US 2006/0213985 A1 · METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ISSUING AND MANAGING GIFT CERTIFICATES

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for issuing and redeeming a gift certificate drawn on a credit card or other financial account. The present invention includes a first aspect directed to a merchant card authorization terminal and a second aspect directed to a credit card issuer central controller. According to the first aspect, a method for redeeming a gift certificate drawn on a financial account is disclosed including the steps of receiving a gift certificate for payment of an identified value, transmitting a request for authorization to a central server, receiving an authorization signal, representing an indication that redemption of the gift certificate is authorized, from said central server and receiving a payment from the account issuer based on said identified value. A system is also disclosed for implementing the methods in all aspects of the present invention.

Claims2

Dependent claims

A method for issuing a gift certificate corresponding to a financial account, comprising the steps of:

identifying and accessing stored account data associated with a financial account, said stored data including an account identifier;
determining a certificate identifier corresponding to said account identifier;
producing a gift certificate including thereon said certificate identifier;
and
distributing said gift certificate to an owner of said financial account.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

11/423,161Filed 9 Jun 2006

Priority

9 Dec 1996

Published

28 Sep 2006

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

G07F 7/0866
By coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means: by active credit-cards adapted therefor
G06Q 20/04
Payment architectures, schemes or protocols: payment circuits
G06Q 20/042
Payment circuits: characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
G06Q 20/10
Payment architectures: specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems

Family

Application08/762,128Continuation in part · filed 9 Dec 1996

Application08/858,738Continuation in part · filed 19 May 1997

Application09/613,361Continuation · filed 10 Jul 2000

Application09/613,361Continuation in part · filed 10 Jul 2000

Application11/423,161Continuation · filed 9 Jun 2006

US 5,798,508 ARelated patent

US 7,747,522 B1Related patent

US 2006/0213985 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Method and apparatus for issuing and managing gift certificates

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for issuing and managing gift certificates

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims2