US 5,243,174 AGranted

Method and apparatus for generating gift certificates

AssigneeThe Gift Certificate Center, Inc.

InventorsWilliam J. Veeneman, Thomas J. Doyle, Karla J. Alexander, Robert H. Hamilton

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Abstract

An electronic gift certificate dispenser device for printing and dispensing a gift certificate purchased by a credit card. A consumer approaches the device and inserts a credit card into a magnetic card reader. The consumer chooses a retailer from a menu of participating retailers and enters the gift certificate value. The machine automatically verifies the credit card, causes the account to be debited and prints the gift certificate. A plurality of gift certificate dispensing devices can be connected in a network under the control of a central processing unit. Information regarding gift certificate purchases is transferred from the devices to the central processing unit to be collated and billed to credit card accounts. The central processing unit also informs merchants of the purchase of gift certificates that will be redeemed at their stores.

Claims14

Dependent claims

Gift certificate dispensing apparatus responsive to a user wielding a planar card having magnetic coded data representing account name and account number disposed thereon, comprising:

a housing:
a card reader for reading magnetic coded data disposed on said planar card and for providing an output signal representative of said coded data, said reader being supported by said housing;
a certificate having first, second, and third sections, adjacent of said sections being separable along a weakened line;
means, supported by said housing, for printing on and dispensing said certificates;
and
control means under user control connected to said card reader and said printing and dispensing means for receiving and verifying said output signal and controlling the printing and dispensing of certificates from said printing and dispensing means, said control means including first means for receiving from said user a gift amount and preparing for printing said gift amount on said first section of said certificate, said control means further including account name, account number, and cost of transaction on said second section of said certificate, said control means still further including third means for receiving from said user a greeting and preparing for printing said greeting on said third section of said certificate, said control means obtaining said cost of transaction from said gift amount, said control means still further including means, on verification of said output signal and on command by said user, for initiating printing by said printing and dispensing means of said first, second, and third sections of said gift certificate and dispensing said gift certificate,
wherein said user can separate as a receipt said second section from said first and third sections and can give said first and third sections representing a gift certificate and a greeting-type message to another person, said another person being able to retain said third section as a remembrance and cash in said first section purveyor for a gift.

4 more elements

A method of printing, under user control, from an electronic certificate dispenser, certificates to be used for obtaining goods or services, wherein said electronic certificate dispenser includes display means, card reader means, user interface means and printing and dispensing means, said method comprising:

displaying on said display means a menu of categories of retailers of goods and services;
receiving from said user through said user interface means a choice of one of said categories of said retailers;
displaying on said display means a menu of retailers from said chosen category;
receiving from said user through said user interface means a choice of one of said retailers;
displaying on said display means a series of monetary values;
receiving from said user through said user interface means a choice of one of said monetary values;
after receiving the choice of retailer and monetary value, monitoring the card reader means for the presence of a planar card having magnetic data disposed thereon;
reading said magnetic data with said card reader means;
verifying said planar card is usuable for enabling issuance of a certificate;
communicating from said user interface means to said printing and dispensing means information regarding the retailer and monetary value chosen;
printing with said printing and dispensing means a certificate including the name of the retailer and the monetary value chosen;
and
dispensing said certificate.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/664,930Filed 5 Mar 1991
Granted: 7 Sep 1993
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G06Q 30/02
Commerce: marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
G06Q 20/342
Using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards: cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
G07B 1/02
Machines for printing and issuing tickets: employing selectable printing plates
G07F 7/025
By keys or other credit registering devices: by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of…