Transaction method with advertisement display and tracking

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for tracking the routes taken by customers between merchants, wherein the method comprises the steps of: during a first transaction between a customer and a first merchant (ML1), acquiring, via a payment terminal (TP1), an identifier (CI1) of a payment device (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); 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 identifier of the payment device; 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.

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] TITLE: Transaction process with advertising display and tracking

[0003] Technical field

[0004] The present invention relates to the monitoring of advertising campaigns carried out for a group of retailers, for example in a shopping center or a city district.

[0005] State of the art

[0006] Retailers looking to attract new customers to their stores, especially those located nearby, can launch advertising campaigns. However, these advertising campaigns require expertise and are expensive. Furthermore, it is difficult to determine the effectiveness of an advertising campaign a priori or even a posteriori.

[0007] In particular, it is difficult to determine whether a campaign has been effective or not, particularly because 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 the latter whether the purchase resulted from viewing an advertisement. However, requesting such voluntary participation from the customer making a purchase is unreliable since the customer may refuse or simply forget to participate.

[0008] There are systems for tracking customer journeys when using a browser on the Internet, particularly on online sales sites, with the delivery 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 transpose to physical stores.

[0009] It is also known to print promotional coupons on materials such as the back of receipts, additional tickets or materials, or certain packaging. However, these materials are difficult to trace and are not very environmentally friendly. In addition, these materials require the customer to keep them on them so that they can be presented at a later purchase.

[0010] It is therefore desirable to enable 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, in particular to increase its reliability and avoid having to impose the creation of customer accounts. It may also be desirable to be able to transmit an advertising message to a customer only if one or more conditions are met. Such conditions may, for example, depend on time, a geographic location, a transaction amount, or the items or services purchased.

[0011] Summary

[0012] 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 of 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 of the set of merchants; transmitting to a customer journey tracking server, data relating to the first transaction and comprising 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, acquiring by a second payment terminal of the second merchant, the customer's payment device identifier; transmitting to the tracking server, data relating to the second transaction and comprising the payment device identifier acquired at the second merchant, and the identifier of the second merchant; storing by the server in the database, the data relating to the second transaction; and determining by the tracking server using the database, that the customer having used the payment device corresponding to the payment device identifier has viewed at the first merchant the document associated with the identifier of the second merchant, and has made a purchase at the second merchant.;

[0013] By identifying a customer through the payment device used, it is possible to determine the impact of presenting an advertising document promoting a merchant. This method of identification does not require any active participation from the customer, nor the creation of a customer account or the use of a specific identification card other than the payment device. The payment device can be a simple bank card or a smartphone with an electronic wallet application storing a bank card identifier.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the document associated with the identifier of the second merchant is displayed on a screen of the first payment terminal. Thus, it is not necessary to provide a specific display means to display the advertising message, the display screen of the payment terminal being used for this purpose.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the customer's payment device is a customer's terminal, storing a bank card identifier, the document associated with the identifier of the second merchant being transmitted by the tracking server to the customer's terminal and displayed on a screen of the customer's terminal.

[0016] When the customer's terminal (for example a smartphone) is used as a means of payment and presented to the payment terminal, the customer's terminal is thus advantageously used to display the advertising message.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the method comprises steps consisting of: transmitting by the tracking server to the first payment terminal an access link to a web page containing the document associated with the identifier of the second merchant; transmitting the access link by the first payment terminal to the customer's terminal during the first transaction; activating the access link by the customer's terminal; receiving by the tracking server a request for access to the access link; generating by the tracking server, the web page containing the document to be displayed; transmitting the web page to the customer's terminal in response to the activation of the access link; and receiving and displaying the web page by the customer's terminal.

[0018] Thanks to the use of the PWA progressive web application mechanism, it is possible to display the advertising message on the customer's terminal during the transaction at the second merchant, without requiring any specific intervention from the customer, other than presenting the customer's terminal on the payment terminal.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the identifier of the payment device is calculated by applying a cryptographic function to a bank card number.

