POS Payment Code Matching for Membership Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Retailers face challenges in enabling customers to make point-of-sale payments without needing to produce tangible forms of electronic payment instruments, particularly in membership service programs that aim to track purchases and offer benefits.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that creates a unique code associated with electronic payment systems within a database, allowing customers to make payments by manually supplying a code at the point-of-sale if it matches the stored code, using a processor and database to facilitate payment processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If customers use traditional electronic payment instruments at POS, then payment can be processed, but customers must physically present tangible forms of payment which reduces convenience and security
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the original electronic payment instrument with a digital replica in the form of a code representation. The code is stored in a database and can be manually supplied at POS, eliminating the need to physically present the actual payment instrument while maintaining payment security through code verification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes the mechanical/physical presentation of payment instruments (cards, cash) with an electronic/digital code-based system. The manual supply of a code replaces the physical handover of payment instruments, enhancing both convenience and security.
2Adaptability or versatility
If retailers implement membership service programs to track purchases, then customer benefits can be offered, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The code representation serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as both the payment instrument identifier and the membership service identifier. This multi-functionality allows the system to track purchases and offer membership benefits without requiring separate complex tracking systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the payment processing function with the membership tracking function into a unified code-based system. The same code that identifies the payment instrument also identifies the customer's membership, merging two previously separate systems into one.
3Ease of operation
If customers manually supply codes at POS, then tangible payment instruments are not needed, but the code matching process adds processing time
Solution Approach 1:
The code is pre-stored in a database before the payment transaction occurs. This preliminary action allows the POS system to quickly retrieve and verify the code without requiring real-time generation or complex validation, minimizing processing time while maintaining security.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method effecting payment for POS purchases includes a database in which a unique code is associated with one of one or more electronic payment systems specified by a customer having one of a plurality of enterprise membership service identification codes stored in the database that uniquely identifies the customer as one of a plurality of shopper members of an enterprise membership service program associated with a retail enterprise. In response to receipt by an input device of a point-of-sale system of the retail enterprise of a manually-supplied code as part of a transaction for the purchase of one or more items, a processor processes payment for the one or more items using the one of the one or more electronic payment systems if the manually-supplied code matches the unique code associated with the one of the one or more electronic payment systems in the database.