Server-based eligibility detection

Abstract

The present invention provides a seller device, server device, system, and method for indicating to shoppers whether a purchase is tax-exempt or not. [Solution] In the system, the seller device receives shopper identification information to identify a shopper and purchase identification information to identify one or more items. Based on the shopper identification information, it requests shopper eligibility information from the server device. The shopper eligibility information allows the seller device to determine whether a shopper is permitted to purchase one or more items tax-free, based on a determination of whether purchasing one or more items tax-free would satisfy the professional buyer requirements for the total purchase information associated with the shopper. If the shopper eligibility information indicates that the shopper is not permitted to make a purchase, the seller device notifies the shopper that they are not eligible to make a tax-free purchase.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] A seller device, a server device, a system, and a method are provided.

[0002] It can be useful to provide a server-based system for reconciling the eligibility of operations performed at various different locations.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] According to a first aspect of the present technology, a receiving circuit configured to receive shopper identification information for identifying a shopper and purchase identification information for identifying one or more items; a communication circuit configured to request shopper eligibility information from a server device based on the shopper identification information, wherein the shopper eligibility information enables identification of whether the shopper is permitted to purchase one or more items tax-free based on a determination of whether purchase total information associated with the shopper satisfies professional buyer conditions by purchasing one or more items tax-free; a control circuit configured to notify that the shopper does not have the qualification to make a tax-free purchase in response to the shopper eligibility information indicating that the shopper is not permitted to make the purchase; A seller device including the above is provided.

[0004] According to a second aspect of the present technology, a communication circuit configured to receive from a seller device a request for a shopper eligibility check including shopper identification information for identifying a shopper; a control circuit configured to generate shopper eligibility information that enables identification of whether the shopper is permitted to purchase one or more items tax-free based on a determination of whether purchase total information associated with the shopper satisfies professional buyer conditions by purchasing one or more items tax-free; A server device including the above is provided, The communication circuit is configured to transmit shopper eligibility information to the seller's device.

[0005] According to a third aspect of this technology, a system is provided comprising a server device according to the second aspect and at least one seller device according to the first aspect.

[0006] According to a fourth aspect of this technology, a method for operating a seller's device is provided, the method is: The steps include receiving shopper identification information to identify a shopper and purchase identification information to identify one or more items, A step of requesting shopper eligibility information from a server device based on shopper identification information and purchase identification information, wherein the shopper eligibility information enables identification of whether the shopper is permitted to purchase one or more items tax-free, based on a determination of whether the total purchase information associated with the shopper will satisfy the professional buyer conditions by purchasing one or more items tax-free; In response to the shopper eligibility information indicating that the shopper is not permitted to make the purchase, the shopper is notified that he / she is not eligible to make the purchase tax-free. Includes.

[0007] According to a fifth aspect of this technology, The steps include receiving a request from the seller's device for shopper eligibility verification, which includes shopper identification information to identify the shopper, and purchase identification information to identify one or more items that the shopper wishes to purchase tax-free, A step of generating shopper eligibility information that enables identification of whether a shopper is permitted to purchase one or more items tax-free, based on a determination of whether the total purchase information associated with the shopper will meet the professional buyer requirements by purchasing one or more items tax-free, The steps include transmitting shopper eligibility information to the seller's device, A method for operating a server device is provided, including the following.

[0008] This technology is described further for illustrative purposes only, with reference to its configuration shown in the attached drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Several configurations of the vendor equipment and server equipment of this technology are schematically shown. [Figure 2] The sequence of steps performed by several configurations of this technology is outlined below. [Figure 3a] Several configurations of the vendor's device based on this technology are schematically shown. [Figure 3b] Several configurations of the vendor's device based on this technology are schematically shown. [Figure 4] A schematic diagram of server devices based on several configurations of this technology is shown below. [Figure 5a] The sequence of steps performed by the vendor equipment and server equipment in several configurations of this technology is outlined below. [Figure 5b] The sequence of steps performed by the vendor equipment and server equipment in several configurations of this technology is outlined below. [Figure 6] The following outlines some examples of professional buyer requirements based on various configurations of this technology. [Figure 7] The following outlines some examples of professional buyer requirements based on various configurations of this technology. [Figure 8a] The following outlines some examples of professional buyer requirements based on various configurations of this technology. [Figure 8b] The following outlines some examples of professional buyer requirements based on various configurations of this technology. [Figure 8c] The following outlines some examples of professional buyer requirements based on various configurations of this technology. [Figure 8d] The following outlines some examples of professional buyer requirements based on various configurations of this technology. [Figure 9] A schematic diagram of an apparatus with several configurations of this technology is shown below. [Figure 10] Schematically shows the order of steps implemented by some configurations of the present technology. [Figure 11] Schematically shows the order of steps implemented by some configurations of the present technology.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] The ability for shoppers traveling to a foreign region to purchase at least some items duty - free has created an opportunity for professional buyers to utilize the advantage of duty - free rates when purchasing items in bulk within a foreign region (e.g., a foreign country or a group of foreign countries having a common tax framework) for the purpose of exporting those items and selling them outside that foreign region. This approach can enable professional buyers to obtain profits while selling items at prices still lower than those normally available in regions outside that foreign region. The actions of professional buyers are not necessarily illegal in all regions, but sellers are being pressured in some regions to take measures to restrict the duty - free sale of items to potential professional buyers.

[0011] The inventors recognized that it can be difficult for professional buyers to be recognized, especially when a shopper (who may be a potential professional buyer) visits one or more stores within a store chain multiple times. In such a scenario, the seller (e.g., a shop clerk or store worker) serving the shopper may be different for different visits by that shopper, and as a result, the seller does not necessarily recognize that the same shopper is bulk - buying the inventory of a particular item or set of items.

[0012] According to some configurations of this technology, a seller device is provided which includes a receiving circuit configured to receive shopper identification information for identifying a shopper and purchase identification information for identifying one or more items. The seller device also includes a communication circuit configured to request shopper eligibility information from a server device based on the shopper identification information, the communication circuit enabling identification of whether a shopper is permitted to purchase one or more items tax-free, based on a determination of whether the purchase of one or more items tax-free would satisfy the conditions for a professional buyer. The seller device also includes a control circuit which, in response to the shopper eligibility information indicating that the shopper is not permitted to make the purchase, notifies the shopper that the purchase is not eligible to make the purchase tax-free.

[0013] Different regions offer different approaches to duty-free shopping. This approach may include an approach without VAT (Value Added Tax) where shoppers identify themselves as foreign visitors and purchase items without paying VAT. Shoppers may be provided with additional documents that must be presented to the region at the time of their subsequent departure to approve their purchases. Alternatively, an approach with VAT may be taken, in which case the shopper purchases the item at a price including VAT, identifies themselves as a foreign visitor when making the purchase, and documents (or digital records of duty-free transactions) are provided to enable the shopper to reclaim the VAT at the time of approval upon departure from the foreign region. In both cases, in order to determine whether the shopper is a foreign visitor (and thus potentially eligible for duty-free shopping), the seller device receives shopper identification information in combination with purchase identification information identifying the item the shopper wishes to purchase. The inventors recognized that this identification information could also be used to identify potential professional buyers. The seller device therefore requests shopper eligibility information from the server device, and the server device may be used to record details related to the shopper and / or the shopping behavior of duty-free transactions associated with the shopper.

