System and method for providing online authentication codes usable to purchase goods and/or services

A financial transaction processing system comprising:

• a database storing authentication codes associated with goods and/or services that can be provided by third party receiving entities, wherein the third party receiving entities provide the goods and/or services that can be obtained through presentment of the authentication codes to the third party receiving entities;
• an interface configured to receive a request from a third party sender to purchase and receive an authentication code that can be presented to a third party receiving entity in return for a good and/or service from the third party receiving entity, and to receive payment information reflecting payment by the sender for the authentication code;
• and
• a server coupled to the database and the interface, the server configured to (1) process the authentication code request, (2) provide the authentication code to the sender through the interface after the payment information reflects payment for the authorization code, and (3) initiate payment of at least a portion of the payment received from the sender to the third party receiving entity after the payment information reflects payment for the authorization code.

A method for operating a financial transaction processing system, the method comprising:

• receiving a plurality of authentication codes from a plurality of third party receiving entities, and storing the codes in an authentication code database, each authentication code usable to redeem a good and/or service from one of the third party receiving entities;
• receiving a request from a third party sender via an interface to purchase an authentication code, the request identifying the good and/or service to be purchased and/or the third party receiving entity providing the good and/or service;
• determining whether the system is capable of providing the requested authentication code;
• providing a message to the sender indicating that an authorization code cannot be provided if the system is not capable of providing the code;
• determining a price for the good and/or service identified in the request;
• receiving information representing payment for the authorization code from the sender, the payment including the price of the good and/or service;
• retrieving an authentication code associated with the good and/or service and/or third party receiving entity identified in the request from the authentication code database;
• and
• providing the authentication code to the sender after receiving the payment information;
• and
• initiating payment of at least a portion of the payment received from the sender to the third party receiving entity after receiving payment from the sender for the authentication code.