WO2011026511A1

WO2011026511A1 - Improvements in and relating to methods for processing transactions

Info

Publication number: WO2011026511A1
Application number: PCT/EP2009/061301
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kieran Logan
Original assignee: Global Blue Holdings Ab
Priority date: 2009-09-01
Filing date: 2009-09-01
Publication date: 2011-03-10

Abstract

This invention relates to a method of processing transactions that qualify for a refund of duty. There is provided a system (1) comprising a plurality of retailers (3) each having a point of sale terminal (5), a transaction server (7) having transaction server memory (9) accessible to each of the point of sale terminals (5). The transaction server (7) is also accessible through a web interface or similar interface by tourists using a PC other such similar device. The tourist makes a number of purchases over a period of time, the purchase details of which are stored in the transaction server memory along with a Unique Identifier particular to that tourist. Purchases are classified using a Category Identifier (Cl) according to one or more criteria such as jurisdiction of purchase. Prior to or after departure, the tourist accesses the transaction server memory and downloads a list of all purchases made having a particular Category Identifier associated therewith. The tourist then submits the completed form for clearance by an authorised official. The invention removes any complications arising from a tourist processing duty refunds from purchases made in more than one jurisdiction. Additionally, the invention facilitates ease of use of the refund system for the tourist and the relevant authorities and allows the reuse of a tourist's Unique Identifier for multiple trips and multiple jurisdictions.

Description

"Improvements in and relating to methods for processing transactions" Introduction

This invention relates to a method of processing transactions that qualify for a refund of duty, in a system comprising a transaction server and a plurality of electronic point of sale (ePOS) terminals, the transaction server having transaction server memory and communication means for communication with the POS terminals, each POS terminal having communication means for communication with the transaction server.

In many countries, government taxes are levied on various goods and services sold to consumers. One example of such a government levy is Value Added Tax (VAT) which is levied on numerous disparate items from clothing and footwear to cutlery, glassware and artwork. These levies are commonly referred to as duty and the amount of duty is typically calculated based on a percentage of the sellers' price. Various methods and systems have been proposed to facilitate tourists in reclaiming such duty paid by them on purchases made abroad. One such method and system is that described in the Applicant's own PCT Patent Publication No. WO 2008/049461 entitled "A method and system for processing transactions". WO 2008/049461 discloses a method in which tourists are provided with a Unique Identifier (Ul) and in which details relating to the tourist are stored in transaction server memory. A record of each of the purchases made by the tourist is stored in the transaction server memory along with the Ul. When it is time to have the purchases approved by a customs official or other authorised individual, an aggregated record of all purchases made by the tourist along with tourist information may be retrieved from the transaction server memory using the Ul. The aggregated record may then be inspected by the customs official. There are many advantages to the tourist, retailer and the authorities.

There are, however, a number of problems associated with the method of WO 2008/049461 , particularly if the tourists involved are travelling through a number of countries in their trip or are making more than one trip abroad in a certain time period. In such cases, the transaction server will have stored thereon the records of many purchases associated with a tourist's Ul. Unfortunately, if the tourist has travelled through more than one country during his trip or if he has made more than one trip in the preceding period, the transaction server will have difficulties in reconciling the tourist's purchases for duty refund. Difficulties may arise from the fact that a purchase record report generated for validation by a customs official may contain purchases on which he is not authorised to make VAT refunds. Alternatively, in a case where a tourist is making a second visit to a country and there has been some delay in processing previous duty requests, the purchase record report may contain purchases that have already been approved by a customs official. In addition to the above problems, in some cases the tourist may receive a new Ul in a new jurisdiction or at the start of another trip; or may have been asked to surrender his Ul on departure from one jurisdiction. This adds further complication to the system for the tourist as he must remember which Ul he should be using with his purchases.

It is an object therefore of the present invention to provide a method and system for processing transactions that qualify for a refund of duty that overcome at least some of the difficulties with the known methods and systems that is both simple to operate, relatively inexpensive to install and efficient in use.

