Card Receipt Forwarding Through POS and Issuer Statement Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current POS systems lack a standardized method for securely storing and delivering electronic receipts to credit/debit card users, with receipt storage and delivery dependent on customer interaction and limited to transaction-specific email options.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system where credit/debit cards with embedded chips or POS systems can identify user preferences for receipt storage, enabling automatic forwarding of receipts to the card issuer's server for inclusion in statements or email, using reconfigured POS software and APIs to facilitate communication between POS systems, payment gateways, and financial institutions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If POS systems store receipt data locally and send via email on transaction basis, then receipt delivery is possible, but there is no standardized method and storage is not secure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a payment gateway as an intermediary component that mediates between the POS system and the card issuer's server. The payment gateway receives receipt data from the POS system, processes it through standardized protocols, and forwards it to the appropriate server for secure storage. This intermediary layer provides standardization without significantly increasing overall system complexity, as it can be implemented as a existing infrastructure component.
2Ease of operation
If email capability is added to POS systems for sending receipts, then receipt delivery is enabled, but receipt storage and delivery become dependent on customer interaction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by automatically storing receipt data on the card issuer's server at the time of transaction, before any customer request. The receipt is securely archived with the transaction record, and the system later retrieves and delivers it to the customer's email or mobile device when requested. This eliminates receipt loss risk while maintaining ease of access, as the receipt is already secured in advance.
3Reliability
If centralized storage on card issuer server is implemented, then receipt security is improved, but communication infrastructure between POS, payment gateway, and financial institutions must be established
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the payment gateway multi-functional by designing it to handle both traditional payment authorization functions and the new receipt data transmission function. The same communication infrastructure and protocols used for payment processing are leveraged to transmit receipt data, eliminating the need for separate dedicated communication channels. This universal approach reduces infrastructure complexity while achieving secure centralized storage.
4Ease of operation
If automatic receipt forwarding is implemented, then user convenience is enhanced, but POS system configuration and software reconfiguration are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling cardholders to control their own receipt delivery preferences through their online banking accounts or mobile apps. Users can specify whether they want receipts delivered to their email, mobile device, or both, and can manage these preferences at any time. The system automatically adapts to user choices without requiring POS reconfiguration for each customer, as the preferences are stored and processed centrally by the card issuer's system.
Data Source
AI summary
Having an option for credit card users, at the time of sale, when paying with credit or debit card, to have the store receipt included with, their monthly statement and/or emailed to the email address(es) attached to their financial institution account, the method is comprised of a point-of-sale system that registers goods and/or services, comprising a receipt, and the credit card number of user, the point of sale systems sends data to the credit approval system, upon approval the point of sales information is either sent immediately to the server associated with the credit card, or is sent to who a local server who later sends the data to appropriate credit card server, the credit card server sends the data to the credit card's financial institution who saves the receipt under the credit card user's account, and then includes the receipt in the credit card users statements.