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US 2018/0025349 A1Published application
Activation and Assigning Value to Gift Cards Using RFID
AssigneeAmerican Greetings Corporation
InventorAllison Marsh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure and related inventions describe a system and method by which gift cards may be user-activated and assigned value using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). The user-activated gift card contains an RFID chip embedded therein that works in conjunction with a mobile website or mobile app to allow users to activate and assign value to the gift card at any time and at any place.
Claims20
A gift card comprising:
- an RFID chip or tag contained in or on the gift card, the RFID chip or tag comprising at least one unique identification number associated with the gift card saved thereon;
- wherein a user may activate and assign value to the gift card using a mobile device.
A method for activating a gift card comprising the steps of:
- receiving from a mobile device a unique identification number read from an RFID chip in or on the gift card;
- receiving from the mobile device a value to be assigned to the gift card;
- receiving from the mobile device payment information;
- processing payment information for an amount equal to the value to be associated with the gift card;
- activating the gift card for the amount equal to the value to be associated with the gift card.
2 more elements
A system for activating a gift card comprising:
- a mobile website which receives information read from an RFID chip or tag;
- a central processing system which
- receives from the mobile website a first information read from the RFID chip or tag, the first information comprising a unique identification number associated with the gift card;
- receives from the mobile website a second information, the second information comprising:
- payment information;
- receives from the mobile web site a third, the third information comprising:
- a value to be assigned to the gift card;
- processes payment information for the value to be assigned to the gift card;
- sending the first and third information to a gift card activator and requesting that the gift card be activated;
- receiving confirmation from the gift card activator that the gift card has been activated;
- sending a message to the mobile website indicating that the gift card has been activated.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.