[0014] The server device may be a local server device, for example local to the store, local to the store chain, or local to the shopping mall where the store is located. Alternatively, the server may be non-local, for example the server may be a server associated with a foreign region or an international server associated with multiple regions (further details of the server device are discussed below). The seller device uses a communication circuit to communicate with the server to request shopper eligibility information. The communication circuit transmits a request including shopper identification information to the server device.

[0015] Shopper eligibility information is used to determine whether purchasing one or more items will result in the total purchase meeting the professional buyer criteria. The determination may be made by a server device or a seller device. For example, in some configurations, a communication circuit transmits purchase identification information to a server device. The server device then performs a determination and returns a notification, as shopper eligibility information, indicating whether completing a purchase of one or more items will result in the shopper meeting the professional buyer criteria. Alternatively, in some configurations, the determination may be made by a seller device. In such configurations, the shopper eligibility information may indicate the current purchase total (or current purchase total) associated with the shopper, enabling the seller device to perform the determination. The determination may then be made by the seller device based on the purchase information.

[0016] Regardless of whether the determination is performed on the seller's device or the server device, the determination identifies whether the shopper can proceed with purchasing one or more items tax-free, or whether completing the purchase would satisfy the shopper's professional buyer requirements. If completing the purchase would satisfy the shopper's professional buyer requirements, the control circuit notifies the shopper that the purchase is not eligible for tax exemption. The shopper may then choose to purchase only a subset of the one or more items, in which case further determination may be made to determine whether the subset of the one or more items would satisfy the shopper's professional buyer requirements. Alternatively, the shopper may choose to cancel the purchase or purchase the items without requesting tax exemption. In some configurations, notifying of ineligibility prevents the seller from completing the tax-free shopping transaction, but in some configurations the seller may choose to overlook the shopper's ineligibility for tax exemption and proceed with the transaction tax-free despite the notified ineligibility. In other words, the signal may be provided as a warning that the shopper meets the professional buyer requirements, but may not actively prevent the seller from issuing a tax-free transaction.

[0017] Providing shopper eligibility information to the seller's device may be done, for example, based on a search of shopper identification information in a database by a server device. The database may identify previous purchase information for each of several shoppers, identifying one or more previous purchases made by that shopper. Further details and options related to the provision of shopper eligibility information are provided below.

[0018] In some configurations, the control circuit performs one or more steps to complete a purchase and send a purchase completion notification to the server device, depending on shopper eligibility information indicating that the shopper is authorized to make a purchase. The purchase completion information may include purchase identification information (for example, if this has not yet been sent to the server device). Alternatively, or additionally, the purchase completion information may include shopper identification information, or a unique transaction identification number provided by the server device in association with, for example, shopper eligibility information. The inclusion of shopper identification information or eligibility identification number may be used by the server device to associate the purchase information (included in the purchase completion notification or previously provided in a request for shopper eligibility information) with shopper information already stored in the server device, for example, in a database accessible by the server device. One or more steps to complete a purchase may include receiving currency from the shopper, for example, in the form of cash, credit card, debit card, cryptocurrency, and / or digital currency. One or more steps to complete a purchase may further include communicating with the card issuer associated with the shopper and triggering a financial transaction between the seller and the shopper.

[0019] Shopper identification information may include any information appropriate for identifying a shopper. In some configurations, a receiving circuit is configured to receive travel identification information that identifies a shopper's trip, and a communication circuit is configured to request shopper eligibility information based on arrival date information. Travel identification information may include arrival date information, such as flight (or other commercial or private transport) information that identifies the date on which the flight (or other commercial or private transport) carrying the traveler arrived in the area. Arrival date information may be used in determining shopper eligibility information to ensure that only purchases made during the current visit to the area are considered when making the determination. For example, traveler eligibility information may be based only on purchases of items made on or after the arrival date (i.e., on or after the arrival date). Alternatively, travel identification information may indicate a calendar year (or calendar month) and / or a predefined number of days. For example, travel identification information may indicate a calendar month of the trip, and total information may correspond to the total over that calendar month. Alternatively, travel identification information may identify a predefined number of days, and total information may correspond to the total over that predefined number of days. In some configurations, the information included in the travel identification information and how it relates to the total information may be dynamically configurable. The travel identification information may identify a traveler's current trip or multiple trips by the traveler.

[0020] In some configurations, shopper identification information and / or travel identification information is based on the shopper's passport. In some regions, the shopper's passport is provided with stamps (or stickers) indicating the dates of entry into and exit from the region. The shopper's passport can therefore be used to provide complete shopper identification information and / or travel identification information. In some configurations, the shopper may record their identification information and travel identification information digitally, for example, before their visit to a foreign region. The shopper may then be provided with identification information such as, for example, a username, a user identification number, a one-dimensional code (e.g., a barcode), a two-dimensional code (e.g., a QR code), or other identification information that would be obvious to a person skilled in the art. The identification information may be provided in the form of a visitor card and / or stored on the user's mobile device (e.g., a smartphone). The identification information can then be provided to the seller's device as shopper identification information, which can then be used to determine the shopper's identity and / or date of arrival by performing a lookup in a database.

[0021] In some configurations, the receiving circuit includes a passport scanning circuit configured to scan a passport to obtain at least one of shopper identification information and travel identification information. In some configurations, the receiving circuit is configured to receive shopper identification information and / or travel identification information entered by the operator of the merchant equipment. In some configurations, the equipment may be configured to receive shopper identification information from the passport scanning circuit, and arrival data information may be entered by the operator of the merchant equipment (e.g., the seller or store worker).

[0022] In some configurations, the control circuit notifies the seller device operator of a threshold alert upon receiving a threshold alert indicating that the number of remaining purchases before a shopper is identified as a professional buyer is below a threshold. A threshold alert may also be notified to the seller device operator if, for example, it is impossible for the shopper to make any further purchases without meeting the professional buyer requirements. The threshold alert may also be sent to the shopper, for example, via an application on the shopper's smartphone. The threshold alert may indicate the total remaining allowable value (e.g., items and / or the cost of items) that the shopper can purchase before meeting the professional buyer requirements.

[0023] The total purchase can be defined in various ways. In some configurations, the total purchase information corresponds to purchases belonging to at least one purchase category. For example, only certain purchases (e.g., target products) may qualify as criteria set to define whether a buyer is considered a professional buyer. Alternatively, or additionally, different limits may be set in relation to different product categories. For example, some products may be perceived as particularly attractive to professional buyers, and products grouped into those categories may be offered lower limits (in terms of either quantity or cost) than products considered less attractive to professional buyers.

[0024] In some configurations, purchase categories include consumables and / or non-consumables. In some configurations, purchase categories can be specified at a finer level of granularity. For example, purchase categories may relate to product types, such as electronic goods or telecommunications devices. In some configurations, purchase categories may relate to products that fall within a certain price range.