[0020] In this way, the customer can be identified while respecting the confidentiality of their bank card identification information.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the data relating to the first transaction transmitted to the tracking server and stored in the database, further comprises: 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.

[0022] This data advantageously makes it possible to manage purchase logs by customer, and thus to determine customer journeys among a set of identified merchants. According to one embodiment, the data relating to the second transaction, transmitted to the tracking server and stored in the database, further comprises: 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.

[0023] This data makes it possible to accurately track customer journeys across a range of retailers. This makes it possible to determine the effectiveness of an advertising message display campaign.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the method comprises steps consisting of: gathering 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 this customer at the merchant designated by the document, following the presentation of the document; and / or determining, using the database, a cumulative number and 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 having seen a document designating a merchant and having made a purchase at the merchant, and the number of customers having seen the document designating the merchant.

[0025] These treatments make it possible to determine the effectiveness of a campaign displaying an advertising message.

[0026] 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 benefits from a discount at the merchant identified by the identifier of the second merchant; transmitting a discount amount by the tracking server to a calculator of the second merchant; and carrying out the second transaction taking into account the discount amount.

[0027] Thus, the process of tracking a customer's journey across a set of merchants can make it possible to award discounts to customers who have seen the advertising message and made a purchase from the merchant targeted by the advertising message.

[0028] Embodiments may also relate to a system for tracking customer journeys 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 able to be put into communication with one of the payment terminals, the system being configured to implement the method defined previously.

[0029] According to one embodiment, the payment devices comprise bank cards and / or customer terminals, storing bank card identifiers in an electronic wallet.

[0030] Brief description of the figures

[0031] The present invention will be better understood with the aid of the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the appended figures, in which identical reference signs correspond to structurally and / or functionally identical or similar elements.

[0032] Figure 1 schematically represents a customer journey tracking system, according to one embodiment,

[0033] Figure 2 represents steps of a method for tracking a customer's journey, according to one embodiment,

[0034] Figure 3 represents steps of a method for tracking a customer's journey, according to another embodiment,

[0035] Figure 4 represents steps of a method for tracking a customer's journey, according to another embodiment.

[0036] Detailed description

[0037] Figure 1 represents a system for tracking customer journeys in a set of stores. According to one embodiment, the system comprises equipment installed in stores ML1, ML2, a transaction server TSRV and an advertising campaign management server PSRV. Each of the stores ML1, ML2 is equipped with a payment terminal TP1 and a cash management computer MS1 connected to the payment terminal TP1. Furthermore, the terminal TP1 communicates with the transaction server TSRV, via a data transmission network MW, for example the Internet network.

[0038] According to one embodiment, the computer MS1 communicates with the management server PSRV via a data transmission network, for example the MW network. Note that the computer MS1 can be omitted, the payment terminal TP1 grouping together the necessary functionalities of the computer MS1 and being able to communicate directly with the server PSRV.

[0039] A customer wishing to make a purchase in one of the stores ML1, ML2 has a payment device. This payment device can be a bank card CP1 or a smartphone-type terminal CP2 comprising an electronic wallet application storing the identification data of one or more bank cards, and an NFC ("Near Field Communication") near field communication interface. The payment terminal TP1 then also has such a near field communication interface.

[0040] Figure 2 represents steps S1 to S7 and S11 to S14 of an advertising display and tracking method, according to one embodiment. In step S1, the management server PSRV transmits to a previously registered merchant ML1 an advertising document AD to promote another merchant ML2. The advertising document AD is associated with an identifier ID2 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 computer MS1 of the merchant ML1.

[0041] According to one embodiment, the PSRV server first searches for all the merchants located in a predefined area, for example at a distance less than a distance threshold value from the merchant corresponding to the identifier ID2, and transmits (in step S1) the advertising document AD to all the merchants thus identified, including the merchant ML1.

