Transaction process with advertising display and tracking

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for tracking customer journeys among merchants, comprising the steps of: during a first transaction between a customer and a first merchant (ML1), acquiring, via a payment terminal (TP1), a payment device identifier (CI1) of the customer, and presenting to the customer on a display screen a document associated with an identifier (ID2) of a second merchant (ML2); storing the data relating to the first transaction in a database (CB); during a second transaction between the customer and the second merchant, acquiring, via a payment terminal (TP2), the payment device identifier; storing in the database the data relating to the second transaction; and determining, using the database, that the customer viewed the document at the first merchant and made a purchase at the second merchant. Figure 2

Description

Title of the invention: Transaction method with advertising display and tracking. Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to the tracking of advertising campaigns carried out for a group of retailers, for example in a shopping center or a city district. State of the art

[0002] Retailers wishing to attract new customers to their store, particularly those located nearby, can launch advertising campaigns. However, these advertising campaigns require expertise and represent a significant cost. Furthermore, it is difficult to determine the effectiveness of an advertising campaign, either before or after the fact.

[0003] In particular, it is difficult to determine whether a campaign has been effective or not, especially since it is not possible to determine, without the actual participation of customers, whether their purchase resulted from viewing an advertisement. It is possible, when a customer makes a purchase, to ask them if the purchase resulted from viewing an advertisement. However, requesting such voluntary participation from a customer making a purchase is unreliable, given that the customer may refuse or simply forget to participate.

[0004] Systems exist for tracking customer journeys when using an internet browser, particularly on online sales sites, with the distribution of personalized advertising messages selected based on the customer's previous purchases or the websites visited by the customer. However, this solution is difficult to apply to physical stores.

[0005] It is also known to print promotional coupons on materials such as the back of till receipts, additional tickets or materials, or certain packaging. However, these materials are difficult to trace and are not very environmentally friendly. Furthermore, these materials require the customer to keep them with them in order to present them during a subsequent purchase.

[0006] It is therefore desirable to allow automated tracking of a customer's journey, for example, in a shopping center or a city district. It may also be desirable to be able to limit customer participation in this tracking, particularly to increase its reliability and avoid having to require the creation of customer accounts. It may also be desirable to be able to send an advertising message to a customer only if one or more conditions are met. Such conditions They may, for example, depend on time, geographical location, transaction amount, or the items or services purchased. Summary

[0007] Embodiments relate to a method for tracking customer journeys among a set of merchants, comprising steps consisting of: during a first payment transaction by a customer at a first merchant in the set of merchants, acquiring, by a first payment terminal of the first merchant, a payment device identifier of the customer, and presenting to the customer on a display screen a document associated with an identifier of a second merchant in the set of merchants; transmitting to a customer journey tracking server, data relating to the first transaction and including the acquired payment device identifier, an identifier of the first merchant and an identifier of the second merchant; storing by the tracking server the data relating to the first transaction in a database;during a second payment transaction by the customer at the second merchant, acquire by a second payment terminal of the second merchant, the customer's payment device identifier; transmit to the tracking server, data relating to the second transaction and including the payment device identifier acquired from the second merchant, and the identifier of the second merchant; store by the server in the database, the data relating to the second transaction;and determine by the tracking server using the database, that the customer who used the payment device corresponding to the payment device identifier viewed at the first merchant the document associated with the identifier of the second merchant, and made a purchase at the second merchant, the document associated with the identifier of the second merchant being displayed on a screen of the first payment terminal, the payment device identifier being calculated by applying a cryptographic function to a bank card number. ;

[0008] By identifying a customer through the payment device used, it is possible to determine the impact of displaying an advertising document promoting a merchant. This identification method does not require any active participation from the customer, nor the creation of a customer account or the use of any special identification card other than the payment device. The payment device can be a simple bank card or a smartphone with an electronic wallet application that stores a bank card identifier.

[0009] Furthermore, since the document associated with the identifier of the second merchant is displayed on a screen of the first payment terminal, it is not necessary to provide a specific means of displaying the advertising message, the display screen of the payment terminal being used for this purpose.