Statements of Invention

According to the invention there is provided a method of processing transactions that qualify for a refund of duty, in a system comprising a transaction server having transaction server memory and a plurality of electronic point of sale (ePOS) terminals in communication with the transaction server over a communication network, the method comprising the steps of the transaction server providing a tourist with a Unique Identifier (Ul); on completion of a purchase by the tourist at an ePOS terminal, the transaction server receiving purchase details from the ePOS terminal, the purchase details comprising the tourist's Ul; the transaction server storing the purchase details in a purchase details record in transaction server memory; the transaction server generating a purchase record report of the purchase details records stored in transaction server memory comprising that tourist's Ul for submission to a customs official for validation; the transaction server receiving a customs-validated purchase record report; the transaction server receiving a tourist refund request from the tourist; the transaction server reconciling the customs- validated purchase record report and the tourist refund request; and initialising a refund payment to the tourist, if applicable, characterised in that the method further comprises the steps of; the transaction server associating a Category Identifier (CI) with one or more purchase details records comprising the tourist's Ul; and the step of the transaction server generating a purchase record report of the purchase details records stored in transaction server memory comprising that tourist's Ul further comprises generating a purchase record report of purchase details records having a particular CI associated therewith.

In this way, the tourist may group transactions on the transaction server according to suitable criteria, thus avoiding any complications caused by purchases that are made spaced apart in time or jurisdiction. Once Cls have been assigned to the purchase details records, the purchase details records can then be processed separately by the tourist and the transaction server, allowing the tourist to group purchases and their associated refunds according to his own preferred criteria. For example, purchases may be grouped by the country they were made in, by the payment method used or by the date they were made. Additionally, the system involving the Ul is now simple and efficient to use and implement for travellers making multiple trips over time or who are travelling through a number of jurisdictions on a single trip. Furthermore, for tourists who have been provided with a Ul stored on a memory storage device such as magnetic swipe card, this method will allow them to re-use the card on subsequent trips abroad, thereby facilitating ease of use for the tourist and reducing administrative and memory requirements for the operator of the transaction server.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which the CI is generated by the tourist and is transmitted to the transaction server. In this way, the tourist may apply Cls after the purchase has taken place and the purchase details record has been stored in transaction server memory. For example, the tourist may access the transaction server via a web interface, identify his purchases through use of his Ul and then assign a CI such as "France" to purchases he made on a recent or ongoing trip to France. In another embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which the transaction server receives instructions from the tourist to associate the CI with the one or more purchase details records. In this way, user-friendly and comprehensible Cls may be assigned to the purchase details records. For example, the tourist may simply apply a term such a "Work" to purchases that were made in the course of his job and were not personal purchases, or a CI "John" may be added to purchase details records relating to purchases made on behalf of a friend John. In a further embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which the CI is automatically generated by the transaction server. In this way, initial classification of the purchase details records can be made by the transaction server without the need for the tourist to interact with the transaction server. The tourist may edit the Cls that have been applied by the transaction server at a later stage, either by changing the name of the CI or by altering which CI has been assigned to a particular purchase details record. In an alternative embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which the CI is automatically generated by the transaction server in response to information comprised in the purchase details. This is a particularly efficient and effective way of generating a CI for a purchase details record. The purchase details supplied to the transaction server would generally comprise the name and address of the retailer involved, the time and date of the purchase and may also include the payment method used. Each of these pieces of information can be used to classify the purchase in some way.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which the CI is automatically generated by the transaction server in response to information comprised in the purchase details relating to the country of origin of the purchase transaction. This is a particularly important and efficient method of automatically classifying a purchase as the purchase details records will eventually be processed by the transaction server on the basis of the jurisdiction of the purchase as the duty regulations and forms to be generated will vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

In another embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which the CI is automatically generated by the transaction server in response to information comprised in the purchase details relating to the time and date of the purchase transaction. In this way, the purchase may be identified at a later date by the tourist so as to group it into a particular trip.

In a further embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which the CI is automatically generated by the transaction server in response to pre-defined conditions stored in transaction server memory. In this way, the tourist may define rules for the classification of purchase details records. For example, a tourist may define that any purchase details records having a transaction date between March 1 ^st and March 7^th, will be assigned the CI "Business Trip - UK" as the tourist knows in advance of his trip that the relevant period of transactions that should be grouped together. Alternatively, the tourist could define a rule wherein the purchase details records are categories according to the payment method, if the payment method has been included in the purchase details record. This may be particularly relevant for business travellers who may have business and personal credit cards and would like to keep business and personal duty refund procedures separate . In an alternative embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which the transaction server receives the CI with the purchase details received from the POS terminal. In this way, the purchase details record would be classified as soon as the purchase details record is stored. For example, a tourist could enter a particular code associated with a particular CI as part of his purchase transaction. This may be particularly suited for use in the method wherein the tourist's Ul is saved on a memory storage device, such that the tourist would provide his memory storage device to be read by the ePOS terminal and would at the same time enter a code on the ePOS terminal to identify a CI to be associated with that purchase record. Alternatively, the tourist could provide a suitable code through his chosen payment method wherein the indication of the CI would be incorporated, for example, into the PIN used with a chip and PIN payment card.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which the ePOS terminal is remote from the transaction server. In this way, the location of the transaction server is not relevant to the where the purchase takes place, therefore the area of use of the invention is not geographically limited.

