Method and system for monetary gift registry

• US 20040078283A1
• Filed: 10/22/2002
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dannielle Gary
• Original Assignee: Dannielle Gary
• Inventors: Gary, Dannielle
• Granted Patent: US 7,039,601 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

The invention provides methods and systems for collecting and transferring monetary gifts. The method includes establishing a registry for gift accounts; creating a record for a customer in the registry; storing customer information in the customer record, creating a gift account associated with the customer record; collecting deposits of gift funds from a contributor into the gift account; and transferring the gift funds from the gift account to the customer. The system includes a registry containing at least one customer record and at least one gift account identifier, at least one gift account, and a central system to maintain the registry. The system also includes at least one transaction terminal which communicates with the central system over a network.

Claims

1. A method for collecting and transferring monetary gifts, comprising the steps of:

establishing a registry;

creating a record for a customer in the registry;

storing customer information in the customer record;

creating a gift account for the customer, the gift account associated with the customer record;

collecting a deposit of gift funds from a contributor into the gift account; and

transferring the gift funds from the gift account to the customer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transferring the gift funds from the gift account to the customer further comprises:

making the gift funds available for withdrawal from a customer account.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the gift account and the customer account are each opened at a same financial institution.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the gift account is opened by a registry system, the registry system transferring the gift funds from the gift account to the customer account opened at one of a plurality of financial institutions associated with the registry system.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the gift account is either active or inactive.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the customer information includes the customer'"'"'s name.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the gift account is associated with an event, an event identifier being stored in the customer record.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the gift account is assigned a gift account identifier, the gift account identifier being stored in the customer record.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of collecting a deposit of gift funds from a contributor into the gift account, further includes:

prompting the contributor to input the gift account identifier in a transaction terminal;

accepting input of the gift account identifier from the contributor;

verifying the gift account identifier input by the contributor; and

collecting the deposit of gift funds through the transaction terminal.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of verifying the gift account identifier input by the contributor, further includes:

verifying that the gift account identifier input by the contributor is stored in the registry; and

verifying that the gift account to which the gift account identifier is assigned is active.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the transaction terminal is an automated teller machine.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the transaction terminal is a computer.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the transaction terminal is a telephone.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the transaction terminal accepts search input from a contributor to find a gift account identifier.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the transaction terminal is in network communication with a central system for presenting to the contributor a list of customer names in the registry associated with the search input from the contributor and the customer information stored in the customer record.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the transaction terminal further returns the event identifier in the customer record corresponding to the presented list of customer names.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the transaction terminal returns the gift account identifier corresponding to the presented list of customer names.

18. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of making the gift funds available for withdrawal from a customer account, further comprises:

releasing a predetermined percentage of the gift funds for withdrawal from the customer account;

freezing a balance of the gift funds for a predetermined savings period; and

releasing the balance of the gift funds after the predetermined savings period has elapsed.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the predetermined savings period lasts up to one year after the customer account is opened.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the predetermined savings period lasts at least until the customer is age 12, if the customer is younger than age 12.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the predetermined savings period lasts at least until the customer is age 18, if the customer is age 12 or older.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step:

notifying the customer of the deposit of gift funds.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the registry is an electronic database.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the registry is maintained by a central system.

25. A method of collecting and transferring monetary gifts, comprising the steps of:

establishing a registry by an entity;

creating a record for a customer in the registry by a central system;

storing customer information in the customer record by the central system;

creating a gift account for the customer record and associating the gift account to a customer account by the central system;

collecting a deposit of gift funds into the gift account from a contributor through a transaction terminal; and

transferring the gift funds to the customer account for customer withdrawal.

26. A system for collecting and distributing monetary gifts, the system comprising:

a registry containing at least one customer record and at least one gift account identifier;

at least one gift account;

a central system to maintain the registry; and

at least one transaction terminal, the at least one transaction terminal connected to the central system over a network and being adapted for accepting search input, gift account identifiers, and gift funds.

27. A monetary gift registry system comprising:

means for establishing a registry;

means for creating a record for a customer in the registry;

means for storing customer information in the customer record;

means for creating a gift account for the customer, the gift account associated with the customer record;

means for collecting a deposit of gift funds from a contributor into the gift account; and

means for transferring the gift funds from the gift account to the customer.

28. A method for collecting and transferring monetary gifts, comprising the steps of:

establishing a registry by a financial institution, the registry being an electronic database maintained by a central system;

creating a record for a customer in the registry;

storing customer information in the customer record;

creating a gift account for the customer, the gift account associated with the customer record and the gift account assigned a gift account identifier.

collecting a deposit of gift funds into the gift account from a contributor through a transaction terminal, the transaction terminal in network communication with the central system, and the transaction terminal further adapted to receive gift account identifiers and search input from contributors;

transferring the collected gift funds from the gift account to a customer account at the expiration of a predetermined period of time;

releasing a definite percentage of the gift funds for withdrawal by the customer from the customer account;

freezing the remaining percentage of the gift funds for up to 18 years; and

releasing the remaining percentage of the gift funds for withdrawal by the customer from the customer account.

29. A method for collecting and transferring monetary gifts, comprising the steps of:

establishing a registry;

creating a record for a customer in the registry;

storing customer information in the customer record;

creating a gift account for the customer, the gift account associated with the customer record;

collecting a deposit of gift funds from a contributor into the gift account; and

transferring the gift funds from the gift account to a customer account.