer terminal (34; 35), in that said electronic receipt card is also an e- money card usable within the electronic funds transfer terminal (34, 35) and comprising a consumer account identifier, wherein during a payment transaction a funds transactioncode (24) is transmitted to the electronic funds transfer terminal (34, 35) adapted to forward said funds transaction code (24) together with the electronic transaction receipt (20) to said electronic receipts database (41).(Fig. 2)

Description

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TITLE

Electronic receipt system

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an electronic receipt system for managing transaction receipts issued by a point of sale to a consumer, comprising the steps: providing an electronic receipt card to the consumer that comprises a signed a consumer identifier, providing retailers with electronic means generating an electronic transaction receipt, transmitting the electronic transaction receipt together with the costumers identifier to an electronic receipts database, providing at least one interface for the consumer to access manage and organize stored electronic receipts within said electronic receipts database; according to the preamble of claim 1.

PRIOR ART

Such a method and system is known from US 2010/0100434 providing an electronic receipt system allowing the customer to organize his expenses in an electronic way avoiding the management of paper copies which are usually printed on thermographic paper which is not really appropriated to provide a long term storage.

A further method and system according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from US 6,341,353 providing a system with a specific organization of the entries of the receipt.

These prior art systems provide storage solutions allowing for a simpler interaction between consumer and retailer in view of specific sales discount or claiming services or the guarantee for a purchased good.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Based on this prior art it is an object of the invention to provide a method and system improving the usability of the system. In fact transmitting a copy of an electronic receipt in a parallel way to a dedicated web site will not be accepted by a number of tax authorities to provide sufficient evidence for the expense. Usually business travellers on the user side and organizations and corporations on the other side are interested to have a secure system for managing expenses.

Additionally it is an object of the invention to provide a direct connection between the expenses and the electronic proof for such an expense.

This object and further advantages are achieved with a method and system having the features according to claim 1.

The invention is based on the insight that the user is interested to have one single card providing the payment information as well as the receipt handling. This also reduces the possibilities for fraud and therefore such a system is better accepted by corporations issuing corporate credit cards as well as by tax authorities.

The invention is characterized by the fact, that the already existing credit card information can be used to generate the consumer identifier linking the information to the database as storage for the receipts. In fact the system is based on the insight that usually an account number is associated with a specific credit card. Now additionally a consumer number is also associated to such a credit card enabling the transfer of information to two different institutions, reflected technically by two distinct databases and communication channels.

These communication channels start from the point of sale, where the unique card and relating information is gathered from the customer.

Of course it is possible to use a debit card instead of a credit card. These features can be freely interchanged. The main common feature of these cards, debit card or credit card, which can also be a prepaid card, is the possibility to obtain a service or a good with payment information relating to said card. Therefore it is possible that the card as such can also be a virtual card, in other words; the invention can also be used within internet based shops with the transfer of the card information instead of directly parsing the card through a point of sale device. Debit card and credit card as well as their virtual form can be defined as e-money card.

Such a receipt hosting enables companies to issue electronic receipts to their customer instead of paper receipts. These electronic receipts as all registered customer data are anonymously hosted on said server.

Customers have worldwide access to their receipts via internet. They can manage their receipts; they can print them in case for taxes or warranty of a purchased product. No permanent filing any more is also an evident advantage for the company's customer.

Companies can save millions of costs and also profit from anonymous tracking of their customer habits. Today a lot of companies already have their own member card and track their customer. But they can not track their customers’ consumer habits outside their shop.

So companies benefit from receipt hosting 360° tracing, they save money and — last but not least — they profit from a more sustainable green image.

Customer can easily handle their receipts online anytime and anywhere. They can analyse there consumption as they like. They can group them for taxes, health care costs, eating habits. Companies profit from more information of their customer habits.

Customers can gain advantages from their hosted receipts as - travelling businessmen do not need to store thermographic paper receipts during their journey and/or to file such receipts all the time because they need them for accounting. This manages the easy handle of centralized receipts. - for many products it is necessary keeping receipts for warranty. - Many other fields can be considered like full control over personal health care costs, better control about sugar consumption for diabetics, etc..

It is important that all data are hosted at the server of the system, since rivals in the market as well as customers will not accept that their personal data will be shared around the business world. The population is already very sensitive providing anybody with there personal data. The conclusion is that member companies send the e-receipt with customers’ permission directly to the database within the server of the system. Once registered the customer has online access to all his data, can manage his receipts like private, business or as he like. All his receipts were stored as long as he likes on our server. A sales person can bundle his receipts for a business trip and invoice periodically his employer or using them for his tax declaration. Member companies on the other hand can use these anonymous data for sharpening their marketing data. Now they do not only track what their client is doing with them, but also his consumption elsewhere.