[0010] Finally, since the payment device identifier is calculated by applying a cryptographic function to a bank card number, the customer can be identified while respecting the confidentiality of his bank card identification information.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the data relating to the first transaction transmitted to the tracking server and stored in the database, further include: timestamp data of the first transaction, and / or an identifier of the document presented to the customer, and / or a transaction amount, and / or a list of references of purchased items, each associated with an amount.

[0012] This data makes it advantageous to manage purchase logs per customer, and thus to determine customer journeys among a set of identified merchants.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the data relating to the second transaction, transmitted to the tracking server and stored in the database, further include: timestamp data of the second transaction, and / or a transaction amount, and / or a list of references of purchased items, each item reference being associated with an item amount.

[0014] This data makes it advantageous to precisely track customer journeys across a group of retailers. It is thus possible to determine the effectiveness of an outdoor advertising campaign.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the method comprises steps consisting of: collecting in a log data from the database relating to all purchases made by each customer; and / or establishing, using the database, correlations between the presentation to a customer of a document designating a merchant, and purchases made by that customer at the merchant designated by the document, following the presentation of the document; and / or determining, using the database, a number and a cumulative amount of purchases and a number of customers concerned during a given period and for a given merchant; and / or calculating, using the database, a ratio between a number of customers who saw a document designating a merchant and who made a purchase at the merchant, and the number of customers who saw the document designating the merchant.

[0016] These treatments make it possible to determine the effectiveness of a display campaign for an advertising message.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the method comprises steps consisting of: during the second payment transaction, determining by the tracking server that the customer identified by the customer's payment device identifier is entitled to a discount at the merchant identified by the second merchant's identifier; transmitting a discount amount by the tracking server to a calculator of the second merchant; and carry out the second transaction taking into account the discount amount.

[0018] Thus, the process of tracking a customer's journey among a set of merchants can make it possible to assign discounts to customers who have seen the advertising message and are making a purchase at the merchant targeted by the advertising message.

[0019] Embodiments may also relate to a customer journey tracking system among a set of merchants, the system comprising: a customer journey tracking server, payment terminals installed at the merchants of the set of merchants, and communicating with the tracking server, and payment devices made available to customers, and each of which can be put into communication with one of the payment terminals, the system being configured to implement the process defined above.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the payment devices include bank cards and / or customer terminals, storing bank card identifiers in an electronic wallet. Brief description of the figures

[0021] The present invention will be better understood with the aid of the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures, in which identical reference signs correspond to structurally and / or functionally identical or similar elements.

[0022] [Fig. 1] Figure 1 schematically represents a customer journey tracking system, according to one embodiment,

[0023] [Fig.2] Figure 2 represents steps in a process for tracking the path of a client, according to a method of implementation,

[0024] [Fig. 3] Figure 3 represents steps in a process for tracking the path of a client, according to another embodiment,

[0025] [Fig. 4] Figure 4 represents steps in a process for tracking the path of a client, according to another method of implementation. Detailed description

[0026] Figure 1 illustrates a customer journey tracking system across a network of stores. In one embodiment, the system comprises equipment installed in stores ML1 and ML2, a transaction server TSRV, and an advertising campaign management server PSRV. Each store ML1 and ML2 is equipped with a payment terminal (TPI) and a cash register management MSI computer connected to the TPI payment terminal. Furthermore, the TPI terminal communicates with the transaction server TSRV via a data transmission network (MW), such as the Internet.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the MSI computer communicates with the PSRV management server via a data transmission network, for example, the MW network. It should be noted that the MSI computer can be omitted, as the TPI payment terminal incorporates the necessary functionalities of the MSI computer and can communicate directly with the PSRV server.

[0028] A customer wishing to make a purchase in one of the stores ML1 or ML2 has a payment device. This payment device can be a CPI bank card or a CP2 terminal of the smartphone type comprising an electronic wallet application storing the identification data of one or more bank cards, and an NFC (Near Field Communication) interface. The TPI payment terminal also has such a near field communication interface.

[0029] Figure 2 illustrates steps SI to S7 and SI1 to S14 of an advertising display and tracking process, according to one embodiment. In step SI, the PSRV management server transmits an advertising document AD to a previously registered merchant ML1 to promote another merchant ML2. The advertising document AD is associated with an ID2 identifier of the merchant ML2 designated in the advertising document and an advertising document identifier IDD. The advertising document AD is received and stored by the MSI computer of merchant ML1.