[0042] In step S2, a customer makes a purchase from the merchant ML1. To this end, the merchant selects the item(s) chosen by the customer on the computer MS1 or scans the labels of the chosen items. The computer MS1 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 computer MS1 to the terminal TP1. In step S4, the terminal receives the advertising document AD and the amount PX and displays them on its display screen DSP. It may be provided to display the amount PX only after validation by the customer by pressing a key on the terminal TP1, when the advertising document AD is displayed. The transaction amount PX may also be entered directly using the keyboard of the terminal TP1, and the advertising document may be transmitted directly by the server PSRV to the terminal TP1.

[0043] The computer MS1 may have received several advertising documents, and may select the one to be displayed in step S4, for example based on the current date or the items chosen by the customer.

[0044] The TP1 terminal can also be configured to successively display several advertising documents which are then supplied by the MS1 computer and stored by the TP1 terminal. The display of a subsequent advertising document by the TP1 terminal can be triggered by the customer pressing a validation key on the TP1 terminal.

[0045] The MS1 computer may have received several advertising documents, and be configured to select and transmit to the TP1 terminal only the last advertising document received, or select the advertising document to be transmitted to the TP1 terminal according to parameters, such as the articles 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 lower than that achieved during a previous period or lower than a threshold value.

[0046] In step S5, the customer presents a payment device CPi (CP1 or CP2) to the terminal TP1. During this presentation, a contact or contactless NFC ("Near Field Communication") communication is established between the payment device CPi and the terminal TP1. The payment device CPi then transmits to the terminal identification data PN1 and authentication of the payment device. This data includes in particular a bank card number PAN ("Primary Account Number"). Thus, the customer may also be required to enter a secret code linked to the payment device to be authenticated. In step S6, the terminal TP1 generates a cryptographic token Cl 1 = TK[PN1] containing the received bank card number PN1. The token Cl 1 is obtained for example using a cryptographic function, such as a hash function. The token ID1 is transmitted to the computer MS1.In addition, the terminal TP1 executes the transaction with the transaction server TSRV by generating and transmitting to it a cryptographic data containing the transaction data such as the bank card number PN1 received, the secret code entered by the user, the amount of the transaction, and the recipient of the payment. The token Cl 1 makes it possible to identify the payment device and therefore the customer, without having knowledge of the identifier PN1 of the payment device. Note that the token CI1 can be generated not by the terminal TP1, but by the computer MS1.

[0047] In step S7, the computer MS1 receives the token Cl 1 and transmits it to the PSRV server with an identifier ID1 of the merchant ML1, transaction data TD, the identifier IDD of the advertising document AD and the identifier ID2 of the merchant ML2 targeted by the advertising document. The transaction data TD transmitted may include the date of the transaction and possibly the amount of the transaction PX and the identifier of each item thus purchased. Note that the identifier CI1 of the customer transmitted by the terminal TP1 to the PSRV server may be directly the bank card number PN1 of the customer. In step S8, the PSRV server receives the information transmitted in step S7 and stores it in a database CB.

[0048] Steps S11 to S14 are executed when the customer identified the bank card number PN1 or the corresponding cryptographic token CI1 makes a purchase from the merchant ML2 having the identifier ID2 corresponding to the advertising page AD which was displayed on the screen of the terminal TP1. Steps S11 to S14 are substantially identical to steps S5 to S8, except that they are executed by the payment terminal TP2 and the computer MS2 of the merchant ML2. Thus, in steps S11 and S12, the terminal TP2 reads the customer's payment device CPi, generates the cryptographic token CI1 = TK[PN1] containing the bank card number PN1 received and transmits the identifier CI1 thus generated to the computer MS2. In step S13, the computer MS2 transmits to the server PSRV the identifier ID2 of the merchant from whom the customer makes the purchase, the identifier CI1 of the customer, and the transaction data TD corresponding to the purchase.In step S14, the PSRV server stores the received information in the CB database. As previously, step S11 can be preceded by steps S2 to S4 and a purchase transaction can be carried out with the merchant ML2.

