TECHNICAL FIELD

The subject matter described herein, in general, relates to customer transaction systems and, in particular, relates to systems for tracking customer transactions.

BACKGROUND

Generally, customer retention schemes are widely used by commercial enterprises to increase their market share, promote the sale of their products and services and to retain their customers. Such customer retention schemes are generally oriented towards giving reward credits to customers upon purchase of a product or a service of the commercial enterprise. On the accumulation of the reward credits above a certain threshold value of credits, a redeemable reward is offered to the customer.

Conventionally, many of these customer retention schemes and systems are based on purchase transactions that are performed at different points in a distribution chain, such as a distributor, wholesale agent, dealer, or retail outlet of the commercial enterprise. Such transactions may be computer implemented, for example, the transactions may be performed using credit/debit cards or membership cards. Customer retention schemes employing such computer implemented transactions usually have a limited consumer base mainly because the access to devices such as a computer, to a common customer is not wide spread.

In certain other cases, the customer retention schemes are based on transactions that are non-computer implemented. Such schemes usually involve tedious paper work, particularly for managing and tracking the non-electronic transactions. Additionally, the occurrence of errors in reward distribution in such schemes may be high.

SUMMARY

The present subject matter described herein relates to methods and devices for tracking customer transactions. A supplier device for tracking customer transactions is described herein. The supplier device tracks the customer transactions when a customer performs a transaction at a mercantile establishment. In an embodiment, the supplier device comprises an analysis engine configured to obtain at least one product code from a customer device and a device identity of the customer device. Further, the analysis engine associates a customer ID with the customer device, based on the device identity obtained from the customer device, and allocates a reward to the customer ID in response to receipt of the product code from the customer device, wherein the reward is based on the product code. The supplier device further includes an information module configured to issue an offer for redemption to the customer device based on at least one of a predetermined interval of time from a first receipt of the product code and a threshold cumulative reward allocated to the customer ID.

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present subject matter will be better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The detailed description is provided with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The same numbers are used throughout the drawings to reference like features and components.

Fig. 1 illustrates an exemplary network environment having one or more supplier devices for tracking customer transactions and managing customer rewards data, according to an implementation of the present subject matter.

Fig. 2 illustrates an exemplary supplier device for tracking customer transactions, according to an implementation of the present subject matter.

Fig. 3 illustrates an exemplary method for tracking customer transactions, according to an implementation of the present subject matter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present subject matter relates to methods and devices for tracking customer transactions. The tracking of customer transactions may also include managing customer rewards data. The customer rewards data may include data related to rewards, which are earned by a customer as part of a customer retention scheme, which is, in turn, related to the customer transactions.

In general, the products or services of a commercial enterprise are disbursed to a customer through a distribution chain. The distribution chain can include various strata ranging from a high level including suppliers, manufacturers, and marketing units, to a low level including distributors and mercantile establishments. The mercantile establishment of the commercial enterprise is a unit for retail supply of products of the commercial enterprise. The transactions including purchase of products or services of the commercial enterprise generally take place at low levels of the distribution chain, i.e., between the retailer and the customer.

Further, based on a purchase of products or services of the commercial enterprise by its customers, the commercial enterprises run various customer retention schemes.

Conventionally, through these customer retention schemes, the commercial enterprise offers loyalty rewards in the form of gifts, monetary rewards, etc., to the customers. The customers may be users from any level of the distribution chain. Generally, the customer retention schemes involve computer implemented consumer transactions with the commercial enterprise, for example, transactions through card readers, such as credit/debit card readers and membership card reading equipment. However, such transactions form only a small part of the total consumer transactions taking place because of limited access to the card readers. Further, credit cards or debit cards are generally available to a certain category of the customers whose creditworthiness is acceptable to the banks.