[0025] In some configurations, the professional buyer condition requires that the total of a first purchase category related to consumables exceeds a consumable threshold, and / or that the total of a second purchase category related to non-consumables exceeds a non-consumable threshold. The professional buyer may therefore be defined with respect to purchased consumables, purchased non-consumables, or a combination of both purchased consumables and purchased non-consumables.

[0026] In some configurations, professional buyer criteria are defined for each purchase category. For example, different thresholds may be provided for each category, relating to both the total cost of items within the category and / or the total number of items purchased from that category. As mentioned above, categories may be broad categories such as consumables or non-consumables. Alternatively, or additionally, categories may relate to the classification of specific items such as telecommunications equipment / devices, computing equipment / devices, electronic equipment / devices, jewelry, watches, and / or perfumes. In some configurations, categories may relate to specific items. In some configurations, categories may include only items exceeding a predetermined value.

[0027] In some configurations, the total purchase information includes the total number of products purchased per store. In some configurations, the total purchase information includes the total number of products that have a value greater than a predefined limit for each store. In some configurations, the total purchase information includes the total number of specific products purchased per store.

[0028] In some configurations, total purchase information is calculated during the shopper's current trip. The shopper's current trip may be determined based, for example, on arrival date information and the current date. In some configurations, the shopper's current trip may be determined based on the purchase date of each item purchased by the shopper. For example, if there is a gap of more than a certain number of days / weeks / months between the purchase dates of products, products purchased before that gap may not be considered to form part of the current trip.

[0029] In some configurations, total purchase information is calculated based on the purchase history associated with the shopper. This purchase history may be stored, for example, by a server device, and may include the shopper's complete purchase history. Alternatively, the purchase history may include only specific items that are considered to contribute to, for example, whether professional buyer criteria are met.

[0030] In some configurations, purchase history includes the history of items purchased by shoppers from stores within a chain of stores, and total purchase information includes chain purchase totals associated with the chain. This approach helps prevent professional buyers from visiting multiple different stores within a chain of stores and purchasing the same one or more items from these stores in an attempt to circumvent professional buyer restrictions.

[0031] In some configurations, the purchase history includes the history of items purchased by a shopper from the same store, and the total purchase information includes the total store purchases associated with the store. Store-specific totals may be stored in addition to, or as an alternative to, the chain purchase totals. In some configurations, professional buyer criteria may be defined as store-specific professional buyer criteria and chain-specific professional buyer criteria.

[0032] In some configurations, the purchase history includes an item total indicating the number of times an item has been purchased, and the purchase total information includes item purchase totals associated with the item. Item purchase total information may be used in addition to, or as a substitute for, chain purchase totals and store purchase totals. Providing item purchase totals helps prevent professional buyers from attempting to circumvent professional buyer limits by purchasing items in bulk from different stores that are part of different chains. In some configurations, the professional buyer condition may be met based on a combination of the number of items purchased (in total or within one or more predetermined categories) and the total amount spent by the shopper (in total or within one or more predetermined categories).

[0033] In some configurations, a server device is provided that includes a communication circuit configured to receive requests from a seller device for shopper eligibility verification, which includes shopper identification information for identifying a shopper. The server device also includes a control circuit configured to generate shopper eligibility information that enables identification of whether a shopper is permitted to purchase one or more items tax-free, based on a determination of whether the total purchase information associated with the shopper would satisfy the professional buyer conditions by purchasing one or more items tax-free. The communication circuit is configured to transmit the shopper eligibility information to the seller device.

[0034] Server devices may be provided on a store-by-store, chain-by-chain, region-by-region (for example, if the region includes multiple different geographical areas such as states, counties, or countries), territory-by-territory, or worldwide. A server may include a storage circuit configured to store a database from which shoppers are identified based on shopper identification information and which stores shopper history information indicating the shopper's previous purchases. A server may perform a search within the database based on shopper identification information to identify shopper history information from which shopper eligibility information can be generated. A server may also receive information identifying one or more items that a shopper wishes to purchase and may perform a determination as to whether the shopper is permitted to purchase those items tax-free. Alternatively, shopper eligibility information may be provided to a seller device configured to make a determination based on information identifying purchases that have been notified to the seller device but not provided to the server device. In such a configuration, if a shopper is eligible to purchase one or more items tax-free, the seller device then transmits purchase identification information to the server device, thereby allowing the server device to update the history information stored in the database.

[0035] In some configurations, the request for shopper eligibility verification includes travel identification information, and the control circuit is configured to determine, based on the travel identification information, purchases made during the shopper's current trip. The server device may store, for example, date information in a database indicating the date on which purchases made by the shopper were made. The date information may be used in combination with the travel identification information to determine whether the purchase was made during the shopper's current trip. For example, the date information stored in relation to the shopper may be compared against the arrival date included in the travel identification information, and purchases made on or after the arrival date are counted as part of the current trip.

[0036] In some configurations, the control circuit is configured to perform at least one accuracy check on the travel identification information and, in response to the travel identification information failing at least one accuracy check, to cause the communication circuit to send an error notification to the seller's device. For example, at least one accuracy check may include a validity check to determine whether the travel identification is valid for a foreign visitor. For example, the control circuit may be configured to compare the travel identification against the current date (i.e., the date on which the arrival date information was received) and may trigger the sending of an error notification if the travel identification identifies a future date or a date beyond a predetermined number of days in the past.

[0037] In some configurations, at least one consistency check includes comparing travel identification information with travel identification information provided in one or more recent purchase records associated with shopper information. For example, if travel identification information is provided each time a shopper makes a purchase, consistency checks can be performed between different purchases, and an error can be triggered if there is a discrepancy between travel identification information, such as arrival data identified in one travel identification information being earlier than arrival date information included in one of the recent purchase records.

[0038] In some configurations, the server device includes a storage circuit configured to store shopper record information identifying shoppers and purchase total information associated with the shoppers. The control circuit, upon receiving a request from the seller device, retrieves at least one stored purchase total associated with the shopper from the storage circuit and performs a determination by calculating the purchase total based on at least one stored purchase total and the purchase information. The storage circuit may be configured to store shopper records in a database having multiple entries, each entry containing shopper record information for one of multiple shoppers. The shopper record information may store the purchase total information in any form. For example, in some configurations, the purchase total may be stored as is, i.e., as a sequence of bits indicating the purchase total upon decoding. In other alternative configurations, the purchase total may be stored as information indicating each purchase made by the shopper, and the purchase total can be identified (calculated) from the information indicating each purchase. In some configurations, both the purchase total and the information from which the purchase total can be derived are stored. The storage circuit may be located in a central location, or it may consist of distributed storage stored in multiple physical locations. In some configurations, each entry may include historical information identifying whether the shopper has previously been identified as a potential professional buyer. In some configurations, the historical information may be displayed on the seller device in addition to or as part of the shopper eligibility information.

[0039] In some configurations, the server device updates the shopper record associated with the shopper upon receiving a purchase completion notification from the seller device. Updating the shopper record may be performed entirely upon receipt of purchase completion information. Alternatively, the shopper record may be updated before the purchase completion notification is received, but may not be finalized until the purchase completion notification is received. For example, the update total may be calculated before the purchase completion notification is provided, but may not be stored until the purchase completion information is received. If a shopper is identified as a potential professional buyer, a mark of that identification may be stored in the shopper record.

