# US 8,571,983 B1 · Gift card combination > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,571,983 B1 - Document ID: US8571983B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 13/646,946 - Filed: 2012-10-08 - Granted: 2013-10-29 - Earliest claimed: 2012-10-08 - Assignees: Bank of America Corporation - Applicants: Bank of America Corporation - Inventors: Jason Blackhurst; Dean Lyons Henry - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8571983B1 ## CPC - G06Q 30/02: Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising - G06Q 20/28: Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before" - G06Q 20/357: {Cards having a plurality of specified features} - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods and computer program products for enabling gift card combination. An exemplary apparatus is configured to: receive information associated with a first gift card; associate the first gift card with an account; receive information associated with a second gift card; associate the gift card with the account; and enable combining the first gift card and the second gift card into an asset determined by a user of the account. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for enabling gift card combination, the apparatus comprising: a memory; a processor; and a module stored in the memory, executable by the processor, and configured to: receive information associated with a first gift card, wherein the first gift card is associated with funds and not points; associate the first gift card with an account; receive information associated with a second gift card, wherein the second gift card is associated with funds and not points, wherein the second gift card is associated with a different merchant from the first gift card; associate the second gift card with the account; enable combining the first gift card and the second gift card into an asset determined by a user of the account based on determining a balance of the first gift card is less than or equal to a predetermined balance and determining a balance of the second gift card is less than or equal to the predetermined balance; and initiate presentation of a comparison of various assets generated based on a combination of the first gift card and the second gift card, wherein the various assets comprise at least two different types of assets. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second gift card is unassociated with the first gift card. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the asset comprises a third gift card associated with a merchant or merchant category determined by the user. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an amount of the third gift card is based on a balance of the first gift card and a balance of the second gift card. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the asset comprises points associated with a merchant or merchant category determined by the user. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the asset comprises funds. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein an amount of the funds is at least one of less than, equal to, or greater than a sum of a balance of the first gift card and a balance of the second gift card. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the asset enables payment of a bill. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the asset comprises a plurality of assets. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the module is configured to enable combining the first gift card and the second gift card into the asset determined by the user based on at least one of determining a balance of the first gift card is greater than or equal to a first predetermined balance or determining a balance of the second gift card is greater than or equal to a second predetermined balance. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the module is configured to transmit a message to the user notifying the user of an option to combine the first gift card and the second gift card into the asset determined by the user, wherein the message is transmitted via at least one of email, text or multimedia message, a social network, or a financial institution network, wherein the message is transmitted based on occurrence of a triggering event. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the asset can be reconverted into the first gift card and the second gift card. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the account comprises at least one of a financial institution account, a social networking account, or a merchant account. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the module is further configured to: receive information associated with a transaction; determine the transaction qualifies for the asset; and apply funds associated with the asset to the transaction. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the transaction qualifies for the asset if the transaction is associated with a merchant or merchant category associated with the asset, wherein the transaction is executed using a payment method associated with the account. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the transaction qualifies for the asset based on at least one of the transaction is executed during a predetermined period or before a predetermined expiration time, the transaction is associated with a particular type of purchase, the transaction is executed by a particular user associated with the account, the transaction is executed at a particular location, the transaction is executed using a particular payment method, or the transaction satisfies a predetermined minimum or maximum transaction amount. ### Claim 17 A method for enabling gift card combination, the method comprising: receiving, using a computing device processor, information associated with a first gift card, wherein the first gift card is associated with funds and not points; associating, using a computing device processor, the first gift card with an account; receiving, using a computing device processor, information associated with a second gift card, wherein the second gift card is associated with funds and not points, wherein the second gift card is associated with a different merchant from the first gift card; associating, using a computing device processor, the second gift card with the account; enabling, using a computing device processor, combining the first gift card and the second gift card into an asset determined by a user of the account based on determining a balance of the first gift card is less than or equal to a predetermined balance and determining a balance of the second gift card is less than or equal to the predetermined balance; and initiating, using a computing device processor, presentation of a comparison of various assets generated based on a combination of the first gift card and the second gift card, wherein the various assets comprise at least two different types of assets. ### Claim 18 A computer program product for enabling gift card combination, the computer program product comprising: a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a set of codes for causing a computer to: receive information associated with a first gift card, wherein the first gift card is associated with funds and not points; associate the first gift card with an account; receive information associated with a second gift card, wherein the second gift card is associated with funds and not points, wherein the second gift card is associated with a different merchant from the first gift card; associate the second gift card with the account; enable combining the first gift card and the second gift card into an asset determined by a user of the account based on determining a balance of the first gift card is less than or equal to a predetermined balance and determining a balance of the second gift card is less than or equal to the predetermined balance; and initiate presentation of a comparison of various assets generated based on a combination of the first gift card and the second gift card, wherein the various assets comprise at least two different types of assets.