[0030] According to one embodiment, the PSRV server first searches for all merchants located in a predefined area, for example at a distance less than a threshold value of distance from the merchant corresponding to the identifier ID2, and transmits (at the SI step) the AD advertising document to all the merchants thus identified, including the merchant ML1.

[0031] In step S2, a customer makes a purchase from merchant ML1. To this end, the merchant selects the item(s) chosen by the customer on the MSI computer or scans the labels of the selected items. The MSI computer calculates a transaction amount PX based on the selected items. This selection triggers step S3, during which the advertising document AD and a transaction amount PX are transmitted by the MSI computer to the TPI terminal. In step S4, the terminal receives the advertising document AD and the PX amount and displays them on its DSP display screen. It may be possible to display the PX amount only after validation by the customer by pressing a key on the TPI terminal, once the advertising document AD is displayed. The transaction amount PX may also be entered directly using the TPI terminal's keyboard, and the advertising document may be transmitted directly from the PSRV server to the TPI terminal.

[0032] The MSI computer may have received several advertising documents, and may display the one in step S4, for example depending on the current date or the items chosen by the customer.

[0033] The TPI terminal can also be configured to display several advertising documents successively, which are then provided by the MSI computer and stored by the TPI terminal. The display of the next advertising document by the TPI terminal can be triggered by the client pressing a confirmation key on the TPI terminal.

[0034] The MSI computer may have received several advertising documents, and be configured to select and transmit to the TPI terminal only the last advertising document received, or to select the advertising document to transmit to the TPI terminal according to parameters, such as the items chosen by the customer, the date (for example only on weekends), the amount of the transaction (only from a certain amount threshold), or the turnover achieved by the merchant, for example when the turnover achieved during the current period is less than that achieved during a previous period or less than a threshold value.

[0035] In step S5, the customer presents a CPi payment device (CPI or CP2) to the TPI terminal. During this presentation, contact or NFC (Near Field Communication) communication is established between the CPi payment device and the TPI terminal. The CPi payment device then transmits PN1 identification and payment device authentication data to the terminal. This data includes, in particular, a PAN (Primary Account Number) bank card number. Thus, the customer may also be required to enter a PIN associated with the payment device for authentication. In step S6, the TPI terminal generates a cryptographic token Cil = TK[PN1] containing the received bank card number PN1. The Cil token is obtained, for example, using a cryptographic function, such as a hash function. The ID1 token is transmitted to the MSI computer.Furthermore, the TPI terminal executes the transaction with the TSRV transaction server by generating and transmitting cryptographic data containing transaction details such as the received bank card number (PN1), the user's PIN, the transaction amount, and the payment recipient. The Cil token identifies the payment device, and therefore the customer, without requiring knowledge of the payment device's PN1 identifier. It should be noted that the Cil token can be generated not by the TPI terminal, but by the MSI computer.

[0036] At step S7, the MSI computer receives the Cil token and transmits it to the PSRV server with an ID1 identifier of the merchant ML1, transaction data TD, the IDD identifier of the advertising document AD and the ID2 identifier of the merchant ML2 is the target of the advertising material. The transmitted TD transaction data may include the transaction date and, optionally, the transaction amount PX and the identifier of each item purchased. Note that the customer's Cil identifier transmitted by the TPI terminal to the PSRV server may be directly the customer's PN1 bank card number. In step S8, the PSRV server receives the information transmitted in step S7 and stores it in a CB database.

[0037] Steps SI 1 to S14 are executed when the customer, identified by the bank card number PN1 or the corresponding cryptographic token Cil, makes a purchase from the merchant ML2, whose identifier ID2 corresponds to the advertising page AD that was displayed on the TPI terminal screen. Steps SI 1 to S14 are substantially identical to steps S5 to S8, except that they are executed by the payment terminal TP2 and the merchant ML2's computer MS2. Thus, in steps SI 1 and S12, the TP2 terminal reads the customer's payment device CPi, generates the cryptographic token Cil = TK[PN1] containing the received bank card number PN1, and transmits the generated identifier Cil to the computer MS2. At step S13, the MS2 computer transmits to the PSRV server the ID2 identifier of the merchant from whom the customer makes the purchase, the Cil identifier of the customer, and the TD transaction data corresponding to the purchase.At step S14, the PSRV server stores the received information in the CB database. As before, step SI 1 can be preceded by steps S2 to S4 and a purchase transaction can be carried out with the merchant ML2.