[0040] As mentioned above, professional buyer conditions may be based on the purchase category, cost, and / or the store from which the purchase was made. While these may be fixed conditions, in some configurations, professional buyer conditions are dynamically configurable. Professional buyer conditions may differ in different areas and may be modified in light of the laws or regulations in those areas. Providing dynamic configurability for professional buyer conditions allows sellers to adapt conditions imposed based on local laws or practices and / or seller preferences.

[0041] In some configurations, professional buyer conditions can be configured on a per-store and / or per-store chain basis. For example, some stores may choose to implement stricter professional buyer conditions, while others may choose to implement more lenient conditions. Conditions may be updated either by an authorized user logging into the server's control interface or via a seller device. Conditions may be set by a central tax authority in accordance with one or more local laws or regulations. Configurable professional buyer conditions can be specified in terms of any mathematical or logical formula that takes as input the item category, the cost of the item, the time in which the item was purchased, etc. Professional buyer conditions may be a single condition, or they may require a logical combination of conditions that must be satisfied in order for the professional buyer conditions to be met.

[0042] In some configurations, the control circuit, upon determining that a shopper is eligible to purchase one or more items tax-free, determines a remaining purchase allowance that indicates the number of remaining purchases the shopper can make tax-free without meeting the professional buyer requirements. If the remaining purchase count is below the threshold, the control circuit causes the communication circuit to send a threshold warning indicating that the remaining purchase count is below the threshold. The threshold may be a dynamically configurable threshold (e.g., set by the seller) or a static threshold. In addition to indicating that the remaining purchase count is below the threshold, the threshold warning also indicates how many more purchases the shopper can make before meeting the professional buyer requirements.

[0043] Several components of this technology are described below in relation to the diagram.

[0044] Figure 1 schematically shows a system 10 that may be used according to several configurations of the present technology to help a seller identify a user's eligibility. The system comprises a seller device 16 and a server device 24. The system may also comprise one or more additional seller devices (not shown) provided, for example, within the same store, in different stores, or within a chain of stores. The seller devices 16 and the server device 24 are connected to each other, for example, via a local area network or a wide area network.

[0045] The seller device 16 comprises a receiving circuit 18, a communication circuit 20, and a control circuit 22. The receiving circuit 18 is configured to receive user identification information 12 that identifies a user who wishes to purchase one or more items, and purchase information 14 that identifies one or more items that the user wishes to purchase. The purchase information 14 may include, for each item, a code that identifies the item, a description of the item, the cost of the item (e.g., tax-inclusive or tax-exclusive), and / or information that identifies the category of the item. The receiving circuit 18 passes the user identification information 12 and the purchase information 14 to the communication circuit 20, which requests user eligibility from the server device 24. After requesting user eligibility information, the communication circuit 20 waits to receive the user eligibility information from the server device 24. Upon receiving the user eligibility information, the control circuit 22 determines whether the user identified by the shopper identification information 12 is eligible to make the purchase identified in the purchase information 14 tax-free. If the control circuit 22 determines that the user is eligible to purchase one or more items tax-free, the control circuit 22 enables the seller device 16 to perform one or more steps to complete the purchase tax-free and send a purchase completion notification to the server device. Alternatively, if the control circuit 22 identifies that the user is ineligible to purchase one or more items tax-free, the control circuit 22 notifies the seller of the user's ineligibility.

[0046] The server device 24 comprises a communication circuit 26 and a control circuit 30. The communication circuit 26 is configured to receive requests from the seller device 16 (for example, via a local area network or a wide area network). The requests include shopper identification information 12. In response to receiving a request by the communication circuit 26, the control circuit 30 generates eligibility information to be used to determine whether the shopper identified in the request will meet the professional buyer requirements by purchasing one or more items tax-free. The communication circuit 26 is configured to return the eligibility information to the seller device 16 so that the seller device can identify the user's eligibility.

[0047] Figure 2 illustrates an approach to obtaining a tax refund associated with a purchase in several regions. The approach shown in Figure 2 involves User 1 (for example, a shopper who may also be a tourist), who informs Seller 3 that User 1 is a foreign visitor from outside the region and wishes to request a refund of the Sales Tax (VAT) for their purchase. Seller 3 issues a seller invoice and a VAT refund form to Tourist 1 for the purchase. Subsequently, when the Tourist leaves the region, the seller invoice and VAT refund form are presented to Customs 5 along with the goods. Customs 5 then determines eligibility and approves the VAT refund form. The tax authorities 7 then receive the approved VAT refund form and invoice and process the tax refund. Payment is then made to User 1 to refund the Sales Tax (VAT).

[0048] Payment to User 1 may take any appropriate form, such as crediting the tax refund amount onto a payment card, giving User 1 cash, or transferring funds into User 1's account. For example, User 1 may prefer that the payment be made directly into their bank account. User 1 provides a bank account for which the payment will be processed and completed. It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the described tax-free shopping flow is only one of several tax-free shopping flows that may be implemented in different areas based on local laws and requirements.

[0049] For example, while a tax refund may be provided by the tax authorities, the tax refund process may instead be facilitated by one or more intermediary companies that perform one or more steps to facilitate the payment of the refund to the traveler. The tax refund form may be specific to the intermediary company and may be in digital form, stored on a server belonging to the intermediary company, for example, associated with the shopper's digital identifier. In such a configuration, the tax on the purchase is paid to the intermediary company by the shop. Then, when the tax refund form is approved, the intermediary company may refund the tax or a portion of the tax to the shopper after deducting a fee. If the shopper does not approve the tax refund form, the intermediary company can pass the tax on to the tax authorities to ensure that the tax requirements are met.

[0050] The provision of duty-free shopping is open to exploitation, for example, by requiring professional buyers to purchase desired items in bulk at a reduced price, i.e., duty-free price, before exporting the items and reselling them outside the territory, for example, in the home territory of a professional buyer, at a price higher than the duty-free price but lower than the price in the home territory. This practice may be legal in some territories, and some territories may require sellers to take measures to reduce or prevent this practice.

[0051] As mentioned above, identifying potential professional buyers can be difficult. For example, professional buyers may visit the same store multiple times over several days, visit multiple stores within a chain, and / or use multiple different means of payment for items. Such behavior makes it very unlikely that a professional buyer will be served by the same seller, and their shopping behavior can be difficult to detect. Therefore, the system described in Figure 1 can be used to help sellers identify the suitability of users.

[0052] Figure 3a schematically shows a seller device 42 in several configurations of the present technology. The seller device 42 comprises a receiving circuit 44, a communication circuit 48, and a control circuit 50. The functions of the communication circuit 48 and the control circuit 50 are the same as those described in relation to the seller device in Figure 2, and for the sake of brevity, this description is omitted here. The receiving circuit 44 is configured to receive purchase identification information and shopper identification information, as described in relation to Figure 2. The receiving circuit 44 includes a passport scanner circuit 46 configured to scan the shopper's passport 40. The passport scanner 46 is configured to identify information from the passport, such as the shopper's name and nationality. The passport scanner 46 may also identify one or more additional identifying details of the shopper, such as the passport number. The passport scanner circuit 46 may scan an image of the passport and use optical character recognition (OCR) to obtain one or more details of the passport. Alternatively, the passport scanner circuit 46 may be configured to read one or more computer-readable storage media embedded in the passport to determine the identifying information. Identification obtained from passports will be used as shopper identification information.

