System and method for mobile-initiated in-store return of products

1. A system comprising:

an order management module (OMM) configured to:

store completed transactions and associated electronic receipts for customers in a first database; and

store pending transactions for the customers in the first database;

a mobile device having a mobile application installed thereon and configured to:

launch the mobile application based on a user identification;

determine from the first database, via the mobile application, a purchased item for in-store return;

receive from the first database, via the mobile application, an electronic receipt of the purchased item;

associate, via the mobile application, the electronic receipt with the purchased item;

generate from a second database, via the mobile application, validating information associated with the in-store return;

save, via the mobile application, return information to the second database, the return information including at least one of the purchased item, the electronic receipt, or the validating information; and

direct, via the mobile application, a user using the user identification to a return location in a store, the user returning the purchased item in the store;

a return management module (RMM) configured to:

apply rules to validate the return based on the information about a selected product; and

send an update to the OMM to set a flag with the selected product indicating that the return is staged;

a return station configured to:

pair with the mobile device;

verify the user identification;

query the OMM for products with flags;

filter the flags to locate the selected product;

receive the return information from the second database via the RMM;

print a return label to be placed by the user on the purchased item; and

receive the purchased item having the return label placed thereon; and

a remote return service server configured to:

retrieve the information about the return from RMM; and

send the information about the return to the return station.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the information about the selected product includes at least one of a purchase date, a purchase time, a purchase location, a user identification, or a payment method.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the information about the return includes at least one of a reason for the in-store return; and a refund method.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device is one of a smart phone, or a computing tablet.

5. A system for a mobile-initiated in-store return of a purchased item through a mobile application based on a user identification and an electronic receipt associated with the purchased item, the system comprising:

a portable device having the mobile application installed thereon and configured to:

launch the mobile application based on the user identification;

determine from a first database, via the mobile application, the purchased item for the in-store return;

receive from the first database, via the mobile application, the electronic receipt of the purchased item;

associate, via the mobile application, the electronic receipt with the purchased item;

generate from a second database, via the mobile application, validating information associated with the in-store return;

save, via the mobile application, return information to the second database, the return information including at least one of the purchased item, the electronic receipt, or the validating information; and

direct, via the mobile application, a user using the user identification to a return location in a store, the user returning the purchased item in the store,

a return station positioned in the return location in the store and configured to:

pair with the portable device;

receive the return information from the second database via a return management module; and

print a return label to be placed by the user on the purchased item;

receive the purchased item having the return label placed thereon, resulting in a labeled purchased item, and

a computing device associated with the first database and configured to:

receive an input indicative of receipt of the labeled purchased item; and

update the first database to indicate that the labeled purchased item is received,

wherein the portable device is further configured to:

receive, after updating the first database, a first notification indicating that the in-store return is being processed; and

receive, after the in-store return is finished, a second notification indicating that the in-store return has been completed.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the portable device includes a smartphone, a computing tablet, and a laptop computing device.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein receive the return information includes one of:

retrieve the return information from the second database; and

retrieve the return information from the portable device.

8. The system of claim 5 , wherein the validation information include at least one of:

a reason for the in-store return; and

a refund method.

9. The system of claim 5 , wherein determine from the first database includes:

present a listing of products purchased via the user identification;

select the purchased product for the in-store return from the listing; and

validate the purchased product for return eligibility against a return policy.

10. The system of claim 5 , wherein pair with the portable device is performed through one of: a quick response code, a near field communication, or a Bluetooth communication.

11. The system of claim 5 , wherein direct a user to a return location in a store includes one of:

detect, via the mobile application, a global positioning system position of the portable device; and

detect, via the mobile application, a network connection by the portable device to a local network in the store.

12. The system of claim 5 , wherein the return station is further configured to:

retrieve, from the second database, returning information for an additional purchased product to be returned by the user; and

validate the additional purchased product for return eligibility against a return policy.

13. The system of claim 5 , wherein the return station is further configured to issue a refund for the labeled purchased product to an account associated with the user identification.

14. The system of claim 5 , wherein the return station is further configured to:

receive a listing of products purchased associated with the user identification;

select an additional purchased product for the in-store return from the listing; and

validate the additional purchased product for return eligibility against a return policy.

15. A method implemented by a computer system for a mobile-initiated in-store return of a purchased item through a mobile application based on a user identification and an electronic receipt associated with the purchased item, the computer system comprising:

a portable device having the mobile application installed thereon,

a return station positioned in a return location in a store and, and

a computing device; and

the method comprising:

launching the mobile application based on the user identification;

determining from a first database, via the mobile application, available purchased items for the return;

receiving from the first database, via the mobile application, the electronic receipt of the purchased item;

generating from a second database, via the mobile application, validating information associated with the in-store return;

saving return information to the second database, the return information including at least one of the purchased item, the electronic receipt, or the validating information;

directing, via the mobile application, a user using the user identification to the return location in the store, the user returning the purchased item in the store,

pairing the portable device with the return station;

receiving, by the return station, the return information from the second database via a return management module;

printing, by the return station, a return label to be placed by the user on the purchased item;

receiving, by the return station, the purchased item having the return label placed thereon resulting in a labeled purchased item;

receiving, by the computing device, an input indicative of receipt of the labeled purchased item;

updating the first database to indicate that the labeled purchased item is received,

receiving by the portable device, after updating the first database, a first notification indicating that the in-store return is being processed; and

receiving by the portable device, after the in-store return is finished, a second notification indicating that the in-store return has been completed.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein receiving, by the return station, the return information includes one of:

retrieving the return information from the second database; and

retrieving the return information from the portable device.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein pairing the portable device with the return station is performed through one of: a quick response code, a near field communication, or a Bluetooth communication.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

retrieving by the return station, from the second database, returning information for an additional purchased product to be returned by the user; and

validating, by the return station, the additional purchased product for return eligibility against a return policy.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

issuing, by the return station, a refund for the labeled purchased product to an account associated with the user identification.

20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

receiving, by the return station, a listing of products purchased associated with the user identification;

selecting, by the return station, an additional purchased product for the in-store return from the listing; and

validating, by the return station, the additional purchased product for return eligibility against a return policy.