US 2012/0059736 A1 · PROCESSING VALUE-ASCERTAINABLE ITEMS

Abstract

Techniques are provided for allowing a merchant to process third party closed-loop instruments (such as gift cards) as if the closed-loop instruments were open-loop instruments. A customer provides card data of a third party gift card to a merchant, e.g., online or in a merchant store, for the purchase of one or more items provided by the merchant. The merchant sends the gift card data to an intermediary that deducts at least a portion of the balance of the gift card. The intermediary sends an offer for the gift card to the customer. If the customer accepts the offer, then the merchant applies the offer towards the total purchase price of the one or more items.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

a system, operated by a third party, receiving an indication that a first party desires to purchase a first item from a second party using, at least partially, a value-ascertainable item for payment;
in response to the request, the system performing the steps of:
determining a value of the value-ascertainable item, and
based on the value, providing an offer for the value-ascertainable item;
in response to acceptance of the offer, the system causing the value to be applied to the purchase of the first item;
wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

3 more elements

A method performed by a third party, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

receiving, from a user, first data that indicates a first closed-loop stored-value instrument that is issued by a first party that is different than the third party;
determining, based on the first data, a first monetary value associated with the first closed-loop stored-value instrument;
sending, toward the user, data that indicates (a) at least a second closed-loop stored-value instrument that is issued by a second party that is different than the first and third parties and (b) a balance of the second closed-loop stored-value instrument;
wherein second party is incapable of deducting balance from the first closed-loop stored-value instrument;
wherein first party is incapable of deducting balance from the second closed-loop stored-value instrument;
receiving, from the user, purchase data that indicates the user's intention to exchange the first closed-loop stored-value instrument for the second closed-loop stored-value instrument;
wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

13/295,753Filed 14 Nov 2011

Priority

4 Dec 2009

Published

8 Mar 2012

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

G06Q 20/02
Payment architectures, schemes or protocols: involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
G06Q 20/12
Payment architectures: specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
G06Q 20/204
Point-of-sale [POS] network systems: comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
G06Q 20/28
Payment schemes or models: pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"

Family

Application61/266,910Us provisional application · filed 4 Dec 2009

Application12/903,987Continuation in part · filed 13 Oct 2010

Application13/295,753Continuation in part

US 2011/0137740 A1Published application

US 2012/0059736 A1This patent

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

Processing value-ascertainable items

Life of this patent

Processing value-ascertainable items

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30