In another embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which the CI is assigned based on the payment method used for a transaction. In this way, the tourist may choose to have one CI assigned for payments made using a credit card while payments made with cash or cheque would have another CI assigned. This increases the flexibility and ease of use of the method.

In a further embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which the step of the transaction server generating a purchase record report of purchase details records having a particular CI associated therewith comprises entering the Ul and CI in a separate device having access to the transaction server. In this way, when the tourist is ready to have his duty refund forms inspected by a customs official, he may simply use the terminal provided. Such terminals may be provided in airports so that tourists departing a country may use the terminal in advance of their flight.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which the device has access to the transaction server through a dedicated communication channel. In this way, fast and secure communications between the device and the transaction server could be provided.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which the device has access to the transaction server through a web interface. This is a particularly efficient way of contacting the transaction server as the Internet is widely and commonly available.

In another embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which the CI is stored in a memory storage device. In this way, the efficiency and the ease of use of the system is improved as it is not necessary for the tourist to remember any codes or numbers.

In a further embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which the memory storage device is a magnetic swipe card. This is a particularly effective way of providing a memory storage device for a small amount of information as is required in this case.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which the memory storage device comprises a chip and pin card, RFID card, smartcard or other suitable device. In this way, a more secure method of storing information is provided. Furthermore, a wide variety of technologies may be used with the invention.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which the step of associating the CI a purchase details record comprises introducing the memory storage device to a memory storage device reader in the POS terminal and transmitting the CI to the transaction server as part of the purchase details. In this way, the tourist has a simple and effective method of generating and assigning Cls to purchase details records. Additionally, the tourist does not need to remember the Cls or associated codes.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The invention will now be more clearly understood from the following description of some embodiments thereof given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a computerised system in which the method according to the present invention is performed; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of a record of purchase details records in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawings and initially to Figure 1 thereof, there is shown a computerised system, indicated generally by the reference numeral 1 , comprising a transaction server 3 and a plurality of electronic point of sale (ePOS) terminals 5 in communication with the transaction server 3 over a communication network 7. The computerised system further comprises transaction server memory 9 having a plurality of purchase details records (not shown) stored thereon, each comprising the Unique Identifier (Ul) of the tourist who made the purchase. The computerised system 1 further comprises a remote personal computer (PC) 15 having access to the transaction server 3 over the communication network 7 and a printer 17 connected to the PC 15. The plurality of ePOS terminals each further comprise a visual display 19 and an alphanumeric keypad 21 to permit insertion of data into the ePOS for onward transmission to the transaction server 3. The PC 15 is further equipped with a web interface (not shown) for the transaction server such that the tourist can access details stored in the transaction server memory 9.

The plurality of ePOS terminals 5 will be located remote from the transaction server 3 and remote from each other. It is envisaged that one of the ePOS terminals may be located in one jurisdiction and the other ePOS terminals 5 may be located in a different jurisdiction to the first ePOS terminal 5. Indeed, each of the ePOS terminals 5 could be located in a different jurisdiction from the others. Furthermore, the PC 15 is located remote from the transaction server 3 and may be in a separate jurisdiction. The transaction server is shown connected to transaction server memory 9, but it will be understood that the transaction server memory 9 could be located remote from the transaction server 3 in a location separate from the transaction server 3 or in another jurisdiction to the transaction server.

In use, a tourist (not shown) is provided with a Ul. The Ul may be in the form of an alphanumeric code or other identifier that is particular to that individual. The tourist may be provided with the Ul prior to or during their first purchase of goods. A tourist data record related to the Ul and hence the tourist is stored in transaction server memory 9. Details of purchases associated with the unique identifier are also stored in transaction server memory 9 as purchase details records. Each purchase details record may comprise one or more Category Identifiers (Cls), which are assigned to the purchase details record either by the tourist or by the transaction server.