Further embodiments of the invention are laid down in the dependent claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the following with reference to the drawings, which are for the purpose of illustrating the present preferred embodiments of the invention and not for the purpose of limiting the same. In the drawings,

Fig. 1 shows an example of data flow upon using an electronic receipt system as such;

Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of the system architecture; and

Fig. 3 shows a system diagram showing an example of data flow upon using the system according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig.4-6 shows an example of data flow

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Different retailers use POS systems, which are integrated in a payment network. In fact at a point of sale, a so called EFT-POS-terminal for Electronic-Funds-Transfer-Terminal is available. According to prior art techniques said devices are connected during payment with a banking computer of the issuer of the card to authorize (or not) the intended 5 transaction.

The consumer is able to log into a computer system accessing the database within which the electronic receipts are stored. The authorization to access this database can also be given to the management of the corporate credit card in order to directly manage the expenses due to the use of their corporate cards.

The general steps relating to the transfer of an electronic receipt are as follows. Initially several steps occur during the payment transaction, which are known as such within the prior art: - the goods and/or services which are to be paid are registered locally within a cash register. - the consumer shows sales discount vouchers, gift coupons etc. as well as a payment means. Such a payment means comprises an e-money card having a connection with either e-money (prepaid amount stored in connection with an account number), a debit card (authorisation of a deduction from an account) or credit card (authorisation of charging an account) - the payment is to be authorized by the issuing or handling organisation in a known way. - the payment transaction is effected. - the transaction code is transferred as proof of successful payment. - according to prior art, the payment receipt comprising the transaction code is printed, and is handed over within a paper receipt.

This method is now amended according to an embodiment of the present invention. - the goods and/or services which are to be paid are registered locally within a cash register and details relating to specific goods/services are temporarily stored. - the consumer shows sales discount vouchers etc. as mentioned above

- the payment is to be authorized by the issuing or handling organisation in a known way. At that point the consumer identifier is also checked for issuance of an electronic receipt. Said communication request can be effected either directly within a second communication channel with the electronic receipt database or it is indirectly requested through the payment institution. Then a flag is transmitted to the server of the payment institution triggering a request from said server with the server and database of the electronic receipt institution. Then the membership information. e.g. a consumer identifier is transmitted via the payment institution to the POS terminal. - the payment transaction is effected as above. - the transaction code is transferred as proof of successful payment. - the transaction code and information is not printed anymore (although this remains an additional optional step) and the data relating to the goods/services, the transaction code as well as the consumer identifier is transmitted to the database of the electronic receipt server.

Of course, it is possible that the transfer of the data to the electronic receipt server does not happen at that very moment online but is postponed to a later moment in time, e.g. daily. It is also possible that the consumer identifier is not verified online, but calculated offline to be a valid number.

Preferably the information transferred from the POS terminal to the electronic receipt database is electronically signed to enable a later authentication check.

The consumer can then use his identifier to logon directly into the electronic receipt database to manage his receipts. It is also possible that third persons, i.e. corporate accountants can access the data, and that deletions of data are not authorized for the consumer itself.

Fig. 1 shows a system diagram referring to the data flow and the interaction between the user using an electronic receipt system with a retailer or seller of a good or provider of a service. Client purchases in a store and hands over his customer identifier number in a step 10, preferably printed as a barcode, within a magnetic strip or in a chip stored on a card.

The receipt is assembled using information relating to the goods purchased and the customer identifier. This information including the number is transferred to the electronic receipt server as step 11. The electronic receipt server receives said information and stores it in its database as step 12. The customer has the necessary information to login in the electronic receipt server and accesses the portion within the database relating to the electronic receipts for his customer identifier as step 13. The customer has than according to the cited prior art different possibilities to manage his receipts as step 14 and can finally use the electronic receipts for his accountant in case of business expenses to be charged and paid by his business in step 15.

Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of the system architecture together with an example of a data structure 20. The system architecture comprises a point of sale part 30, an electronic receipt part 40 and a payment part 50.

The point of sale part 30 comprises a cash register 31 and a credit card terminal 34 and may comprise a scanner 32 and a printer 33.

The electronic receipt part 40 comprises an electronic receipt server 41 comprises a database.

The payment part 50 comprises a payment server 51 comprises a database, usually related to the payment institution. Of course the payment server 51 is not accessed directly and comprises a number of different known communication devices in between. In fact the payment server 51 is synonymous for the electronic information within the payment institution relating to a specific customer account and the relating personal and financial information.