[0053] Figure 3b schematically illustrates alternative implementations of the seller device 50 in several configurations of the present technology. The seller device 50 comprises a receiving circuit 52, a communication circuit 54, and a control circuit 56. The functions of the communication circuit 54 and the control circuit 56 are the same as those described in relation to the seller device in Figure 2, and for brevity, their description is omitted here. The receiving circuit 52 is configured to receive purchase identification information and shopper identification information as described in relation to Figure 2. In particular, the receiving circuit 52 includes an interface for the seller to input traveler identification information. Traveler identification information may be read from a passport or other identification information of the shopper and entered (e.g., typed) by the seller. The information entered by the seller is used as shopper identification information.

[0054] Figure 4 schematically shows details of a server device 60 in several configurations of this technology. The server device 60 comprises a communication circuit 62, a control circuit 64, and a storage circuit 66. The storage circuit 66 is configured to store a database 68 of information indexed using shopper identification information, and to store purchase total information associated with each identified shopper stored in the database 68. The communication circuit 62 is configured to receive requests for shopper eligibility information from the seller device. Upon receiving a request, the control circuit 64 causes the storage circuit 66 to perform a search in the database 68 based on the shopper identification information, determine whether the database 68 contains the entry identified by that shopper identification information, and if so, retrieve the purchase total associated with that shopper identification information. If the database 68 does not contain information related to that shopper identification information (for example, because the request relates to a first purchase made by the shopper), the storage circuit 66 is configured to assign a new entry in the database 68 that represents the shopper identification information. The purchase total obtained from database 68 may be returned as shopper eligibility information to enable the seller device to determine whether one or more items that the shopper wishes to purchase will result in a purchase total that meets the professional buyer criteria. Alternatively, the control circuit may perform a determination based on purchase identification information that identifies one or more items that the shopper wishes to purchase, and return the result of the determination as the shopper eligibility criteria. It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the total referred to may relate to any of the totals described above. For example, the total may be the total number of items, the total cost, the total number of items of the same kind, the total cost of items of the same kind, the total number of items in a given category, the total cost of items in a given category, and / or the total cost or combination of items in multiple different categories. The total cost may be tax-exempt costs, tax-inclusive costs, and / or total tax amounts.

[0055] Figure 5a schematically illustrates the interaction between the seller device and the server device. In step 70, the seller device receives shopper identification information to identify the shopper. In step 72, the seller device receives purchase information identifying one or more items. In step 74, the seller device sends a request for shopper eligibility information to the server device. The request includes the shopper identification information received in step 70 and the purchase information received in step 72. In step 78, the server device retrieves the shopper record of the shopper identified in the shopper identification information and determines whether the total purchase information associated with the shopper will meet the professional buyer criteria by purchasing one or more items tax-free. The server device generates shopper eligibility information showing the result of the determination. In step 80, the server device sends the shopper eligibility information to the seller device. In step 82, the seller device notifies the seller of the shopper's eligibility. In the shown configuration, it is assumed that the shopper is eligible to purchase one or more items tax-free. In step 84, the shopper completes the purchase. In step 86, the seller device sends a notification to the server device that the shopper has completed their purchase. In step 88, the server device updates the shopper record to include the purchase of one or more items.

[0056] Figure 5b schematically illustrates an alternative interaction between the seller device and the server device. In step 170, the seller device receives shopper identification information to identify the shopper. In step 172, the seller device receives purchase information identifying one or more items. In step 174, the seller device sends a request for shopper eligibility information to the server device. The request includes the shopper identification information received in step 170, but does not necessarily include the purchase information received in step 172. In step 178, the server device retrieves the shopper record of the shopper identified in the shopper identification information and generates shopper eligibility information that includes information that allows the server device to determine whether the shopper is permitted to purchase one or more items tax-free. In step 180, the server device sends the shopper eligibility information to the seller device. In step 182, the seller device determines whether the shopper is permitted to purchase one or more items tax-free based on the shopper eligibility information and the purchase information received in step 172. In step 184, the seller device notifies the seller of the shopper's eligibility. In the configuration shown, it is assumed that the shopper is eligible to purchase one or more items tax-free. In step 186, the shopper completes the purchase. In step 188, the seller device sends a notification to the server device that the shopper has completed the purchase, and if the purchase information received in step 172 was not included in the initial request (sent in step 174), the purchase information is included in the completed purchase information. In step 190, the server device updates the shopper record to include the purchase of one or more items.

[0057] It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that steps 70 and 72 in Figure 5a, and steps 170 and 172 in Figure 5b, can be completed in either order or in parallel. It will be even more apparent that if the determination is that the shopper is ineligible to purchase one or more items tax-free, the seller may choose to cancel the transaction without completing steps 84, 86, and 88 in Figure 5a, or steps 186, 188, and 190 in Figure 5b. Furthermore, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the purchase information received in step 172 of Figure 5b may be received at any time prior to step 182, for example, the purchase information may be received following steps 174, 178, or 180.

[0058] Figure 6 schematically illustrates an exemplary determination of whether the professional buyer conditions are met. The determination is made based on a request 90 which includes shopper identification information and purchase information. The purchase information identifies the first item (Item 1) and the first quantity (Number 1) of the items that the shopper is requesting to purchase tax-free. The purchase information also identifies the second item (Item 2) and the second quantity (Number 2) of the items that the shopper is requesting to purchase tax-free. The shopper ID is searched in database 92, and the shopper record 94 corresponding to that shopper ID is retrieved from database 92. The items identified in request 90 are then searched in shopper record 94, and the number of these purchased items is read. In the example shown, Item 1 is searched in shopper record 94, the number of that item purchased, i.e., 8, is read, and this, along with the requested purchase quantity of that item, i.e., Number 1, is passed to the adder circuit 96. The requested purchase quantity of that item is added to the previous purchase quantity, and the total is output to the comparer circuit 100. Similarly, Item2 is searched in the shopper record 94, the number of purchases for that item, i.e., 0, is read out, and this, along with the requested number of purchases for that item, i.e., Number2, is passed to the adder circuit 98. The requested number of purchases for that item is added to the previous number of purchases, and the total is output to the comparison circuit 100. The comparison circuit 100 determines whether the totals passed from the adder circuits 96 and 98 meet the professional buyer criteria, and outputs the result of that determination.