[0038] According to one embodiment, each time the CB database is updated or periodically, the PSRV server can execute several processing procedures applied to the database. A first procedure can be used to create and update purchase logs for each customer. This first procedure can consist of gathering data relating to all purchases made by each customer into a log. In this way, a customer journey can be determined.

[0039] According to one embodiment, a second procedure consists of searching the CB database for correlations between the presentation of an advertising document to a customer (as carried out in step S4) and purchases made by that customer (such as the one made in step SI1) at the merchant designated by the advertising document, following this presentation. Each correlation thus found can associate the merchant's ID2 identifier, the advertising document's IDD identifier, as well as the date and amount of the purchase. These correlations can be grouped by merchant, to then determine a cumulative number and amount of purchases and a number of customers concerned during a given period and for a given merchant. It is thus possible to determine the effectiveness of a display campaign for an advertising document by calculating the ratio between the number of customers who saw the IDD advertising document and having made a purchase at the ID2 merchant targeted by the advertising document, and the number of customers who saw the IDD advertising document.

[0040] According to an embodiment illustrated in Figure 3, the advertising document displayed in step S4 (Figure 1) can inform the customer that they are entitled to a discount at merchant ID2. It can then be provided that, following customer identification after steps S1 and S12, the computer MS2 of merchant ID2 sends an RQ request in step S21 to the PSRV server, including the customer's payment device identifier Cil, to determine whether the corresponding customer was able to view the advertising document IDD during a previous purchase at another merchant such as merchant ID1. In step S22, the PSRV server responds to the RQ request by transmitting the customer's Cil identifier and a discount value RB. At step S23, the MS2 computer calculates the amount PX' of the purchase requested by the customer, taking into account any discount indicated by the PSRV server, and transmits the amount PX' to the TP2 payment terminal.The amount PX' can also be calculated by the merchant and entered directly using the TP2 terminal's keypad. Following step S23, the TP2 terminal executes the transaction with the TSRV transaction server based on the amount PX' and transmits, in step S13, the merchant's ID2 identifier, the customer's payment device's Cil identifier, and optionally TD transaction data including identifiers and amounts of purchased items to the PSRV computer. In step S14, the PSRV server stores the data transmitted in step S13 in the CB database. Here again, the SU step can be preceded by steps S2 to S4.

[0041] According to an embodiment illustrated in Figure 4, the merchant's MSI computer ML1 is configured to transmit a PRQ request for a Progressive Web Application (PWA) to the PSRV server. This request generates a PWA. This PWA is then transmitted to the customer's payment device, which is a CP2 terminal such as a smartphone that stores a bank card identifier. Upon receiving the application, it is executed by the CP2 terminal. In one embodiment, the execution of this application triggers the display of an advertisement by the CP2 terminal.

[0042] Figure 4 shows steps S31 to S39 that can be executed following step S6, where the MSI computer receives the customer's payment device identifier (Cil). In step S31, the MSI computer sends a PWA progressive web application (PRQ) request containing the payment device identifier (Cil) to the PSRV server. In step S32, the PSRV server receives the PRQ request and searches the CB database for all merchants located within a predefined area, for example, at a distance less than a threshold value. The PSRV server then retrieves an IDD from the CS database of an advertising document corresponding to one of the identified merchants (e.g., ID2). The PSRV server then generates a PWA-type PLNK link to the advertising document with the ID2, and the merchant's ID2 corresponding to that advertising document. In step S33, the PSRV server transmits the PLNK link to the MSI computer in response to the PRQ issued in step S31. In step S34, the MSI computer transmits the PLNK link to the TPI terminal. In step S35, the TPI terminal transmits the PLNK link to the customer's CP2 terminal and the customer's CP2 payment device's Cil identifier via the NFC connection established during payment.Upon receiving the PLNK link, at step S36, the client's CP2 terminal generates a cookie storing the received Cil ID and executes the PLNK link, which contains the IDD identifier of the advertising document and the corresponding merchant ID2, in association with the cookie containing the Cil ID of the payment device. Executing the PLNK link triggers a web page request to the PSRV server. Upon receiving this request, at step S37, the PSRV server stores in its database that the client corresponding to the received Cil ID is requesting access to the IDD advertising document related to the merchant corresponding to the ID2 identifier. At step S38, the PSRV server generates the requested WP web page from the IDD advertising document and transmits this page to the CP2 terminal. At step S39, the CP2 terminal displays the received web page.

