Consumer processing system and method

Abstract

Disclosed is a consumer processing system for identifying and recognizing a consumer engaged in a transaction with a merchant. The system includes a consumer processing system interface for receiving, from a merchant, a consumer/transaction data set with a plurality of fields. A consumer/transaction database is populated with data sets, and each data set is related to a specific consumer and also includes multiple data fields therein. The consumer/transaction data set is established as part of an initial data set in the consumer/transaction database, and thereafter, during subsequent transactions, compared to an existing data field in an existing data set in the consumer/transaction database. Based upon the establishment or comparison, a consumer activity data set is communicated from the consumer processing system interface to the merchant. A method of identifying and recognizing a consumer engaged in a transaction with a merchant is also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a memory storing user transaction history with a plurality of merchants; and   a hardware processor in communication with the memory and operable for
 receiving, from a device at a point of sale (POS) location, data about a consumer and a merchant engaged in a transaction; 
 comparing at least a portion of the received data to an existing data set associated with the consumer; 
 determining in real time, based at least in part on the comparing, a transaction data set, wherein the transaction data set comprises data of prior activity of the consumer with the merchant and with an unaffiliated merchant; and 
 communicating, in real-time prior to consummation of the transaction, information based on the data of prior activity of the consumer with the merchant and with an unaffiliated merchant. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the communicating is to the device at the POS location. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the communicating further includes the transaction data set, including the data of prior activity data. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the POS location is a location of the merchant. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the POS location is a home location of the consumer. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the information comprises an offer of at least one of a service, an item, a discount, a redemption, a coupon, a voucher, a non-cash benefit, an incentive, a ticket, an invitation, or an event. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the information is communicated to the merchant and comprises an instruction to the merchant, advising the merchant to at least one of deny the transaction, deny a purchase request, deny a credit request, or take a specified action with respect to the consumer. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the merchant is at least one a seller, an Internet site, an online entity, a web store, a telephone seller, a group of merchants, an organization of merchants, an entity, a corporation, a company, an offeror of goods, an offeror of services, or an affiliation of a plurality of entities. 
     
     
         9 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving, from a merchant computer system, data about a consumer and a merchant engaged in a transaction;   comparing, by the merchant computer system, at least a portion of the received data to an existing data set associated with the consumer;   determining in real time, based at least in part on the comparing, a transaction data set, wherein the transaction data set comprises data of prior activity of the consumer with the merchant and with an unaffiliated merchant; and   communicating, in real-time prior to consummation of the transaction, an offer based on the data of prior activity of the consumer with the merchant and with an unaffiliated merchant.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the communicating is to the device at the POS location. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the communicating further includes the transaction data set, including the data of prior activity data. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the POS location is a location of the merchant. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the POS location is a remote location from the merchant. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein offer comprises at least one of a service, an item, a discount, a redemption, a coupon, a voucher, a non-cash benefit, an incentive, a ticket, an invitation, or an event. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the merchant is at least one a seller, an Internet site, an online entity, a web store, a telephone seller, a group of merchants, an organization of merchants, an entity, a corporation, a company, an offeror of goods, an offeror of services, or an affiliation of a plurality of entities. 
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with computer-executable instructions executable by a computer that causes the computer to perform:
 receiving, from a device at a merchant location, data about a consumer and a merchant engaged in a transaction at the merchant location;   comparing at least a portion of the received data to an existing data set related to the consumer;   determining in real time, based at least in part on the comparing, a transaction data set, wherein the transaction data set comprises data of prior activity of the consumer with the merchant and with an unaffiliated merchant; and   communicating, in real-time prior to consummation of the transaction, the transaction data set, including the data of prior activity data.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the communicating further includes an offer of at least one of a service, an item, a discount, a redemption, a coupon, a voucher, a non-cash benefit, an incentive, a ticket, an invitation, or an event. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the communicating further comprises an instruction to the merchant, advising the merchant to at least one of deny the transaction, deny a purchase request, deny a credit request, or take a specified action with respect to the consumer. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the merchant is at least one a seller, an Internet site, an online entity, a web store, a telephone seller, a group of merchants, an organization of merchants, an entity, a corporation, a company, an offeror of goods, an offeror of services, or an affiliation of a plurality of entities. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the communicating is to the device at the merchant location.