[0059] Figure 7 schematically illustrates a further exemplary determination of whether the professional buyer conditions are met. The determination is made based on request 102, which includes shopper identification information and purchase information. The purchase information identifies a first item (Item 1) that the shopper is requesting to purchase tax-free and the total cost (Cost 1) associated with that item. The purchase information also identifies a second item (Item 2) that the shopper is requesting to purchase tax-free and the total cost (Cost 2) associated with that item. The shopper ID is searched in database 104, and the shopper record 106 corresponding to the shopper ID is retrieved from database 104. The items identified in request 102 are then searched in shopper record 106, and the total cost of these purchased items is read. In the example shown, Item 1 is searched in shopper record 106, and the total amount previously spent on that item, i.e., £4000.00, is read and passed to the adder circuit 108 along with the requested total cost of that item, i.e., Cost 1. The cost of the requested purchase of that item is added to the previous amount spent on those items, and the total is output to the comparison circuit 100. Similarly, Item2 is retrieved from the shopper record 106, the total amount previously spent on that item, i.e., £0.00, is read out, and this, along with the total requested cost of that item, i.e., Cost2, is passed to the addition circuit 110. The cost of the requested purchase of that item is added to the previous amount spent on those items, and the total is output to the comparison circuit 112. The comparison circuit 112 performs a determination to see if the totals passed from the addition circuits 108 and 110 meet the professional buyer criteria, and outputs the result of that determination.

[0060] Figures 8a-8d schematically illustrate the order of purchases made by a shopper and the corresponding calculations for whether the professional buyer criteria are met. In the example shown, the professional buyer criteria are met if both the quantity and cost criteria are met. The quantity criterion is met if the total number of general goods purchased exceeds 20. The purchase criterion is met if the total purchase cost is greater than 3 million yen. In the example shown, there are no criteria for consumable goods purchased.

[0061] In Figure 8a, shopper B makes their first purchase at store A on date C. The shopper requests that the first purchase be tax-free. In the example shown, the shopper purchases consumable goods in the form of cosmetics, 120 general goods in the form of women's clothing, and a wristwatch. The quantity of general goods and the amount spent on general goods are passed to a calculation logic that adds up the total quantity and total cost of general goods. The shopper requests to purchase a total of 6 items for a total cost of 2,300,000 yen (2 women's clothing items for a total cost of 200,000 yen, 3 women's clothing items for a total cost of 100,000 yen, and 1 wristwatch for a cost of 2,000,000 yen). The amounts and costs are added up by the calculation logic to determine whether the professional buyer condition is met. The calculation logic determines whether the total number of purchased items exceeds the threshold of 20. Since the total number of purchases is less than the threshold of 20 (equal to 6), the result of quantity condition 122 is not met. The calculation logic determines whether the total purchase cost is greater than 3 million yen. Since the total purchase cost is less than the 3 million yen threshold (equal to 2,300,000 yen), the cost condition 124 is not met. Because both the quantity and cost conditions are not met, the professional buyer condition is not met, and the result of determination 126 is that no alert should be issued. The total calculated by the calculation logic is stored for use in future calculations to determine whether the professional buyer condition is met.

[0062] In Figure 8b, shopper B makes a second purchase at store A on date C. The shopper requests that the second purchase be tax-free. In the example shown, the shopper purchases consumable goods in the form of cosmetics, 130 general goods in the form of women's shoes, and leather goods. The quantity of general goods and the amount spent on general goods are passed to a calculation logic that adds up the total quantity and total cost of general goods. The shopper requests to purchase a total of 5 items for a total cost of 1,100,000 yen (1 item of women's shoes for a total cost of 300,000 yen, 3 items of women's shoes for a total cost of 700,000 yen, and 1 leather goods for a cost of 100,000 yen). The amounts and costs are added together with the totals previously stored for that shopper by the calculation logic to determine whether the professional buyer condition is met. The calculation logic determines whether the total number of purchased items exceeds the threshold of 20. The total number of purchases is equal to the previous total of 133 for the 6 items plus the total number of new general goods (equal to 5). Since the total number of purchases is less than the threshold of 20 (equal to 11), the result of quantity condition 132 is not met. The calculation logic determines whether the total cost of the purchase is greater than 3 million yen. The total cost of the purchase is equal to the previous total of 2,300,000 yen (135) plus the total cost of the requested purchase (equal to 1,100,000 yen). Since the total cost of the purchase (equal to 3,400,000 yen) is greater than the threshold of 3 million yen, the result of cost condition 134 is that the cost exceeds the threshold. However, the professional buyer condition requires that both the quantity condition and the cost condition be met. Since the quantity condition is not met, the professional buyer condition is not met, and the result of judgment 136 is that no alert should be issued. The total calculated by the calculation logic is stored for use in future calculations of whether the professional buyer condition is met.

[0063] In Figure 8c, shopper B makes a third purchase at store A on date C. The shopper requests that the third purchase be tax-free. In the example shown, the shopper purchases consumable goods in the form of alcohol and perfume, and 140 general goods in the form of women's clothing and paintings, as well as a painting. The quantity of general goods and the amount spent on general goods are passed to a calculation logic that adds up the total quantity and total cost of general goods. The shopper requests to purchase a total of 11 items for a total cost of 300,000 yen (one painting for a total cost of 200,000 yen, and 10 women's clothing items for a total cost of 100,000 yen). The amounts and costs are added together with the previously stored totals for the shopper by the calculation logic to determine whether the professional buyer condition is met. The calculation logic determines whether the total number of purchased items exceeds the threshold of 20. The total number of purchases is equal to the previous total of 143 for the 11 items plus the total number of new general goods (equal to 11). Since the total number of purchases is greater than the threshold of 20 (equal to 22), the result of quantity condition 142 is that the total number of items exceeds the threshold. The calculation logic determines whether the total cost of the purchase is greater than 3 million yen. The total cost of the purchase is equal to the total cost of the requested purchase (equal to 300,000 yen) plus the previous total 145 of 3,400,000 yen. Since the total cost of the purchase (equal to 3,700,000 yen) is greater than the threshold of 3 million yen, the result of cost condition 144 is that the cost exceeds the threshold. Since both the quantity and cost conditions are met, the professional buyer condition is met, and the result of determination 146 is that an alert should be issued. The total calculated by the calculation logic is stored for use in future calculations of whether the professional buyer condition is met.

[0064] Figure 8d schematically illustrates an alternative third purchase that a shopper may request in place of the purchase requested in Figure 8c. The shopper requests that the third purchase be tax-free. In the example shown in Figure 8d, the shopper makes a similar set of purchases to the one described in relation to Figure 8c. However, the total number of women's clothing items is equal to 8 (not 10 as in Figure 8c). The shopper requests to purchase a total of 9 items for a total cost of 300,000 yen (one painting for a total cost of 200,000 yen, and eight women's clothing items for a total cost of 100,000 yen). The amounts and costs are added together with the previously recorded totals for that shopper by the calculation logic to determine whether the professional buyer conditions are met. The calculation logic determines whether the total number of purchased items exceeds the threshold of 20. The total number of purchases is equal to the previous total of 153 for the 11 items plus the total number of new general goods (equal to 9). Since the total number of purchases is not greater than the threshold of 20 (equal to 20), the result of quantity condition 152 is that the condition is close to the limit but not currently met. The calculation logic determines whether the total cost of purchases is greater than 3 million yen. The total cost of purchases is equal to the total cost of the requested purchases (equal to 300,000 yen) plus the previous total of 3,400,000 yen (155). Since the total cost of purchases (equal to 3,700,000 yen) is greater than the threshold of 3 million yen, the result of cost condition 154 is that the cost exceeds the threshold. Since the quantity condition is close to the limit and the cost condition is met, the professional buyer condition is not met but is close to being met. The result of judgment 156 is that an alert should not be issued, but a notification will be output that the shopper is close to the limit. The total calculated by the calculation logic is stored for use in future calculations of whether the professional buyer condition is met.