Other customer retention schemes involve customers performing non-electronic transactions, for example, a transaction involving a consumer purchasing a commodity by cash. The customer retention schemes for such non-electronic transactions may make use of print media to make their gift/discount coupons available to the customers as a part of the schemes. However, such schemes usually involve tedious paper work, for example, filling of membership papers, posting membership papers to the corresponding commercial enterprise, redemption of a printed gift coupon at a mercantile establishment of the commercial enterprise. Further, such schemes do not provide transparency to the customers. In addition, these schemes may be prone to errors, such as loss of papers by the postal services, loss of papers due to mishandling and mismanagement, and general human errors. These errors may lead to incorrect assessment of the rewards and hence may cause faulty reward distribution. As a result, the credibility of the scheme and the commercial enterprise may be adversely affected, which may further lead to loss of clientele.

Further, the above mentioned customer retention schemes may involve the customers to perform certain formalities to redeem the rewards. For example, the customer retention schemes may require the customers to dispatch certain forms or coupons to the commercial enterprise via mail, before the customer can participate in the customer retention scheme. Hence, some customers may fail to redeem the rewards or may chose to not participate in such schemes perceiving the scheme as being time-consuming.

Furthermore, in certain cases, the conventional customer retention schemes include distribution of rewards among various sections of a distribution chain. For example, the rewards may be distributed among various levels, such as suppliers, dealers, service centers, retailers, consumers, in a distribution chain of automobile components. Such customer retention schemes suffer from lack of transparency, delays in distribution of rewards, and inability to be in direct contact with the customers.

To this end, methods and devices for tracking customer transactions are described herein. According to an aspect of the present subject matter, a customer ID is created in response to a product code received from a customer, for example, through short messaging service (SMS) or internet messages. The product code can be a unique label associated with a product or a service provided by a commercial enterprise. In one example, the product code may be in the form of an alphanumeric character or a 128-bit code.

The customer ID may be associated with device identity of a customer device used for sending product code. The product code may be provided to the customer in response to a transaction, such as a non-electronic transaction, performed by the customer. As described earlier, a non-electronic transaction can include a transaction involving a consumer purchasing a commodity by cash. In one example, the product code is provided to the customer in response to a purchase transaction performed by the customer.

Further, a reward, for example, a monetary reward, credit points, gifts-in-kind (GIK), such as freebies or discount coupons, which is already associated with the product code, is allocated to the customer ID. Once the reward has been allocated to the customer ID, a response is generated and sent to the customer.

In one implementation, the response may include a reward information, for example, the reward allocated to the customer ID for that transaction and a cumulative reward that have been allocated to the customer ID for all the transactions conducted by the customer over a predefined period of time.

Further, the response may also include an offer for the customer to request for redemption of the reward. Such an offer for the customer to request for redemption of the reward is hereinafter referred to as offer for redemption. In one implementation, the offer for redemption may be sent to the customer after a predetermined period of time, for example, a month, or a quarter of a year, from the first receipt of the product code from the user. In another implementation, the offer for redemption may be sent to the customer based on a threshold value of the cumulative reward allocated to the customer ID. Furthermore, the offer for redemption may include an authentication ID, for example, a password, and a request to obtain customer information, such as a bank account information of a customer.

In one implementation, when a request for redemption is made by the customer, the request is authenticated using the authentication ID before the reward is redeemed to the customer. Hence, the customer may send the authentication ID along with the request for redemption to validate the transaction. Further, the request for redemption may also include the customer information. Once the request is authenticated, the reward may be redeemed to the customer.

In such a customer retention scheme, the customer participates in the customer retention scheme by using technologies, such as mobile technology and short messaging service that are ubiquitous and offer customer-friendly data communication facility. Hence, such a customer retention scheme is less prone to errors, and is simple and convenient for the customers.

Further, the customer at any level of the distribution chain, for example, al the consumer level, directly transacts with the high level of the distribution chain, for example, the suppliers including the manufacturers and the marketing units. As a result, the rewards earned by the customer are not shared with other sections of the distribution chain and this facilitates the growth of a consumer base of the commercial enterprise.