[0049] 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 aim to create and update purchase logs by customer. This first procedure can consist of gathering in a log the data relating to all purchases made by each customer. Thus, a journey of each customer can be determined.

[0050] According to one embodiment, a second procedure consists of searching in 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 this customer (such as that made in step S11) at the merchant designated by the advertising document, following this presentation. Each correlation thus found can associate the identifier ID2 of the merchant, the identifier IDD of the advertising document, as well as the date and amount of the purchase. These correlations can be grouped by merchant, to then determine a number and a cumulative 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 campaign for displaying an advertising document by calculating the ratio between the number of customers having seen the advertising document IDD and having made a purchase from the merchant ID2 targeted by the advertising document, and the number of customers having seen the advertising document IDD. According to an embodiment illustrated by FIG. 3, the advertising document displayed in step S4 (FIG. 1) can inform the customer that he benefits from a reduction at the merchant ID2. It can then be provided that following the identification of the customer after steps S11 and S12, the computer MS2 of the merchant ID2 sends in a step S21 a request RQ to the server PSRV including the identifier C11 of the customer's payment device, to determine whether the corresponding customer was able to consult the advertising document IDD during a previous purchase from another merchant such as the merchant ID1.In step S22, the PSRV server responds to the request RQ by transmitting the customer's identifier CI1 and a discount value RB. In step S23, the computer MS2 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 payment terminal TP2. The amount PX can also be calculated by the merchant and entered directly using the keyboard of the terminal TP2. Following step S23, the terminal TP2 executes the transaction with the transaction server TSRV based on the amount PX and transmits, in step S13, to the PSRV computer the merchant's identifier ID2, the customer's payment device identifier CI1 and possibly transaction data TD comprising identifiers and amounts of the purchased items. In step S14, the PSRV server stores in the CB database the data transmitted in step S13.Here again, step S11 may be preceded by steps S2 to S4.

[0051] According to an embodiment illustrated by Figure 4, the computer MS1 of the merchant ML1 is configured to transmit to the server PSRV a PRQ request for a progressive web application PWA ("Progressive Web Application"), this request making it possible to obtain a progressive web application PWA. This PWA application is then transmitted to the customer's payment device, which then consists of a terminal CP2 of the smartphone type storing a bank card identifier. Upon receipt of the application, it is executed by the terminal CP2. According to one embodiment, the execution of this application triggers the display of an advertising page by the terminal CP2.

[0052] Figure 4 represents steps S31 to S39 which can be executed following step S6 of reception by the computer MS1 of the identifier Cl 1 of the customer's payment device. In step S31, the computer MS1 transmits to the PSRV server a PRQ request for a progressive web application PWA containing the identifier Cl 1 of the payment device. In step S32, the PSRV server receives the PRQ request, and searches in the CB database, all the merchants located in a predefined area, for example at a distance less than a distance threshold value from the merchant corresponding to the identifier ID2. The PSRV server then extracts from the CS database an identifier IDD of an advertising document corresponding to one of the merchants (for example ID2) thus identified. The PSRV server then generates a PWA type PLNK link to the advertising document IDD, and the identifier ID2 of the merchant corresponding to the advertising document.In step S33, the PSRV server transmits the PLNK link to the computer MS1 in response to the PRQ request issued in step S31. In step S34, the computer MS1 transmits the PNLK link to the terminal TP1. In step S35, the terminal TP1 transmits the PLNK link to the terminal CP2 of the client and the identifier C11 of the payment device CP2 of the client via the NFC link established during the payment. Upon receipt of the PLNK link, in step S36, the terminal CP2 of the client generates a cookie storing the identifier C11 received and executes the PLNK link which contains the identifiers IDD of the advertising document and ID2 of the corresponding merchant, in association with the cookie containing the identifier C11 of the payment device. The execution of the PLNK link triggers the sending of a web page request to the PSRV server.Upon receipt of this request, in step S37, the PSRV server stores in the database that the client corresponding to the received identifier CI1 requests access to the advertising document IDD relating to the merchant corresponding to the identifier ID2. In step S38, the PSRV server generates the required web page WP from the advertising document IDD, and transmits this page to the terminal CP2. In step S39, the terminal CP2 displays the received web page.