[0065] Those skilled in the art will readily see that the examples illustrated in Figures 8a-8d are one possible example of rules defining professional buyer criteria. As previously stated, professional buyer criteria are dynamically configurable and may be configured per region, per store chain, per store, and / or per brand. Professional buyer criteria may be based on any criteria related to the shopper or purchase, for example, professional buyer criteria may be based on one or more of the following: the quantity of goods purchased, the type of goods purchased (e.g., consumables or non-consumables), the cost of the purchase (e.g., total amount, subtotal amount, net amount, VAT amount, gross amount), the number of items belonging to a particular category purchased, and / or the total number of purchases. Professional buyer criteria may be constructed as a logical combination of criteria. As a first example, professional buyer criteria may be configured to be satisfied when the total number of purchases exceeds a first threshold, or when the number of items in a category exceeds a second threshold and the total purchase amount exceeds a third threshold. As an alternative example, the professional buyer condition may be configured to be met if the total value of a particular item (or items within a particular category) exceeds a threshold within a given time period (e.g., within a single itinerary, multiple itineraries, a calendar year, or a previously defined period). As a third example, the professional buyer condition may be configured to be met if either the condition of the first example or the condition of the second example is met.

[0066] Figure 9 schematically shows the apparatus in several configurations of the present technology. The apparatus includes calculation logic 202 configured to determine whether professional buyer conditions 204 are met based on purchase history information 200 and purchase information 208. Purchase history information 200 includes a list of items purchased tax-free (Item1, Item2, Item3, ..., ItemN), the category of the item (Cat1, Cat2, Cat3, ..., CatN), the total purchase cost for the item (Cost1, Cost2, Cost3, ..., CostN), the quantity of the purchased item (Quantity1, Quantity2, Quantity3, ..., QuantityN), and the date on which each item was purchased (Date1, Date2, Date3, ..., DateN). Purchase information includes corresponding information about the items the shopper wishes to purchase tax-free, including item description (ItemX), item category (CatX), item cost (CostX), item quantity (QuantityX), and current date of purchase (DateX).

[0067] The purchase history 200 and purchase information 208 are provided to the calculation logic 202, which performs a calculation to determine, for example, whether the professional buyer conditions 204 are met, as described above. The calculation logic then outputs a notification indicating whether the professional buyer conditions are met. The professional buyer conditions 204 are dynamically updatable conditions that can be updated, for example, through the provision of new professional buyer conditions 206. The professional buyer conditions 204 and new professional buyer conditions 206 may be based on any logical and / or mathematical configuration (or combination) of the purchase history information 200 and purchase information 208.

[0068] When the Professional Buyer Condition 204 is updated with the new Professional Buyer Condition 206, the calculation logic ceases to determine whether a shopper is a potential professional buyer based on the Professional Buyer Condition 204 and begins to determine whether a shopper is a potential professional buyer based on the new Professional Buyer Condition 206.

[0069] Figure 10 schematically shows the sequence of steps performed in a seller device in several configurations of this technology. The flow starts in step S90, where it is determined whether shopper identification information and purchase information have been received. If it is determined in step S90 that shopper identification information and purchase information have not been received, the flow remains at step S90. If it is determined in step S90 that shopper identification information and purchase information have been received, the flow proceeds to step S92. In step S92, shopper eligibility information is requested from the server based on the shopper identification information and purchase identification information. The flow then proceeds to step S94, where it is determined whether shopper eligibility information has been received. If it is determined in step S94 that shopper eligibility information has not been received, the flow remains at step S94. If it is determined in step S94 that shopper eligibility information has been received, the flow proceeds to step S96. In step S96, it is determined whether the shopper is eligible to purchase the items tax-free. In step S96, if the shopper is eligible to purchase the item tax-free, the flow proceeds to step S98, where the shopper's eligibility is notified before the flow returns to step S90. In step S96, if the shopper is determined to be ineligible, the flow proceeds to step S100, where the shopper's ineligibility is notified before the flow returns to step S90.

[0070] Figure 11 schematically shows the sequence of steps performed in a server device in several configurations of this technology. The flow starts in step S110, where it is determined whether a request for shopper eligibility verification, including information identifying the shopper and information identifying the purchase, has been received from the seller device. If it is determined in step S100 that no request for shopper eligibility verification has been received, the flow remains in step S110. If it is determined in step S110 that a request for shopper eligibility verification has been received, the flow proceeds to step S112. In step S112, it is determined whether the shopper will meet the professional buyer requirements by making one or more tax-free purchases. If it is determined in step S112 that the shopper will meet the professional buyer requirements by making one or more tax-free purchases, the flow proceeds to step S114, where shopper eligibility information is generated indicating that the shopper is ineligible to make tax-free purchases. The flow then proceeds to step S116. If, in step S112, it is determined that the shopper would not meet the professional buyer requirements by making one or more purchases, the flow proceeds to step S118, where shopper eligibility information is generated indicating that the shopper is eligible to make purchases tax-free. The flow then proceeds to step S116, where the shopper eligibility information is transmitted to the seller's device before the flow returns to step S110.

[0071] As a concise overall summary, a seller device and a server device are provided. The seller device receives shopper identification information to identify a shopper and purchase identification information to identify one or more items. Based on the shopper identification information, the seller device requests shopper eligibility information from the server device, which enables identification of whether the shopper is permitted to purchase one or more items tax-free, based on a determination of whether the total purchase information associated with the shopper would satisfy the professional buyer conditions by purchasing one or more items tax-free. If the shopper eligibility information indicates that the shopper is not permitted to make a purchase, the seller device notifies the shopper that they are not eligible to make a tax-free purchase.

[0072] In this application, the phrase "configured to..." is used to mean that an element of a device has a configuration that enables it to perform a defined operation. In this context, "configuration" means the configuration or arrangement of hardware or software interconnections. For example, the device may have dedicated hardware to provide the defined operation, or a processor or other processing device may be programmed to perform the function. "Configured to..." does not imply that the element of the device needs to be modified in any way to provide the defined operation.

[0073] In this application, the list of features following the phrase "at least one of" means that any one or more of those features may be provided independently or in combination. For example, "[A], [B] and [C]" includes any of the following options: A alone (without B and C), B alone (without A and C), C alone (without A and B), a combination of A and B (without C), a combination of A and C (without B), a combination of B and C (without A), or a combination of A, B and C.

[0074] While exemplary configurations of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, it will be understood that the present invention is not limited to these exact configurations, and that various changes, additions, and modifications can be achieved within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims by those skilled in the art. For example, various combinations of the dependent features can be made using the independent features without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A receiving circuit configured to receive shopper identification information for identifying a shopper and purchase identification information for identifying one or more items, A communication circuit configured to request shopper eligibility information from a server device based on the aforementioned shopper identification information, wherein the shopper eligibility information enables identification of whether the shopper is permitted to purchase the one or more items tax-free, based on a determination of whether the total purchase information associated with the shopper will satisfy the professional buyer conditions by purchasing the one or more items tax-free. A control circuit that notifies the shopper that the shopper is not eligible to make the purchase tax-free, in response to the shopper eligibility information indicating that the shopper is not permitted to make the purchase tax-free, A vendor device equipped with the following features.