Fig. 1 illustrates an exemplary network environment 100 for tracking customer transactions, according to an implementation of the present subject matter. The network environment 100 includes a supplier device 102 connected to a network 104. The network environment 100 may further include one or more customer devices 106-1, 106-2106-N, collectively referred to as customer devices 106 and individually referred to as customer device 106. The customer devices 106 communicate with the supplier device 102 over the network 104. In one example, the supplier device 102 is operated by a supplier, such as a manufacturer or a marketing unit, of a commercial enterprise and tracks customer transactions through customer devices 106. In said example, the supplier device 102 tracks the customer transactions when the customer communicating through the customer device 106 transacts at a mercantile establishment of the commercial enterprise.

The network 104 may be a wireless network, wired network, or a combination thereof. The network 104 can be implemented as one of the different types of networks, such as intranet, local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), the internet. Wireless local area network (WLAN), and such. The network 104 may either be a dedicated network, or a shared network, which represents an association of the different types of networks that use a variety of protocols, for example, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), etc., to communicate with each other.

The supplier device 102 can be a variety of devices, such as servers, mainframe computers, personal computers, laptops, personal digital assistants (PDAs), etc. In one example, the supplier device 102 may implement a short messaging service centre (SMSC) and a mobile multimedia service environment (MMSE) and manage concurrent transmissions, such as mobile inputs, wireless customer-inputs, packets of SMS and/or MMS payloads, or internet messages, originating from the customer devices 106. The customer devices 106 include a variety of devices, for example, cellular phones, desktop PCs, notebooks, portable computers, workstations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile computing devices, etc.

In one implementation, the supplier device 102 includes an analysis engine 108. The analysis engine 108 receives one or more product codes from the customer device 106 as part of a transaction between the supplier device 102 and the customer device 106. In an example.

the product code can be a unique label associated with a product or a service provided by a commercial enterprise. The transaction may include, for example, a non-eleclronic transaction, and may be initiated upon receipt of a product code from the customer device 106 by the supplier device 102. In response to the receipt of the product codes, the analysis engine 108 creates a customer ID based on a device identity of the customer device 106. For example, the analysis engine 108 may create the customer ID in response to the first product code received from the customer device 106, based on an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number of the customer device 106, a phone number associated with the customer device 106, an IP address of the customer device, such as a customer device 106-1, or an email address of a customer communicating to the supplier device 102 through the customer device 106. In one implementation, the supplier device 102 may request the customer device 106 to provide the device identity for creating the customer ID. A reward, such as a monetary reward or a gift-in-kind, is already associated with each of the product codes. On the receipt of a product code and creation of the customer ID, the reward associated with the product code is allocated to the customer ID. Further, any subsequent product codes received by the supplier device 102 may be processed in a similar manner as described above.

Further, the supplier device 102 may generate and transmit a response to the customer device 106. In an implementation, the response includes reward information, for example, the reward allocated to the customer ID for the transaction and the cumulative reward allocated to the customer ID over a predefined period of time. In one implementation, the response sent by the supplier device 102 may further include an offer for redemption and an authentication ID. In one example, the supplier device 102 generates an offer for redemption based on a time period elapsed from the first product code received from the customer device 106.

The customer device 106 may send a request for redemption to the supplier device 102, in response to the offer for redemption. The request for redemption may include the authentication ID, which was issued by the supplier device 102. The authentication ID facilitates validation of the request from the customer device 106, and hence the transaction between the supplier device 102 and the customer device 106. In one implementation, the supplier device 102, in response to the request for redemption, issues a request for customer information from the customer device 106. The customer information includes, for example, information regarding a bank account associated with the customer device 106, information regarding a mail address of the customer communicating with the supplier device 102 through the customer device 106. In another implementation, the request for customer information is included in the offer for redemption issued by the supplier device 102 to the customer device 106.

Further, the supplier device 102 issues a reward, for example, the cumulative reward allocated to the customer ID associated with the customer device 106, based on the customer information. For example, the supplier device 102 directly transfers the cumulative reward into the bank account associated with the customer ID, and hence, the customer device 106. In another example, an administrator operating the supplier device 102 sends the reward to the mail address, such as an email address or a postal address, of the customer communicating with the supplier device 102 through the customer device 106. In another implementation, the supplier device 102 may provide an address of a sub-unit, for example, a mercantile establishment, of the commercial enterprise, from where the customer may redeem the reward.

