Automatic storage of electronic receipts across merchants and transaction cards

Abstract

The present technology pertains to storing transaction information for transactions with merchants in association with an identifier of a buyer, and transmitting an electronic receipt, including the transaction information to the buyer. The present technology includes a system and methods for associating a transaction card number with the user identifier of the buyer, such that the transaction information can be associated with the user identifier of the buyer even when the merchant does not receive the transaction card number or the user identifier of the buyer.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method comprising:
 receiving by one or more servers, from a first transaction engine implemented on a first merchant device, first transaction information about a first transaction between a first merchant and a buyer, the first transaction information including a transaction card number for a transaction card of the buyer;   automatically storing, by the one or more servers, an identifier of the buyer in association with the transaction card number in a user database of the one or more servers and associating the first transaction information in a transaction database with the identifier of the buyer in the user database;   receiving by the one or more servers, from a second transaction engine implemented on a second merchant device, second transaction information about a second transaction from a second merchant, wherein the second transaction information from the second merchant includes the transaction card number for the transaction card of the buyer;   automatically storing, by the one or more servers, the second transaction information about the second transaction as a electronic receipt in the transaction database in association with the identifier of the buyer in the user database; and   transmitting, by the one or more servers, the electronic receipt to a buyer device based on the identifier of the buyer in the transaction database, enabling a user interface of the buyer device to display the electronic receipt, wherein the first transaction engine and the second transaction engine are unrelated to a card issuer and the electronic receipt is provided to the buyer device without involving the second merchant or the card issuer.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the transaction card number and the identifier are withheld from the first merchant. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 after receiving the second transaction information for the second transaction, transmitting, to the buyer device associated with the identifier, a notification of the electronic receipt; and   receiving a request for the electronic receipt, wherein the request is received after the transmitting the notification of the electronic receipt, wherein the transmitting the electronic receipt is in response to the receiving the request for the electronic receipt.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the first transaction is associated with a first transaction card, and a third transaction is associated with a second transaction card, and wherein the identifier is associated with both the first transaction card and the second transaction card. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the second transaction information further includes a location in which the second transaction took place, and wherein the location is included with the second transaction information on the electronic receipt. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the second transaction information further includes a transaction result of the second transaction, the transaction result being received from a server of the card issuer. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 prior to the transmitting the electronic receipt associated with the identifier to the buyer device, retrieving, by the buyer device, at least one data item that is provided by a server separate from the second transaction engine and the one or more servers; and   including the at least one data item as part of the electronic receipt.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the second transaction information further includes a location in which the second transaction took place, wherein the at least one data item is an advertisement for a vendor nearby the location in which the second transaction took place. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the second transaction information further includes biometric data associated with a user of the transaction card, and wherein the electronic receipt includes at least a portion of the biometric data. 
     
     
         30 . A system comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least on storage including instructions stored thereon, the instructions are effective to cause the at least one processor to:
 receive from a first transaction engine implemented on a first merchant device, first transaction information about a first transaction between a first merchant and a buyer, the first transaction information including a transaction card number for a transaction card of the buyer; 
 automatically store an identifier of the buyer in association with the transaction card number in a user database of and associating the first transaction information in a transaction database with the identifier of the buyer in the user database; 
 receive from a second transaction engine implemented on a second merchant device, second transaction information about a second transaction from a second merchant, wherein the second transaction information from the second merchant includes the transaction card number for the transaction card of the buyer; 
 automatically store the second transaction information about the second transaction as a electronic receipt in the transaction database in association with the identifier of the buyer in the user database; and 
 transmit the electronic receipt to a buyer device based on the identifier of the buyer in the transaction database, enabling a user interface of the buyer device to display the electronic receipt, wherein the first transaction engine and the second transaction engine are unrelated to a card issuer and the electronic receipt is provided to the buyer device without involving the second merchant or the card issuer. 
   
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the transaction card number and the identifier are withheld from the first merchant. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 30 , the instructions are effective to cause the at least one processor to:
 after receipt of the second transaction information for the second transaction, transmit, to the buyer device associated with the identifier, a notification of the electronic receipt; and   receive a request for the electronic receipt, wherein the request is received after the transmitting the notification of the electronic receipt, wherein the transmitting the electronic receipt is in response to the receiving the request for the electronic receipt.   
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the first transaction is associated with a first transaction card, and a third transaction is associated with a second transaction card, and wherein the identifier is associated with both the first transaction card and the second transaction card. 
     
     
         34 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to:
 receive from a first transaction engine implemented on a first merchant device, first transaction information about a first transaction between a first merchant and a buyer, the first transaction information including a transaction card number for a transaction card of the buyer;   automatically store an identifier of the buyer in association with the transaction card number in a user database and associating the first transaction information in a transaction database with the identifier of the buyer in the user database;   receive from a second transaction engine implemented on a second merchant device, second transaction information about a second transaction from a second merchant, wherein the second transaction information from the second merchant includes the transaction card number for the transaction card of the buyer;   automatically store the second transaction information about the second transaction as a electronic receipt in the transaction database in association with the identifier of the buyer in the user database; and   transmit the electronic receipt to a buyer device based on the identifier of the buyer in the transaction database, enabling a user interface of the buyer device to display the electronic receipt, wherein the first transaction engine and the second transaction engine are unrelated to a card issuer and the electronic receipt is provided to the buyer device without involving the second merchant or the card issuer.   
     
     
         35 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the transaction card number and the identifier are withheld from the first merchant. 
     
     
         36 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises instructions that, when executed by the computing system, cause the computing system to:
 after receipt of the second transaction information for the second transaction, transmit, to the buyer device associated with the identifier, a notification of the electronic receipt; and   receive a request for the electronic receipt, wherein the request is received after the transmitting the notification of the electronic receipt, wherein the transmitting the electronic receipt is in response to the receiving the request for the electronic receipt.   
     
     
         37 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the first transaction is associated with a first transaction card, and a third transaction is associated with a second transaction card, and wherein the identifier is associated with both the first transaction card and the second transaction card. 
     
     
         38 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the second transaction information further includes a location in which the second transaction took place, and wherein the location is included with the second transaction information on the electronic receipt. 
     
     
         39 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the second transaction information further includes a transaction result of the second transaction, the transaction result being received from a server of the card issuer. 
     
     
         40 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 34 , further comprising:
 prior to the transmitting the electronic receipt associated with the identifier to the buyer device, retrieve, by the buyer device, at least one data item that is provided by a server separate from the second transaction engine; and   include the at least one data item as part of the electronic receipt.