Method and system for collecting and processing marketing data

Abstract

A system and method for the collection of marketing data simultaneously captures at a point-of-sale all financial and non-financial data pertaining to a specific consumer transaction. An electronic invoice is constructed from the captured data and transmitted to a credit authorization location via a communication link necessarily established to transmit a credit authorization request for the transaction. The electronic invoice contains line item data for each item purchased as part of the transaction. The invoice is organized around the identification number of the payment vehicle employed by the customer to pay for the transaction, thus linking the purchasing information contained in the invoice to a particular consumer. The credit authorization location receives the transmitted electronic invoice and forwards the invoice to a data warehouse, which may be located in a location remote from the credit authorization location. The data warehouse comprises a plurality of related data structures for storing the received data. The related data structures facilitate simple and flexible analysis and searching of the collected market data.

1 . A method of collecting marketing information, comprising: 
 collecting, at a point-of-sale, line item data pertaining to one or more transactions;    establishing a communication link between the point-of-sale and a credit authorization location;    transmitting a credit authorization request from the point-of-sale to the credit authorization location via the communication link;    transmitting the line item data from the point-of-sale to the credit authorization location via the communication link.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the point-of-sale is an internet website.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the line item data comprises a UPC number for each line item, the method further comprising: 
 storing the line item data transmitted from the point-of-sale at a location remote from the point-of-sale;  
 identifying a product or service category identifier for each line item on the basis of the item's UPC number;  
 storing each product or service category identifier in linked association with the line item for which it was identified.  
 
     
     
         4 . A system for organizing marketing data, comprising: 
 a point-of-sale computer;    a credit authorization computer;    a communications link linking the point-of-sale computer and the credit authorization computer;    a data storage connected to the credit authorization computer;    a database resident in the data storage and comprising a plurality of data structures;    wherein at least one of the data structures stores line item information pertaining to one or more transactions executed by the point-of-sale computer and reported to the credit authorization computer; and    at least a second one of the data structures stores information indicative of the payment vehicle used to pay for the transaction;    the payment vehicle information for the transaction being linked to the line item information for the transaction.    
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the data storage is located remote from the credit authorization computer.