In another implementation, the network environment 100 includes an auxiliary supplier device 110, which is connected to the supplier device 102 and the customer devices 106 over the network 104. Although the auxiliary supplier device 110 is depicted as having a different configuration from the supplier device 102, it will be understood that the auxiliary supplier device 110 may have a configuration that is same or similar to the supplier device 102 or one of the customer devices 106.

The auxiliary supplier device 110 may be placed at a sub-unit, for example, a mercantile establishment, of a commercial enterprise having administrative rights over the supplier device 102. In said implementation, the customer device 106 interacts with the auxiliary supplier device 110 to redeem the rewards at, for example, the end of a predetermined period of time. The customer device 106 may make a request for redemption, along with the authentication ID, to the auxiliary supplier device 110. The auxiliary supplier device 110, in turn, communicates with the supplier device 102 to obtain the reward information. Further, the auxiliary supplier device 110 may issue the rewards to the customer
communicating with the auxiliary supplier device 110 through the customer device 106 in a similar manner as described previously.

Although the network environment 100 illustrates one supplier device 102 and one auxiliary supplier device 110, it will be appreciated that any number of supplier devices 102 and auxiliary supplier devices 110 may be connected through the network 104.

The manner in which the customer transactions are implemented is further explained in detail in conjunction with Fig. 2. Fig, 2 illustrates exemplary components of the supplier device 102 for tracking customer transactions, according to an implementation of the present subject matter.

In one implementation, the supplier device 102 includes processor(s) 202 coupled to a memory 204. The supplier device 102 further includes interface(s) 206, for example, to facilitate communication with the customer devices 106 and the auxiliary supplier device 110. The interface(s) 206 may include a variety of software and hardware interfaces, for example, interfaces for peripheral device(s), such as a keyboard, a mouse, an external memory, and a printer. Further, the interface(s) 206 enables the supplier device 102 to communicate with other devices, such as web servers and external repositories. The interface(s) 206 can also facilitate multiple communications within a wide variety of networks and protocol types, including wired networks, for example LAN, cable, etc., and wireless networks such as WLAN, cellular, or satellite. For the purpose, the interface(s) 206 may include one or more ports for connecting a number of supplier devices to each other.

The processor(s) 202 may be implemented as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, state machines, logic circuitries, and/or any devices that manipulate signals based on operational instructions. Among other capabilities, the processor(s) 202 are configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions stored in the memory 204.
The memory 204 may include a computer-readable medium known in the art including, for example, volatile memory, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), etc., and/or non-volatile memory, such as erasable program read only memory (EPROM), flash memory, etc.

Further, the memory 204 includes module(s) 208 and data 210. The module(s) 208 include, for example, the analysis engine 108, an information module 212, a validation module 214, and other module(s) 216. The other module(s) 216 may include programs or coded instructions that supplement applications or functions performed by the supplier device 102.

The data 210 includes a product code data 218, a reward data 220, a customer data 222, a reward rules data 224, and other data 226. In one implementation, the product code data 218, the reward data 220, and the customer data 222 are stored in the memory 204 in the form of look-up tables. The other data 226 may include validation data, such as the authentication ID. Further, the other data 226, amongst other things, may serve as a repository for storing data that is processed, received, or generated as a result of the execution of one or more modules in the module(s) 208. Although the data 210 is shown internal to the supplier device 102, it may be understood that the data 210 may reside in an external repository (not shown in the figure), which is coupled to the supplier device 102. The supplier device 102 may communicate with the external repository through the interface(s) 206 to obtain information from the data 210.