During the sale the cash register 31 contacts an interface or control unit 35 over communication line 61. The control unit 35 can be within the premises of the shop but can also be in an external building and accessed over communication channels 61 as a telephone line or a packet distributed network or the internet. Said control unit 35 is adapted to access with the help of a communication channel 62 the electronic receipt server

41 for the exchange of the electronic receipt 20, having the data structure as will be explained later on. Said control unit 35 is further adapted to access with the help of a further communication channel 63 the payment server 51 for the exchange of the electronic cash information having a data structure as will be known by a person skilled in the art.

The electronic receipt 20 according to an embodiment of the invention comprises a reference number 21 of the receipt itself, a POS identifier 22, the date 23, one or more transaction codes 24 and the details of the purchase 25. e.g. the list of items bought with relevant price and identification information. The one or more transaction codes 24 comprise at least the transaction code issued by the financial payment institution, i.e. from the payment server 51 but can also comprise a POS transaction code relating to the selling institution. The above mentioned fields 21 to 25 of the electronic receipt 20 are usual values having a defined field structure according to the needs of the transfer or storage of the entries.

The electronic receipt system can either be adapted that the electronic funds transfer terminal, i.e. with its part as the interface 35, connects with a server 51 of the payment institution issuing said e-money card to receive from said server 51 said funds transaction code 24 to be transferred to the .

The electronic receipt system can also be adapted in a different way, which is not shown in

Fig. 3. The electronic funds transfer terminal 35 is adapted to be connected with said server 51 of the payment institution issuing said e-money card to initiate within said server the generation of said funds transaction code (24). However, then said funds transaction code is directly transferred to said electronic receipts database 41, i.e. with a communication channel between the entities 51 and 41 which is not shown in the drawings. This would enable a time differed transfer of the information which can then be reassembled in the database 41 through knowledge of the customer identifier and/or the reference number 21, which should in this case also be transferred to the payment institution 51.

Fig. 3 shows a system diagram referring to the data flow and the interaction between the user using the system and the retailer or seller of a good or provider of a service.

The cash register(s) 100 are protected by a firewall 101 when transmitting their electronic receipt information 102 to an input feeder 103 in a feed zone 110. The feed zone 110 is separated from a security zone 120 by a further firewall 105. The electronic receipt information is fed to an archive application 121 for storing it in a database 122. Fig. 3 shows two databases 122 for security and backup reasons. Of course further backup means 130 are provided.

The customer access 140 is usually a web application, accessing via 141 through a firewall 106 a web access zone hosting a number of web fronts 151. These web fronts access via a further fire wall 107 accessors 125 for reading and writing, in fact managing the electronic receipt information, within a database mirror 126 of the database 122.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

10to 15 steps within the electronic 51 payment server receipt architecture 61 to 63 communication channel(s) data structure 100 cash register 21 reference number 101 firewall 22 POS identifier 102 receipt information 23 date entry 103 input feeder 24 transaction code 105 to 107 firewall(s) details of purchase 110 feed zone point of sale part 120 security zone 31 cash register 121 archive application 32 scanner 122 electronic receipt database 33 printer 125 accessor 34 credit card terminal 126 database mirror control unit/interface 130 backup means 40 electronic receipt part 141 web access 41 electronic receipt server 150 web access zone 50 payment part 151 web front

Claims

1. An electronic receipt system for managing transaction receipts issued by a point of sale to a consumer, comprising the steps: - providing an electronic receipt card to the consumer that comprises a signed a consumer identifier, - providing retailers with electronic means (30) generating an electronic transaction receipt (20), - transmitting the electronic transaction receipt (20) together with the costumers identifier to an electronic receipts database (41; 122), - providing at least one interface (140, 150) for the consumer to access manage and organize stored electronic receipts (20) within said electronic receipts database (41; 122)), characterized in that the electronic transaction receipt generating electronic means (30) comprises an electronic funds transfer terminal (30, 34, 35), in that said electronic receipt : card is also an e-money card usable within the electronic funds transfer terminal (30, 34, 35) and comprising a consumer account identifier, wherein during a payment transaction (63) a funds transaction code (24) is transmitted to the electronic funds transfer terminal (30, 34, 35) adapted to forward said funds transaction code (24) together with the electronic transaction receipt (25) to said electronic receipts database (41; 122).

2. The electronic receipt system according to claim 1, wherein the electronic receipts database comprises (41; 122) a web access (150) for the customer using the costumers identifier as a means of identification.

3. The electronic receipt system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the electronic funds transfer terminal (35) is adapted to be connected with a server of the payment institution (51) issuing said e-money card to receive from said server said funds transaction code (24).

4. The electronic receipt system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the electronic funds transfer terminal (35) is adapted to be connected with a server (51) of the payment institution issuing said e-money card to initiate within said server the generation of said funds transaction code (24) for a direct transfer to said electronic receipts database