초록 ▼

According to some embodiments, a supplemental product or service may be offered to a user during a transaction, either in addition to products and/or services the user is purchasing, or as a replacement to one or more of the products and/or services that the user is purchasing. The functionality may

According to some embodiments, a supplemental product or service may be offered to a user during a transaction, either in addition to products and/or services the user is purchasing, or as a replacement to one or more of the products and/or services that the user is purchasing. The functionality may be implemented, for example, in a retail embodiment where a user is purchasing products and/or services at a cash register or other point-of-sale terminal. One or more embodiments may be implemented online where a user is purchasing products and/or services using a computer, terminal, telephone or other client or user device and accessing a World Wide Web site, online catalog, interactive voice response unit or system, etc.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method comprising: receiving, by at least one of a controller device, a user device, a point-of-sale terminal, or a retailer device, information for a transaction;determining, by at least one of a controller device, a user device, a point-of-sale terminal, or a retailer device, a pool of at lea

1. A method comprising: receiving, by at least one of a controller device, a user device, a point-of-sale terminal, or a retailer device, information for a transaction;determining, by at least one of a controller device, a user device, a point-of-sale terminal, or a retailer device, a pool of at least one possible supplemental product;scoring, by at least one of a controller device, a user device, a point-of-sale terminal, or a retailer device, at least one supplemental product in said pool based at least on profit that the at least one possible supplemental product would produce when sold;selecting, by at least one of a controller device, a user device, a point-of-sale terminal, or a retailer device, at least one supplemental product from said pool for said transaction;determining, by at least one of a controller device, a user device, a point-of-sale terminal, or a retailer device, an offer amount for said at least one selected supplemental product;providing, by at least one of a controller device or a retailer device, to at least one of a point-of-sale terminal or a user device, an indication of said at least one supplemental product selected from said pool; andproviding, by at least one of a controller device or a retailer device, to at least one of a point-of-sale terminal or a user device, an indication of the offer amount. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of the following: establishing at least one rule; andapplying at least one rule. 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of the following: establishing at least one forced option; andapplying at least one forced option. 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of the following: maintaining a transaction database;updating a transaction database;accessing a transaction database;populating a transaction database;maintaining a product database;updating a product database;accessing a product database;populating a product database;maintaining a database of potential supplemental products;updating a database of potential supplemental products;accessing a database of potential supplemental products;populating a database of potential supplemental products;maintaining a user database;updating a user database;accessing a user database; andpopulating a user database. 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising one of the following: receiving an indication of an acceptance of an offer to purchase said selected at least one supplemental product; andreceiving an indication of a rejection of an offer to purchase said selected at least one supplemental product. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein said scoring uses at least one of the following: a profit based scoring approach;a popularity based scoring approach;scoring based on preparation time of one or more products;scoring based on inventory level of one or more products;a discount based scoring approach; anda composite scoring approach. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining a pool of at least one possible supplemental product further comprises: identifying at least one product category involved in said transaction;constructing at least one product group involved in said transaction;determining at least one complementary product category; andselecting a pool of at least one supplemental product. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein said offer amount is based on a round-up amount. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining an offer amount includes identifying a round-up amount. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein said offer amount is based on an amount of change due during said transaction. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining a pool of at least one possible supplemental product further comprises: determining at least one possible replacement product; andselecting a pool of at least one supplemental product. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein said transaction information includes at least one of the following: a tender amount;an amount of change due;a round-up amount;a transaction subtotal amount;a user identifier;a user device identifier;a payment identifier;a destination identifier;a location identifier;a point-of-sale terminal location identifier;an employee identifier;a transaction identifier;a product identifier;a retailer identifier;a point-of-sale terminal identifier;a retailer identifier;a time for said transaction;a date for said transaction;preference information for a user;credit history of a user;characteristics of a user;weather information;time of day information;day of week information;holiday information;competitor information;user demographic information;information regarding a user's brand loyalty;information regarding a user's brand indifference;an amount of change due a user as a result of said transaction;product quantity information;product inventory information; anda price for a product being purchased during said transaction. 13. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting comprises at least one of the following: applying at least one filter;applying at least one rule; andapplying at least one forced option. 14. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting comprises choosing a supplemental product that has a score higher than at least one other potential supplemental product. 15. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting comprises choosing a supplemental product having a higher relative score than each of a plurality of potential supplemental products. 16. The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing an indication of a second supplemental product selected from said pool. 17. The method of claim 1, wherein said indication includes an offer to sell said at least one supplemental product selected from said pool. 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising: receiving an indication of a rejection of said offer. 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising: providing an indication of an offer to sell a different supplemental product. 20. The method of claim 1, wherein said indication includes an offer to sell said at least one supplemental product selected from said pool for an offer amount during said transaction. 21. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions configured to direct a computing device to perform a method, the method comprising: receiving, by at least one of a controller device, a user device, a point-of-sale terminal, or a retailer device, information for a transaction;determining, by at least one of a controller device, a user device, a point-of-sale terminal, or a retailer device, a pool of at least one possible supplemental product;scoring, by at least one of a controller device, a user device, a point-of-sale terminal, or a retailer device, at least one supplemental product in said pool based at least on profit that the at least one possible supplemental product would produce when sold;selecting, by at least one of a controller device, a user device, a point-of-sale terminal, or a retailer device, at least one supplemental product from said pool for said transaction;determining, by at least one of a controller device, a user device, a point-of-sale terminal, or a retailer device, an offer amount for said at least one selected supplemental product;providing, by at least one of a controller device, a user device, a point-of-sale terminal, or a retailer device, an indication of said at least one supplemental product selected from said pool; andproviding, by at least one of a controller device, a user device, a point-of-sale terminal, or a retailer device, an indication of the offer amount. 22. An apparatus for conducting a transaction, comprising: a processor;a communication port connected to said processor; anda storage device connected to said process, said storage device storing instructions configured to direct the processor to: receive information for a transaction;determine a pool of at least one possible supplemental product;score at least one supplemental product in said pool based at least on profit that the at least one possible supplemental product would produce when sold;select at least one supplemental product from said pool for said transaction;determine an offer amount for said at least one selected supplemental product;provide an indication of said at least one supplemental product selected from said pool; andprovide an indication of the offer amount.