In operation, as mentioned earlier, the analysis engine 108 receives one or more product codes from the customer device 106 during a transaction between the supplier device 102 and the customer device 106. The product codes may be a unique label associated with a product or a service provided by a commercial enterprise. In one example, the product code can be in the form of an alphanumeric character or a 128-bit code. During the transaction, the customer device 106 communicates with the supplier device 102 through, for example, packets of SMS or MMS payloads, to send the product code. In one implementation, on the receipt of the product code, the analysis engine 108 creates a customer ID based on the device identity of the customer device 106. In another implementation, the information module 212 sends a request to obtain device identity from the customer device 106 and the analysis engine 108, and creates the customer ID based on the device identity obtained from the customer device 106. Further, the analysis engine 108 stores the customer ID, the device identity of the customer device 106, and such other information regarding the customer device 106 in the customer data 222.

Further, the analysis engine 108 determines the reward already associated with the product codes, and allocates that reward to the customer ID. The reward includes, as mentioned previously, a monetary reward, a gift-in-kind, credit points, a discount coupon, and gift vouchers. In one implementation, the analysis engine 108 determines the reward associated with the product code based on the product code data 218 and the reward data 220. The product code data 218 includes product codes that are analogous to the product codes received from the customer device 106 and the reward data 220 includes the rewards that are associated with these product codes. In one example, at least a part of the product code, which is received from the customer device 106, is compared with the analogous product code in the product code data 218, and subsequently the reward associated with the analogous product code is determined from the look-up tables in the reward data 220.

Hence, the product code may also be used to ascertain the genuineness of a product purchased by the customer. Further, the product code may also include information pertaining to geographic location of the customer device 106. Such information is stored in the customer data 222 and may be used, for example, to devise business strategies. In another implementation, the geographic location of the customer device 106 is determined based on the device identity, for example, a phone number, associated the customer device 106.

In one implementation, the analysis engine 108 determines the reward to be allocated to the customer ID based on the reward rules data 224. The reward rules data 224 may include rules, procedural representations, and use case scenarios. The rules in the reward rules data 224 are implemented as conditional statements providing a result in response to various scenarios. For example, based on a threshold number of product codes received from the customer device 106, the customer ID associated with that customer device 106 may be allocated reward of a high value, for example, a high monetary reward. In this example, the rule to allocate a higher value of the reward to the customer ID is stored in the reward rules data 224. Further, the reward rules data 224 are periodically updated and modified to reflect new rules and practices. In one implementation, the new rules are created in the reward rules data 224 based on the geographic location and the reward data 220. For example, the new rules are created based on the geographic region from which the product codes are received in large numbers.

Further, on the creation of the customer ID and the association of the reward with the customer ID, the supplier device 102 generates and sends a response to the customer device 106. In one implementation, the information module 212 generates the response to be sent to the customer device 106. The response may include the reward information, for example, the reward allocated to the customer ID for that transaction. Further, on the receipt of subsequent product codes from the customer device 106, the analysis engine 108 directly associates the reward with the corresponding customer ID, based on the device identity in the customer data 222. For example, the analysis engine 108 identifies the customer ID with which the reward is to be associated, based on the device identity of the customer device 106 stored in the look up-tables in the customer data 222. The information module 212 may generate and issue the response to the customer device 106 upon the receipt of the subsequent product codes.

Further, the information module 212 may be configured to generate the offer for redemption and include the offer for redemption in the response to be sent to the customer device 106. According to one implementation, the information module 212 determines the geographic location of the customer device 106 from, for example, the customer data 222. and based on the geographic location, selects a language in which the offer of redemption is issued to the customer device 106. The data pertaining to languages and the respective geographic regions may be stored in the other data 226.

In an implementation, the information module 212 generates the offer for redemption after a predetermined interval of time from a first receipt of the product code from the customer device 106. For example, the information module 212 issues the offer for redemption after a month from the time when the product code was first received from the customer device 106. In another implementation, the information module 212 is configured to generate, based on a threshold cumulative reward allocated to the customer ID, the offer for redemption and issue the offer for redemption to the customer. For example, the information module 212 may issue the offer for redemption when the cumulative value of the rewards, that are allocated to the customer ID associated with the customer device 106. is above a threshold value. In one implementation, the predetermined interval of time and the threshold value of the rewards, based on which the offer for redemption is generated, is stored in the other data 226.

