Method and apparatus for selecting a supplemental product to offer for sale during a transaction

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; and

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 the offer amount.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of the following:

establishing at least one rule; and

applying at least one rule.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of the following:

establishing at least one forced option; and

applying 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; and

populating 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; and

receiving 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; and

a 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; and

selecting 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; and

selecting 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; and

a 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; and

applying 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; and

providing, 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; and

a 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; and

provide an indication of the offer amount.