Redeeming gift certificate without presenting gift certificate

A method of processing a gift certificate, the method comprising:

• providing a user interface configured for associating a gift certificate with an account for redemption of the gift certificate in connection with the account;
• receiving a first request submitted, through the user interface running on a first computing terminal, for associating a first gift certificate with a first account of a first user, wherein the first request comprises identification information of the first gift certificate, wherein the first gift certificate is redeemable in transactions at participating stores by presenting or submitting to the stores without associating with the first account;
• verifying first gift certificate using the identification information included in the first request, wherein verifying comprises communicating with a computing server to access or obtain data associated with the first gift certificate and stored in at least one gift certificate database;
• subsequently associating the first gift certificate with the first account, which allows redemption of the first gift certificate by payment using the first account without presenting or submitting the first gift certificate for the redemption;
• subsequently receiving, in a first store, a first submission of payment for a first transaction using the first account without presentation or submission of the first gift certificate, which to cause redemption of the first gift certificate;
• processing the first submission of payment for the first transaction, wherein processing comprises accessing the at least one gift certificate database for information including a first balance that is redeemable with the first gift certificate at the moment;
• and
• accepting payment for the first transaction, wherein accepting comprises causing the first balance stored in the at least one gift certificate database to get reduced by an amount of the first transaction.

A method of processing a gift certificate, the method comprising:

• issuing a first gift certificate that is redeemable in transactions at participating stores by presenting or submitting to the stores;
• maintaining at least one gift certificate database storing first data associated with the first gift certificate, the first data comprising identification information of the first gift certificate and a first balance of the first gift certificate, wherein the first balance is a value redeemable in transactions using the first gift certificate;
• permitting the first gift certificate to get associated with a first account in at least one account server that manages activities of the first account, which to enable redemption of the first gift certificate using the first account without having to presenting or submitting to a store, wherein permitting involves providing, in response to a request containing the identification information of the first gift certificate, at least part of the first data for verification of the first gift certificate;
• conducting a first transaction in a first store, wherein conducting comprises receiving a first submission of payment for the first transaction using the first account without presentation or submission of the first gift certificate, which to cause redemption of the first gift certificate;
• processing the first submission of payment for the first transaction, wherein processing comprises accessing the at least one gift certificate database for information including the first balance available at the moment;
• and
• accepting payment for the first transaction, wherein accepting comprises causing the first balance stored in the at least one gift certificate database to get reduced by an amount of the first transaction.