In one implementation, the offer for redemption may include a request to obtain customer information from the customer device 106. The customer information may include, for example, information regarding the bank account associated with the customer device 106-1 and information regarding the mail address of the customer communicating with the supplier device 102 through the customer device 106. In another implementation, the request to obtain customer information from the customer device 106 is issued by the information module 212 when the request for redemption is received. Further, the offer for redemption may also include an authentication ID.

In response to the offer for redemption, the supplier device 102 may receive a request for redemption from the customer device 106. The request for redemption may include the authentication ID to validate the transaction between the customer device 106 and the supplier device 102. In one implementation, the authentication ID is received by the validation module 214 and validated based on the validation data in the other data 226. For example, the validation data may include a corresponding authentication ID associated with the customer ID of the customer device 106 against which the received authentication ID is checked.

The request for redemption may further include the customer information requested by the supplier device 102 from the customer device 106. Once the request for redemption is validated, the analysis engine 108 redeems the reward allocated to the customer ID. In one example, the analysis engine 108 may transfer the cumulative reward to the bank account, in case the reward is a monetary reward, or may generate a prompt to send the reward to the mail address of the customer communicating through the customer device 106, in case the reward is a gift-in-kind. In another example, the analysis engine may prompt the administrator operating the supplier device 102 to transfer the cumulative reward to the bank account, in case the reward is a monetary reward.

In yet another implementation, the customer device 106 communicates with the auxiliary supplier device 110 to redeem the rewards. The auxiliary supplier device 110 receives the request for redemption from the customer device 106 and validates the request for redemption. In one implementation, the auxiliary supplier device 110 accesses the validation data in the supplier device 102 to validate the request for redemption. Further, once the request is validated, the auxiliary supplier device 110 may access the reward data 220 in the supplier device 102 to determine the reward to be redeemed to the customer associated with the customer device 106. The auxiliary supplier device 110 may then redeem the rewards to the customer in a similar manner as described above. In one example, the auxiliary supplier device 110 may provide the address of the sub-unit, such as a mercantile establishment or a retail outlet, at which the auxiliary supplier device 110 is located and from where the reward may be redeemed. In said implementation, the analysis engine 108, the information module 212, and the validation module 214 may lie on the auxiliary supplier device 110. In another implementation, certain modules from the analysis engine 108, the information module 212, and the validation module 214 can be present on the supplier device 102 and the rest of the modules can be present on the auxiliary supplier device 110.

Fig. 3 illustrates an exemplary method 300 for tracking customer transactions, according to an implementation of the present subject matter.

The exemplary method may be described in the general context of computer executable instructions embodied on a computer-readable medium. Generally, computer executable instructions can include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, procedures, modules, functions, which perform particular functions or implement particular abstract data types. The method may also be practiced in a distributed computing environment where functions are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, computer executable instructions may be located in both the local and the remote computer storage media, including memory storage devices.

The order in which the method is described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described method blocks can be combined in any order to implement the method, or an alternative method. Additionally, individual blocks may be deleted from the method without departing from the spirit and scope of the methods, systems and devices described herein. Furthermore, the method can be implemented in any suitable hardware, software, firmware, or combination thereof.

Referring to Fig. 3, at block 302, a product code is received as part of a transaction, for example, a non-electronic transaction. In one implementation, the product code is received by a supplier device, such as the supplier device 102 from one or more of the customer devices, such as the customer device 106. The product code may be obtained on a purchase of a product, made by a customer communicating with the supplier device 102 through the customer device 106. Further, in an example, the product code may be in the form of an alphanumeric code or a 128-bit code. In one implementation, the product code may have a reward already associated with it. The reward is, for example, a monetary reward or a gift-in kind, such as a gift voucher or a freebie.

Further, on receipt of the product code, a customer ID is created. In one implementation, the customer ID is created by an analysis engine, such as the analysis engine 108, corresponding to the customer device 106 from which the product code is received. The customer ID may be created in response to a product code received for the first time from the customer device 106. Further, in one implementation, the customer ID may be created based on a device identity of the customer device 106. The device identity can be, for example, an email ID from which the product code is received, or an IMEI number, a phone number, or an IP address, associated with the customer device 106. In one implementation, the supplier device 102 may request the customer device 106 to send the device identity, upon the receipt of the product code. Further, the product code may also include information regarding the geographic location of the customer device 106. Furthermore, data, such as the customer ID, the device identity, and the geographic location, related to the customer device 106 is stored in a customer data, such as the customer data 222.