The manner in which purchases and the tourist are associated with the Ul is more thoroughly described in the applicant's own PCT Patent Publication No. WO 2008/049461 and it is not deemed necessary to elaborate further on the manner in which transactions are carried out to associate the transaction or the individual with the Ul as this is already understood by reference to the above-identified PCT patent application.

Referring now to Fig. 2, in which like parts have been given the same reference numerals as before, there is shown a diagrammatic representation of a table indicated generally by the reference numeral 201 comprising a number of purchase details records, as stored in transaction server memory 9. It will be understood that this table is for diagrammatic purposes only and additional information may be omitted or provided. The table 201 comprises columns relating to the date 203 the purchase took place, the time 204 the purchase took place, the item 205 purchased, the VAT rate 206 applied, the retailer 207 who sold the item, the price including VAT 208, the price excluding VAT 209, the VAT amount 210, whether VAT was charged 21 1 and the Category Identifier (CI) 212. The fields 203, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 209, 210, 21 1 and 212 detail the various purchases made by a tourist over a period of time. In the example shown, it can be seen that the tourist purchased some crystal glassware from Waterford Crystal on August 1 st, 2006 at 15.58 in the afternoon. The VAT rate due on this purchase was 21 % and the purchase price was€185.00. Of that, the price excluding VAT was€152.89 and the VAT amount charged equalled€32.1 1. The VAT was charged on that purchase. Similarly, it can be seen that on August 2nd, 2006 at 1 1.47 pm, the tourist purchased a photo reproduction (which is charged for vat purposes in Ireland as a service) in Blarney Woollen Mills for€120.00. The rate of VAT for the woodcarving was 13.5% and therefore the price excluding VAT was€105.73 and the VAT paid was€14.27. Again VAT was charged on this purchase. A CI of "Ireland June" 213 has been applied to purchase details records relating to purchases made in Ireland in June and that a CI of "Ireland August" 214 has been applied to purchase details records made relating to purchases in Ireland in August.

Once the tourist has been allocated a Ul, a CI may be applied to a purchase details record in response to an action taken by the tourist or alternatively a CI may be applied automatically by the transaction server. A CI may be applied at the time the purchase transaction takes place or at a later date in response to retrospective analysis by the transaction server or the tourist, or in some cases a third party.

A tourist may cause a particular CI to be applied to purchase details record in many ways. The tourist may access the transaction server via its web interface in advance of a trip abroad in order to define Cls and the conditions for their assignment to purchase transaction records. The tourist may define Cls using a word or phrase or alternatively may use a more complex string of alphanumeric characters. The tourist may define the conditions for assigning a CI based on the date, time, value, retailer, jurisdiction, payment method or other information that may be found in the purchase details received from the ePOS terminal during the purchase. For example, the tourist may choose to assign the CI "Ireland" to purchases made by credit card during the first week in August as he knows that he will be in Ireland during that time and intends to shop using his credit card. Alternatively, a tourist may access the web interface of the transaction server during his trip to retroactively define Cls and the conditions for their assignment to purchase transaction records. In a first mode of such operation, he may manually define one or more Cls and assign a CI to one or more of the purchase details records comprising his Ul that have been stored. He may also define Cls and conditions for their assignment during a trip. The tourist may choose to have the newly defined Cls and conditions applied retroactively for all purchase details records comprising his Ul that have been stored. The tourist may choose for the newly defined conditions to be applied only to purchase details records comprising his Ul that are stored subsequent to the definition of the conditions for automatic assignment of CIs. In this case, the tourist would generally then manually apply CIs to the purchase details records that have already been stored.

The transaction server may also assign CIs on an automatic basis without input from the tourist at any stage of the process. Such automatic assignment of CIs may be based on the purchase details received from the ePOS terminal. Information received in the purchase details may include date, time, value, retailer, jurisdiction, payment method and thus a CI relating to any these factors may be automatically applied by the transaction server.

A tourist may also apply a CI to a purchase details record stored in transaction server memory by including the relevant CI in the purchase details transmitted from the ePOS terminal to the transaction server. This may be achieved in many ways. For example, the tourist could be prompted by the ePOS terminal to enter a CI through the alphanumeric keyboard of the ePOS terminal. In such a case, the ePOS terminal may supply a list of previously defined CIs to the tourist via the visual display from which the tourist may select one or more CIs to be applied. The tourist may enter the CI as is it displayed to him or he may simply enter a corresponding code. For example, in a list of four possible CIs, the tourist may enter "A" to assign the first CI to the current purchase. Alternatively the tourist may enter the CI in a freeform manner via the alphanumeric display. Additionally, the tourist may simply be able to enter a code or other form of CI at the ePOS terminal without being prompted. In this way the tourist may enter a CI or associated code in the manner that a person would enter a PIN when using a Chip & Pin payment card.

