Systems for Integrating Online Reviews with Point of Sale (POS) OR EPOS (Electronic Point of Sale) System

Abstract

The system for integrating online ratings with a point of sale system includes a server and a point of sale (POS) system. The POS sends transaction information for the transaction to the server. A code is generated by the server in response to receiving the transaction information and sent to the POS. A receipt for the transaction is generated by the POS and provided to the customer, the receipt including the code. A user computer is operated by the customer and receives the code from the receipt. The user computer sends the code to the server and the server validates it to confirm the transaction took place between the customer and the business. A review of the business is created by the customer with the user computer only after the code has been validated.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A computer system for validating user reviews, comprising:
 a point of sale system adapted to generate transaction information,   a server in data communication with the point of sale system,   a database in data communication with the server,   the server configured to generate at least one user review code based on the transaction information received from the point of sale system and to store the at least one user review code in the database,   the point of sale system adapted to generate a receipt displaying the at least one user review code and the transaction information,   a user computer having a scanner identifying one of the at least one user review code on the receipt and transmitting it to the server,   the server configured to verify the identified user review code at least by searching the database and authorizing the user computer to transmit a verified user review,   the server receiving a verified user review from the user computer after the user computer receives the authorization, the server storing the verified user review.   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 a publicly viewable website,   the server configured to publish the user review to the publicly viewable website,   the publicly viewable website having only user reviews that have been received from a user computer that was authorized to send a user review.   
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 a message indicating a verified user review by a reviewing user was published to the publicly available website,   the publicly viewable website is configured to determine a second user to send the message to by using data indicating a social media association between the reviewing user and the second user,   the publicly viewable website is configured to send the message to the second user.   
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 the transaction information including the type and quantity of entrees purchased in a transaction,   the server configured to generate a plurality of user review codes based on the type and quantity of entree purchased in the transaction and determine how many user review codes to generate by generating one user review code for each of the entrees of the quantity of entrees,   the server configured to store each user review code in the database and associate each user review code with the transaction and an individual entree of the quantity of entrees,   each of the user review codes of the plurality of user review codes being different from the other user review codes of the plurality of user review codes.   
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the receipt is an electronic receipt. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the point of sale system sends the electronic receipt to the user computer through digital data communication. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein:
 the at least one user review code is displayed on the point of sale system,   the transaction information includes geolocation data indicating a location of the point of sale system,   the server is adapted to receive geolocation data indicating a location of the user computer at the time the at least one user review code was scanned, verify the scanned at least one user review code by searching the database, verify that the geolocation data received from the user computer matches the geolocation data of the point of sale system, and authorize the user computer to transmit a verified user review.   
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the user computer is a smartphone. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the point of sale system is located at an event venue,   the point of sale system is adapted to accept a user's identifying information and designate the user as in attendance at an event based on the input of the user's identifying information,   the point of sale system is adapted to include the information that the user is in attendance at the event in the transaction information, this information being attendance information,   the server is adapted to generate the at least one user review code based on at least the attendance information.   
     
     
         30 . A computer system for validating user reviews, comprising:
 a point of sale system adapted to generate transaction information,   a server in data communication with the point of sale system,   a database in data communication with the server,   the server adapted to generate at least one user review code based on the transaction information received from the point of sale system and to store the at least one user review code in the database,   the point of sale system adapted to generate an electronic receipt displaying the at least one user review code and the transaction information,   a user computer having a scanner identifying one of the at least one user review code on the receipt and transmitting it to the server,   the server configured to verify the identified user review code at least by searching the database and authorizing the user computer to transmit a verified user review,   the server receiving a verified user review from the user computer after the user computer receives the authorization, the server storing the verified user review,   a publicly viewable website,   the server configured to publish the user review to the publicly viewable website,   the publicly viewable website having only user reviews that have been received from a user computer that was authorized to send a user review,   a message indicating a verified user review by a reviewing user was published to the publicly available website,   the publicly viewable website is configured to determine a second user to send the message to by using data indicating a social media connection between the reviewing user the second user,   the publicly viewable website is configured to send the message to the second user.   
     
     
         31 . A method of using a computer system for integrating online reviews with a point of sale system to provide authenticated user reviews of businesses and/or services, comprising:
 providing a point of sale system, the point of sale system completing a transaction between a business and a customer and generating transaction information from the transaction,   providing a server in data communication with the point of sale system, the server generating at least one user review code in response to receiving the transaction information and storing the user review code in a database that is in data communication with the server,   the point of sale system generating a receipt having the at least one user review code,   providing a user computer with a scanner to identify the at least one user review code on the receipt,   the server validating the scanned code at least by searching the database, and the server authorizing the user computer to transmit a verified user review,   the server receiving the verified user review from the user computer.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising:
 providing a publicly viewable website,   the server publishing the user review to the publicly viewable website,   the publicly viewable website accepting only user reviews that have been received from a user computer that was authorized to send a user review.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising:
 the server sending a message indicating a verified user review by a reviewing user was published to the publicly available website,   the publicly viewable website determining a second user to send the message to by using data indicating a social media association between the reviewing user and the second user.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the receipt is an electronic receipt. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34  wherein the point of sale system sends the electronic receipt to the user computer through digital data communication. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the user computer is a smartphone. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 34 , further comprising:
 the point of sale system displaying the at least one user review code on the point of sale system,   the transaction information including geolocation data indicating a location of the point of sale system,   the server receiving geolocation data indicating the location of the user computer at the time the at least one user review code was canned, verifying the scanned at least one user review code by searching the database, verifying that the geolocation data received from the user computer matches the geolocation data of the point of sale system, and authorizing the user computer to transmit a verified user review.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising:
 providing the point of sale system at an event venue,   the point of sale system accepting a user's identifying information and designating the user as in attendance at an event based on the input of the user's identifying information at the event venue,   the point of sale system including the information that the user is in attendance at the event in the transaction information, this information being attendance information, the server generating the at least one user review code based on at least the attendance information.