At block 304, a reward is allocated to the customer ID based on the product code. In one implementation, the product code is analyzed, for example, by mapping, to determine the reward that is associated with it, before the reward is allocated to the customer ID. For example, the reward associated with the product code may be determined by the analysis engine 108 based on a product code data, such as the product code data 218, and a reward data, such as the reward data 220.

Further, in one implementation, the reward associated with the product code is also determined based on a reward rules data, such as the reward rules data 224. The data in the reward rules data 224 may be in the form of conditional statements that provide results in response to various scenarios. For example, a customer ID, corresponding to the customer device 106 from which product codes are frequently received, is allocated some additional reward. In an implementation, the data regarding frequency of receiving the product codes to allocate additional rewards and the data regarding additional rewards is also stored in the reward rules data 224.

Further, once the allocation of the rewards to the customer IDs is done, at block 306, a response is issued. For example, the response is issued by the supplier device 102 to the customer device 106 associated with the customer ID. In one implementation, the response is generated by an information module, such as the information module 212, and includes a reward information allocated with the customer ID. The reward information may include, for example, the reward allocated to the customer for that transaction. Additionally, the reward information may include information pertaining to the cumulative reward allocated to the customer ID over a period of time.

Further, the response may include an offer for redemption for the customer device 106. The offer for redemption may be included in the response based on certain rules included in the reward rules data 224. For example, the offer for redemption is included in the response when the cumulative reward allocated to the customer ID, associated with the customer device 106, is above a predetermined threshold. In another example, the offer for redemption is included in the response when a predetermined period of time has expired. In response to the offer for redemption, the customer device 106 may send a request for redemption as part of the transaction.

The response may also include an authentication ID, for example, a password. Furthermore, the response may also include a request for customer information, for example, information regarding a bank account associated with the customer ID. information regarding a mail address, such as an email address and a postal address, of a customer communicating through the customer device 106.

In one implementation, the geographic location of the customer device 106 is determined from the customer data and the response is generated based on the geographic location.

For example, the language in which the response is generated and issued to the customer device 106 is selected based on the geographic location of the customer device 106. The data pertinent to the language and the respective geographic location may be stored in other data, such as the other data 226.

At block 308, a request for redemption is received. For example, the request for redemption is received by the supplier device 102 from the customer device 106. In another example, the request for redemption may be received from the customer device 106 by an auxiliary supplier device, such as the auxiliary supplier device 110. In one implementation, the request for redemption includes the authentication ID to validate the transaction. Further, the request for redemption may also include the customer information that was requested by the supplier device 102 in the response.

Further, at block 310, it is determined whether the request for redemption is valid or not. In one example, such a determination is performed to determine whether the request for redemption is received from the same customer device 106 as associated with the customer ID. In one implementation, the request for redemption is checked for validation by a validation module, such as the validation module 214, based on the authentication ID and corresponding validation data in the other data 226. Further, the request for redemption may be checked for validation based on the device identity associated with the customer ID and stored in the customer data 222. For example, the validation module 214 may corroborate the device identity of the customer device 106, when the request for redemption is received, and the device identity stored in the customer data.

If, at block 310, it is determined that the request for redemption is invalid ("No" path from block 310) then the request for redemption is not processed further (block 312). On the other hand, if it is determined that the request for redemption is valid ("Yes" path from block 310) then the reward is redeemed to the customer device 106 at block 314.

At block 312, the request for redemption is not further processed by the supplier device 102. In an implementation, an error message is issued to the customer device 106, for example, by the validation module 214. In response to the error message, another request for redemption may be received from the customer device 106 and again checked for validation as explained earlier.