[0053] 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.

[0054] It will be clear to those skilled in the art that the present invention is susceptible to various variant embodiments and various applications. In particular, the invention is not limited to tracking customers only in 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 geographic position of the customer can be acquired by the customer's terminal and used to select advertising messages from merchants located nearby. The advertising message can be displayed on the customer's terminal.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. 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 (TP1) of the first merchant, an identifier (Cl 1 ) of the payment device (CP1 , 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; transmitting to a customer journey tracking server (PSRV), data relating to the first transaction and comprising the acquired payment device identifier, an identifier (ID1) 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 (CB);during a second payment transaction by the customer at the second merchant, acquiring by a second payment terminal (TP2) of the second merchant, the customer's payment device identifier; transmitting to the tracking server, data relating to the second transaction and comprising the payment device identifier acquired at the second merchant, and the identifier of the second merchant; storing by the server in the database, the data relating to the second transaction; and determining by the tracking server using the database, that the customer having used the payment device (CP1, CP2, CPi) corresponding to the payment device identifier has viewed at the first merchant the document associated with the identifier of the second merchant, and has made a purchase at the second merchant.; 2. Method according to claim 1, in which the document associated with the identifier of the second merchant is displayed on a screen of the first payment terminal.

3. Method according to claim 1, in which the customer's payment device is a terminal (CP2) of the customer, storing a bank card identifier, the document associated with the identifier (ID2) of the second merchant being transmitted by the tracking server (PSRV) to the customer terminal and displayed on a screen of the customer terminal.

4. Method according to claim 3, comprising steps consisting in: transmitting by the tracking server (PSRV) to the first payment terminal (TP1) an access link (PNLK) to a web page (WP) containing the document associated with the identifier (ID2) of the second merchant; transmitting the access link by the first payment terminal to the terminal (CP2) of the customer during the first transaction; activating the access link by the customer terminal; receiving by the tracking server (PSRV) a request for access to the access link; generating by the tracking server, the web page containing the document to be displayed; transmitting the web page to the customer terminal in response to the activation of the access link; and receiving and displaying the web page by the customer terminal.

5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, in which the identifier (Cl 1 ) of the payment device is calculated by applying a cryptographic function to a bank card number.

6. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, in which the data relating to the first transaction transmitted to the tracking server (PSRV) and stored in the database (CB), further comprise: 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.

7. Method according to one of claims 1 to 6, in which the data relating to the second transaction, transmitted to the tracking server (PSRV) and stored in the database (CB), further comprise: 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.

8. Method according to one of claims 1 to 7, comprising steps consisting of: gather in a log data from the database (CB) relating to all purchases made by each customer; and / or establish, using the database, correlations between the presentation to a customer of a document designating a merchant, and purchases made by this customer from the merchant designated by the document, following the presentation of the document; and / or determine, using the database, a cumulative number and amount of purchases and a number of customers concerned during a given period and for a given merchant; and / or calculate, using the database, a ratio between a number of customers having seen a document designating a merchant and having made a purchase from the merchant, and the number of customers having seen the document designating the merchant.

9. Method according to one of claims 1 to 8, comprising steps consisting of: during the second payment transaction, determining by the tracking server (PSRV) that the customer identified by the identifier (Cl 1) of the customer's payment device benefits from a discount at the merchant identified by the identifier (ID2) of the second merchant; transmitting a discount amount (RB) by the tracking server to a calculator (MS2) of the second merchant; and carrying out the second transaction taking into account the discount amount.

10. System for tracking customer journeys 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, and each able to be put into communication with one of the payment terminals, the system being configured to implement the method according to one of claims 1 to 9.

11. System according to claim 10, wherein the payment devices comprise bank cards and / or customer terminals, storing bank card identifiers in an electronic wallet.

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