[0043] Thanks to the use of the PWA mechanism, it is possible to display an advertising message directly on a smartphone used to make a payment.

[0044] It will be evident to those skilled in the art that the present invention is susceptible to various embodiments and applications. In particular, the invention is not limited to tracking customers solely within a commercial area. The method can also be implemented with a first merchant consisting of an online sales site and a second merchant consisting of a physical store, or vice versa. In the first case, where the first merchant is an online sales site, the customer's geographic location can be acquired by the customer's terminal and used to select advertising messages from nearby merchants. The advertising message can then be displayed on the customer's terminal.

Claims

1. Demands 1. A method for tracking customer journeys among a set of merchants, comprising steps consisting of: during a first payment transaction by a customer at a first merchant (ML1) of the set of merchants, acquiring by a first payment terminal (TPI) of the first merchant, a payment device identifier (Cil) (CPI, CP2, CPi) of the customer, and presenting to the customer on a display screen a document associated with an identifier (ID2) of a second merchant (ML2) of the set of merchants; transmit to a customer journey tracking server (PSRV), data relating to the first transaction including the acquired payment device identifier, an identifier (ID1) of the first merchant and an identifier of the second merchant; store by the tracking server the data relating to the first transaction in a database (CB); during a second payment transaction by the customer at the second merchant, acquire by a second payment terminal (TP2) of the second merchant, the customer's payment device identifier; transmit to the tracking server data relating to the second transaction, including the payment device identifier acquired from the second merchant, and the identifier of the second merchant; to store, by the server in the database, the data relating to the second transaction; and determine by the tracking server using the database, that the customer who used the payment device (CPI, CP2, CPi) corresponding to the payment device identifier viewed at the first merchant the document associated with the identifier of the second merchant, and made a purchase at the second merchant, the document associated with the identifier of the second merchant being displayed on a screen of the first payment terminal, the identifier (Cil) of the payment device being calculated by applying a cryptographic function to a bank card number.

2. 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the data relating to the first transaction transmitted to the tracking server (PSRV) and stored in the database (CB), further include: timestamp data of the first transaction, and / or an identifier (IDD) of the document presented to the customer, and / or a transaction amount (PX), and / or a list of references of purchased items, each associated with an amount.

3. 3. A method according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the data relating to the second transaction, transmitted to the tracking server (PSRV) and stored in the database (CB), further include: timestamp data of the second transaction, and / or a transaction amount, and / or a list of references of purchased items, each item reference being associated with an item amount.

4. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising steps of: collecting in a log data from the database (CB) relating to all purchases made by each customer; and / or establishing, using the database, correlations between the presentation to a customer of a document designating a merchant, and purchases made by that customer at the merchant designated by the document, following the presentation of the document; and / or determining, using the database, a number and cumulative amount of purchases and a number of customers concerned during a given period and for a given merchant; and / or calculating, using the database, a ratio between a number of customers who saw a document designating a merchant and made a purchase at the merchant, and the number of customers who saw the document designating the merchant.

5. 5. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising steps of: during the second payment transaction, determining by the tracking server (PSRV) that the customer identified by the customer's payment device identifier (Cil) is entitled to a discount at the merchant identified by the second merchant's identifier (ID2); transmit a discount amount (RB) via the tracking server to a calculator (MS2) of the second merchant; and execute the second transaction taking into account the discount amount.

6. 6. A customer journey tracking system among a set of merchants, the system comprising: a customer journey tracking server (PSRV), payment terminals installed at the merchants of the set of merchants, and communicating with the tracking server, and payment devices made available to customers, each of which can be put into communication with one of the payment terminals, the system being configured to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. 7. System according to claim 6, wherein the payment devices include bank cards and / or customer terminals, storing bank card identifiers in an electronic wallet.