How Digital Receipts Turn One-Time Payments Into Ongoing Customer Relationships
A system that transforms static digital receipts into dynamic, time-sensitive portals for rewards, feedback, and tipping after a purchase is complete.
Original patent title: “Interactive digital platform”
A system that transforms static digital receipts into dynamic, time-sensitive portals for rewards, feedback, and tipping after a purchase is complete. Granted to Square Inc in 2019 with 23 claims and 7 forward citations.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a system that replaces a simple transaction record with an interactive digital receipt sent to a customer's mobile device. Unlike a paper slip, this receipt includes active components like promotional offers, feedback forms, and tipping interfaces that are only available for a specific, merchant-defined timeframe. A key feature is the dynamic value of rewards: the system can automatically decrease the value of a promotion the longer a customer waits to interact with it. For example, a customer might receive a 20% discount coupon that shrinks to 10% if not claimed within an hour of the transaction.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover static digital receipts that merely display transaction details without interactive, time-based components.
- Does not cover loyalty programs that operate independently of the interactive digital receipt interface.
- Does not cover payment processing itself, but rather the engagement layer added to the receipt after the transaction is instantiated.
- Does not cover general-purpose messaging apps that are not specifically tied to the receipt-generation workflow described.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The system uses the 'timeframe' as a variable to influence consumer behavior, specifically by making the value of a reward decay over time to create urgency for the customer to engage with the merchant immediately.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Square Point of Sale digital receipts
Merchant-branded loyalty apps
Post-purchase feedback prompts in mobile wallets
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent represents a shift in merchant-customer engagement, moving from passive transaction logging to active customer retention. By integrating feedback and rewards directly into the receipt, Square created a way to keep customers engaged with a brand long after they have left the physical store. It highlights the transition of the receipt from a boring proof-of-purchase into a functional marketing tool.
Filed
November 22, 2013
Granted
February 26, 2019
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Square (now Block, Inc.) remains the primary entity building on this technology within their ecosystem. Other major players in the fintech and point-of-sale space, such as Toast and Clover, also utilize similar post-transaction engagement models to drive customer loyalty and feedback.
Market impact
This technology helped standardize the 'interactive receipt' as a core feature of modern mobile point-of-sale systems. It enabled merchants to capture valuable customer data and sentiment immediately following a sale, effectively turning every transaction into a potential marketing touchpoint.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a system that replaces a simple transaction record with an interactive digital receipt sent to a customer's mobile device. Unlike a paper slip, this receipt includes active components like promotional offers, feedback forms, and tipping interfaces that are only available for a specific, merchant-defined timeframe. A key feature is the dynamic value of rewards: the system can automatically decrease the value of a promotion the longer a customer waits to interact with it. For example, a customer might receive a 20% discount coupon that shrinks to 10% if not claimed within an hour of the transaction.
The clever bit
The system uses the 'timeframe' as a variable to influence consumer behavior, specifically by making the value of a reward decay over time to create urgency for the customer to engage with the merchant immediately.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover static digital receipts that merely display transaction details without interactive, time-based components.
- Does not cover loyalty programs that operate independently of the interactive digital receipt interface.
- Does not cover payment processing itself, but rather the engagement layer added to the receipt after the transaction is instantiated.
- Does not cover general-purpose messaging apps that are not specifically tied to the receipt-generation workflow described.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
18/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
15/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
10/20
Granted 5–10 years ago
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$125K – $399K
Midpoint $250K · 7.4 yr remaining · industry ×1.6
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
23 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Strong, R. M., Myrick, L. A., Ng, T. Y., Lettau, T. J., & Maxwell, D. W. (2019). How Digital Receipts Turn One-Time Payments Into Ongoing Customer Relationships (U.S. Patent No. 10,217,092). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10217092/shopify-shipping
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Digital Receipts Turn One-Time Payments Into Ongoing Customer Relationships cover?
A system that transforms static digital receipts into dynamic, time-sensitive portals for rewards, feedback, and tipping after a purchase is complete.
Who owns patent US 10217092?
Square Inc owns this patent, granted in 2019.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on February 26, 2039, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 10217092 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 7 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent represents a shift in merchant-customer engagement, moving from passive transaction logging to active customer retention. By integrating feedback and rewards directly into the receipt, Square created a way to keep customers engaged with a brand long after they have left the physical store. It highlights the transition of the receipt from a boring proof-of-purchase into a functional marketing tool.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover static digital receipts that merely display transaction details without interactive, time-based components.
Same assignee
More from Square Inc
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