Alternatively, the CI may be applied through an interaction with the ePOS terminal, the transaction server and the payment processing system used to process payments made by credit or debit cards. For example, if the tourist was paying using a Chip and Pin card, he may be able to add a further digit to the PIN, which digit may then be forwarded to the transaction server and used to assign a CI to the purchase details record.

In the specification the terms 'comprise', 'comprises', 'comprised' and 'comprising' or any variation thereof and the terms 'include', 'includes', 'included' or 'including' or any variation thereof are considered to be totally interchangeable and they should all be afforded the widest possible interpretation. The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described but may be varied in both construction and detail within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1 ) A method of processing transactions that qualify for a refund of duty in a system comprising a transaction server having transaction server memory and a plurality of electronic point of sale (ePOS) terminals in communication with the transaction server over a communication network, the method comprising the steps of: the transaction server providing a tourist with a Unique Identifier (Ul); on completion of a purchase by the tourist at an ePOS terminal, the transaction server receiving purchase details from the ePOS terminal, the purchase details comprising the tourist's Ul; the transaction server storing the purchase details in a purchase details record in transaction server memory; the transaction server generating a purchase record report of the purchase details records stored in transaction server memory comprising that tourist's Ul for submission to a customs official for validation; the transaction server receiving a customs-validated purchase record report; the transaction server receiving a tourist refund request from the tourist; the transaction server reconciling the customs-validated purchase record report and the tourist refund request; and initialising a refund payment to the tourist, if applicable, characterised in that the method further comprises the steps of; the transaction server associating a Category Identifier (CI) with one or more purchase details records comprising the tourist's Ul; and the step of the transaction server generating a purchase record report of the purchase details records stored in transaction server memory comprising that tourist's Ul further comprises generating a purchase record report of purchase details records having a particular CI associated therewith.

A method of processing transactions as claimed in claim 1 in which the CI is generated by the tourist and is transmitted to the transaction server.

A method of processing transactions as claimed in claim 2 in which the transaction server receives instructions from the tourist to associate the CI with the one or more purchase details records.

A method of processing transactions as claimed in claim 1 in which the CI is automatically generated by the transaction server.

A method of processing transactions as claimed in claim 4 in which the CI is automatically generated by the transaction server in response to information comprised in the purchase details.

A method of processing transactions as claimed in claim 5 in which the CI is automatically generated by the transaction server in response to information comprised in the purchase details relating to the country of origin of the purchase transaction.

A method of processing transactions as claimed in claim 5 or 6 in which the CI is automatically generated by the transaction server in response to information comprised in the purchase details relating to the time and date of the purchase transaction.

A method of processing transactions as claimed in any preceding claim in which the CI is automatically generated by the transaction server in response to pre-defined conditions stored in transaction server memory.

9) A method of processing transactions as claimed in any preceding claim in which the transaction server receives the CI with the purchase details received from the POS terminal.

10) A method of processing transactions as claimed in any preceding claim in which the POS terminal is remote from the transaction server.

1 1 ) A method of processing transactions as claimed in any preceding claim in which the CI is assigned based on the payment method used for a transaction. 12) A method of processing transactions as claimed in any preceding claim in which the step of the transaction server generating a purchase record report of purchase details records having a particular CI associated therewith comprises entering the Ul and CI in a separate device having access to the transaction server.

13) A method of processing transactions as claimed in claim 12 in which the device has access to the transaction server through a dedicated communication channel. 14) A method of processing transactions as claimed in claim 12 in which the device has access to the transaction server through a web interface.

15) A method of processing transactions as claimed in any preceding claim in which the CI is stored in a memory storage device.

16) A method of processing transactions as claimed in claim 15 in which the memory storage device is a magnetic swipe card.

17) A method of processing transactions as claimed in claim 15 in which the memory storage device comprises a chip and pin card, RFID card, or smartcard.

18) A method of processing transactions as claimed in any of claims 15 to 17 in which the step of associating the CI a purchase details record comprises introducing the memory storage device to a memory storage device reader in the POS terminal and transmitting the CI to the transaction server as part of the purchase details.