At block 314, the request for redemption is processed further and the reward is redeemed to the customer device 106. In one implementation, the reward is redeemed by transferring the due reward to a bank account of a customer communicating through the customer device 106, based on the bank account information provided in the customer information at block 308. In another implementation, the reward is redeemed by sending the due reward on the mail address of the customer, based on the mail address provided in the customer information. In yet another implementation, the customer device 106 is provided with an address of a sub-unit from where the reward may be redeemed.

The methods and devices as described herein provide flexibility to the customers participating in customer transactions and customer retention schemes. The methods and devices render the customer transactions simple and convenient, by making the transactions less tedious for the customers owing to less paper work and use of ubiquitous and customer-friendly technologies, such as mobile technology, SMS, and MMS. As a result, these customer transactions and retention schemes also involve fewer errors. Also the customer transaction can be performed in his native language, which further makes the transactions user friendly. Further, these customer retention schemes become independent of the mode of the transaction used by the customer, that is, whether or not the transaction is performed using a credit card or a net banking facility by the customer. This helps a commercial enterprise in increasing its consumer base and consumer loyalty.

Additionally, the rewards are not shared among different levels of a hierarchy, and hence, the customer earns his due rewards. This also helps in enhancing the consumer base of the commercial enterprise.

Although implementations for tracking customer transaction have been described in language specific to structural features and/or methods, it is to be understood that the present subject matter (and not appended claims) is not necessarily limited to the specific features or methods described. Rather, the specific features and methods for tracking customer transaction are disclosed as exemplary implementations of the present invention.

I/We Claim:

1. A supplier device (102) for tracking customer transactions when a customer performs a transaction at a mercantile establishment, the supplier device (102) comprising:

an analysis engine (108) configured to,

obtain at least one product code from a customer device (106) and a device identity of the customer device (106);

associate a customer ID with the customer device (106), based on the device identity obtained from the customer device (106); and

allocate a reward to the customer ID in response to receipt of the product code from the customer device (106), wherein the reward is based on the product code; and

an information module (212) configured to issue an offer for redemption to the customer device (106) based on at least one of a predetermined interval of time from a first receipt of the product code and a threshold cumulative reward allocated to the customer ID.

2. The supplier device (102) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information module (212) is further configured to:

determine a geographic location of the customer device (106) based on the device identity; and

select a language for issuing the offer for redemption to the customer device (106) based on the geographic location.

3. The supplier device (102) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a validation
module (214) configured to:

receive a request for redemption from the customer device (106); and

validate the request for redemption based on the customer ID associated with the customer device (106).

4. The supplier device (102) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the analysis engine (108) is further configured to redeem the reward allocated to the customer ID based on the validation by the validation module (214).

5. A method for tracking customer transactions when a customer performs a transaction at a mercantile establishment, the method comprising:

creating a customer ID based on a device identity of a customer device (106) in response to receipt of at least one product code from the customer device (106);

allocating a reward to the customer ID based on the product code received from the customer device (106);

receiving a request for redemption of the reward from the customer device (106) based on the reward allocated to the customer ID; and

redeeming the reward to the customer device (106) in response to the request for redemption.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the allocating comprises issuing a response to the customer device (106).

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the issuing comprises issuing an offer for redemption of the reward to the customer device (106), and wherein the offer for redemption is issued based on at least one of a predetermined interval of time from a first receipt of the product code and a threshold cumulative reward allocated to the customer ID.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the issuing comprises:

determining a geographical location of the customer device (106); and

identifying a language for issuing the response to the customer device (106).

9. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the redeeming comprises validating the request for redemption of the reward based on the customer ID.

10. A computer-readable medium having a set of computer readable instructions that, when executed, perform acts comprising:

receiving a product code from a customer device (106) in response to a transaction performed by a customer at a mercantile establishment;

determining a device identity associated with the customer device (106);

creating a customer ID based on the device identity of the customer device (106);

allocating a reward to the customer ID based on the product code received from the customer device (106);.

issuing an offer for redemption to the customer device (106) based on the allocated reward; and

redeeming the reward to the customer device (106) in response to a request for redemption from the customer device (106).