2. The control circuit performs one or more steps to complete the purchase and send a purchase completion notification to the server device, in accordance with the shopper eligibility information indicating that the shopper is permitted to make the purchase. The seller device according to claim 1.

3. The receiving circuit is configured for travel identification information that identifies the shopper's trip, The communication circuit is configured to request the shopper eligibility information based on the travel identification information. The seller device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The aforementioned shopper identification information and / or the aforementioned travel identification information is based on the shopper's passport. The seller device according to claim 3.

5. The receiving circuit includes a passport scanning circuit configured to scan the passport in order to obtain at least one of the shopper identification information and the travel identification information. The seller device according to claim 4.

6. The receiving circuit is configured to receive the shopper identification information and / or the travel identification information input by the operator of the seller device. The seller device according to claim 4 or 5.

7. In response to receiving a threshold alert indicating that the number of remaining purchases before the shopper is identified as a professional buyer is below a threshold, the control circuit notifies the operator of the seller device of the threshold alert. A seller's device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The aforementioned total purchase information corresponds to purchases belonging to at least one purchase category. The seller device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The aforementioned purchase category includes consumables and / or non-consumables, The seller device according to claim 8.

10. The professional buyer condition requires that the total of the first purchase category related to the consumables exceeds the consumable threshold, and / or that the total of the second purchase category related to the non-consumables exceeds the non-consumable threshold. The seller device according to claim 9.

11. The aforementioned professional buyer conditions are defined for each purchase category. The seller device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. The aforementioned total purchase information includes the total number of products purchased at each store. A seller's device according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. The aforementioned total purchase information is calculated during the shopper's current trip. A seller's device according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. The total purchase information is calculated based on the purchase history associated with the shopper. A seller's device according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. The purchase history includes the history of items purchased by the shopper from stores included within the store chain, and the total purchase information includes the total chain purchase associated with the chain. The seller device according to claim 14.

16. The purchase history includes the history of items purchased by the shopper from the same store, and the total purchase information includes the total store purchases associated with the store. The seller device according to claim 14 or 15.

17. The purchase history includes an item total indicating the number of times an item has been purchased, and the purchase total information includes the item purchase total associated with the item. The seller's device according to any one of claims 14 to 16.

18. A communication circuit configured to receive requests for shopper eligibility verification from a seller's device, which include shopper identification information for identifying shoppers, A control circuit is configured to generate shopper eligibility information that enables identification of whether a shopper is permitted to purchase one or more items tax-free, based on a determination of whether the total purchase information associated with the shopper will satisfy the professional buyer requirements by purchasing one or more items tax-free. Equipped with, The communication circuit is configured to transmit the shopper eligibility information to the seller's device. Server device.

19. The aforementioned total purchase information corresponds to purchases belonging to at least one purchase category. The server device according to claim 18.

20. The aforementioned purchase category includes consumables and / or non-consumables, The server device according to claim 19.

21. The professional buyer condition requires that the total of the first purchase category related to the consumables exceeds the consumable threshold, and / or that the total of the second purchase category related to the non-consumables exceeds the non-consumable threshold. The server device according to claim 20.

22. The aforementioned total purchase information includes the total number of products purchased at each store. A server device according to any one of claims 18 to 21.

23. The aforementioned total purchase information is calculated during the shopper's current trip. A server device according to any one of claims 18 to 22.

24. The aforementioned request for shopper eligibility verification includes travel identification information, The control circuit is configured to determine, based on the travel identification information, the purchases made by the shopper during the current trip. The server device according to claim 23.

25. The control circuit is configured to perform at least one accuracy check on the travel identification information, and to cause the communication circuit to send an error notification to the seller device if the travel identification information fails the at least one accuracy check. The server device according to claim 23 or 24.

26. The at least one accuracy check includes comparing the travel identification information with travel identification information shown in one or more recent purchase records associated with the shopper information. The server device according to claim 25.

27. The total purchase information is calculated based on the shopper's purchase history. A server device according to any one of claims 18 to 26.

28. The purchase history includes the history of items purchased by the shopper from stores included within the store chain, and the total purchase information includes the total chain purchases associated with the chain. The server device according to claim 27.

29. The purchase history includes the history of items purchased by the shopper from the same store, and the total purchase information includes the total store purchases associated with the store. The server device according to claim 27 or 28.

30. The purchase history includes an item total indicating the number of times an item has been purchased, and the purchase total information includes the item purchase total associated with the item. A server device according to any one of claims 27 to 29.

31. The system includes a storage circuit configured to store shopper record information that identifies the shopper and the total purchase information associated with the shopper. The control circuit, upon receiving the request from the seller device, retrieves at least one stored purchase total associated with the shopper from the storage circuit, and performs the determination by calculating the purchase total based on the at least one stored purchase total and the purchase information. A server device according to any one of claims 18 to 30.

32. The server device updates the shopper record associated with the shopper in response to receiving a purchase completion notification from the seller device. The server device according to claim 31.

33. The aforementioned professional buyer conditions can be dynamically configured. A server device according to any one of claims 18 to 32.

34. The aforementioned professional buyer conditions can be configured for each store and / or store chain. A server device according to any one of claims 18 to 33.

35. In response to the determination that the shopper is eligible to purchase one or more items tax-free, the control circuit determines the remaining number of purchases that the shopper can make tax-free without meeting the professional buyer conditions, The control circuit, in response to the remaining number of purchases being lower than a threshold, causes the communication circuit to transmit a threshold warning indicating that the remaining number of purchases is lower than the threshold. A server device according to any one of claims 18 to 34.

36. The aforementioned professional buyer conditions are defined for each purchase category. A server device according to any one of claims 18 to 34.

37. A system comprising a server device according to any one of claims 18 to 36, and at least one seller device according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

38. The steps include receiving shopper identification information for identifying a shopper and purchase identification information for identifying one or more items, A step of requesting shopper eligibility information from a server device based on the aforementioned shopper identification information, wherein the shopper eligibility information enables identification of whether the shopper is permitted to purchase the one or more items tax-free, based on a determination of whether the total purchase information associated with the shopper will satisfy the professional buyer conditions by purchasing the one or more items tax-free. In response to the shopper eligibility information indicating that the shopper is not permitted to make the purchase, the shopper is notified that he / she is not eligible to make the purchase tax-free. A method for operating a vendor device, including [the specified method].

39. The steps include receiving a request for shopper eligibility verification from the seller's device, which includes shopper identification information for identifying the shopper, A step of generating shopper eligibility information that enables identification of whether a shopper is permitted to purchase one or more items tax-free, based on a determination of whether the total purchase information associated with the shopper will satisfy the professional buyer conditions by purchasing one or more items tax-free, The steps include transmitting the aforementioned shopper eligibility information to the seller device, A method for operating a server device, including [specific details omitted].

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