Merchant item and service return processing using wireless beacons

Abstract

There are provided systems and methods for merchant item and service return processing using wireless beacons. A merchant may include a returns and customer service area at a merchant location for use in providing refunds, exchanges, or other services related to items sold by the merchant. The merchant location may include a wireless beacon at or nearby the area. The beacon may provide communication services with a device for the user. Using the beacon, the merchant may be informed that a user has arrived at the area and pull up a receipt and/or transaction history for the user with the merchant. The merchant may also be informed about past returns by the user that may assist the merchant in preventing fraud. Moreover, the merchant may also view similar items to the item purchased by the user for use in exchanges, which may include item delivery and/or availability information.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, via a wireless communication device associated with a merchant, an identifier of a user device of a user;   accessing, based on the received identifier, transaction information corresponding to one or more previously conducted transactions between the user and the merchant;   sending, via a wireless communication link between the wireless communication device and the user device, the transaction information to the user device;   determining, based on a user action performed via the user device after the sending, that the user has requested a refund or an exchange for one or more items of at least a first transaction of the one or more previously conducted transactions; and   processing the refund or the exchange based on the determining.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising, before the receiving the identifier, broadcasting, via the wireless communication device, a request to establish the wireless communication link. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the request includes information that is specific to the user or the user device of the user. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the broadcasting is performed using a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol, a Near Field Communication (NFC) protocol, or a Long Term Evolution (LTE) direct protocol. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the wireless communication link is established at least in part by performing a check-in of the user, wherein user account information of the user with the merchant is accessed as a part of the check-in. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the processing comprises:
 evaluating a fraud risk associated with the requested refund or exchange; and   denying the requested refund or exchange when the fraud risk is beyond a specified risk threshold.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the evaluating comprises:
 determining a number of times the user has requested returns or exchanges with the merchant in a specified amount of time; and   determining that the fraud risk is beyond the specified risk threshold when the number of time is greater than a specified number of times.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the evaluating comprises denying the requested refund or exchange based on a determination that at least an item of the one or more items associated with the requested refund or exchange is absent in the transaction information. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising: displaying, on a merchant device, at least some of the transaction information. 
     
     
         11 . A system, comprising:
 a processor; and   a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that are executable by the processor to cause the system to perform operations comprising:
 identifying a user device of a user based on identification information received from the user device; 
 performing, at least in part via a wireless communication device located at a processing location of a store of a merchant, an electronic check-in of the user; 
 determining, after the electronic check-in has been performed, that the user has requested a refund or an exchange for an item associated with the merchant; 
 retrieving a transaction history of the user with the merchant; 
 evaluating, based on the transaction history, a fraud risk associated with the refund or the exchange; and 
 processing or denying the refund or the exchange based on a result of the evaluating. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 transmitting at least a portion of the transaction history to a merchant device or to the user device.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the identifying the user device comprises receiving an identifier of the user device via a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) signal, a Near Field Communication (NFC) signal, or a Long Term Evolution (LTE) direct signal. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the performing the electronic check-in comprises accessing an account of the user with the merchant and associating the account with the wireless communication device. 
     
     
         15 . A method, comprising:
 detecting, via a user device of a user, a wireless communication signal emitted by a wireless communication device located at a specified location of a venue; establishing, via the user device, a wireless communication link with the wireless communication device;   transmitting, via the user device through the wireless communication link, an identifier to the wireless communication device, the identifier identifying the user or the user device;   receiving, via the user device from the wireless communication link, a plurality of receipts corresponding to a plurality of items or a plurality of return forms corresponding to the plurality of items;   displaying, via a user interface of the user device, the plurality of receipts or the plurality of return forms;   detecting, via the user interface of the user device, a selection of a first one of the receipts or a first one of the return forms; and   generating, via the user device based on the selection, a return request or an exchange request associated with a first item corresponding to the first one of the receipts or the first one of the return forms.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the venue comprises a merchant store; and   the specified location comprises an area at the merchant store that enables a return or an exchange of the first item.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the wireless communication link comprises a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) link, a Near Field Communication (NFC) link, or a Long Term Evolution (LTE) direct link. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the identifier comprises user device identifier, and wherein the transmitting further comprises transmitting, to the wireless communication device, authentication credentials of the user. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the displaying further comprises displaying a name or a picture of the user. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein at least some of the plurality of return forms are pre-populated when received by the user device. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising: receiving, at least in part via the user device, a refund for the first item.