MULTI-CARD BULK PACKAGE IDENTIFYING ACTIVATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20060261154A1
• Filed: 05/19/2006
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: First Data Resources Incorporated (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Arthur, Steven E., Esslinger, Bret M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,822,640 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/354 Card activation or deactivation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the invention, a method of activating a plurality of gift cards utilizes a package of multiple presentation instruments. Each presentation instrument includes a unique presentation instrument identifier used to associate funds with the presentation instrument. Also, the package includes a package identifier. In one step, the package identifier is read from the package and is transmitted over an electronic network to a host computer system which evaluates the package identifier to determine whether the package identifier is valid. If so, each of the presentation instruments in the package is activated for a certain activation amount.

Claims

1. A method of activating a plurality of gift cards, said method comprising:

providing a package of multiple presentation instruments, wherein each presentation instrument includes a unique presentation instrument identifier used to associate funds with the presentation instrument, and wherein the package includes a package identifier;

reading the package identifier from the package and transmitting the package identifier over an electronic network to a host computer system;

evaluating the package identifier at the host computer system to determine whether the package identifier is valid; and

activating at the host computer system each of the presentation instruments in the package for a certain activation amount.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the package identifier is read electronically at a point of sale device using a reader selected from a group consisting of a bar code reader, a magnetic stripe reader and an RF reader.

3. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the host computer system includes a database that includes package identifiers and presentation instrument identifiers that are associated with the package identifiers, and wherein the presentation instruments are activated by flagging those presentation instrument identifiers that are associated with the package identifier that was read from the package.

4. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising transmitting to the host computer system a purchase amount and validating at the host computer system the activation amount.

5. The method as described in claim 1, wherein at least some of the presentation instruments are activated for different activation amounts.

6. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising removing one of the presentation instruments from the package, reading the presentation instrument identifier from the removed presentation instrument with a point of sale device when performing a redemption transaction, and transmitting the presentation instrument identifier to the host computer system along with a requested redemption amount.

7. The method as described in claim 6, further comprising reducing the activation amount by the redemption amount and transmitting a confirmation of the transaction to the point of sale device.

8. A presentation instrument package arrangement, comprising:

a plurality of presentation instruments that each have an account identifier stored thereon, wherein the account identifiers are associated with stored value accounts maintained on a host computer system;

packaging material used to secure the presentation instruments together; and

a package identifier associated with the packaging material, wherein the package identifier is readable by a point of sale device to activate each of the presentation instruments at the host computer system.

9. A package arrangement as in claim 8, wherein the presentation instruments comprise plastic cards and wherein the account identifiers are stored on media selected from a group consisting of bar codes, magnetic stripes and RF chips.

10. A package arrangement as in claim 8, wherein the packaging material is selected from a group consisting of shrink wrap, card board and paper, and wherein the package identifier is stored on media selected from a group consisting of bar codes and RF chips.

11. A system for activating of a plurality of presentation instruments, the system comprising:

a host computer system having a record of a group of account identifiers, activation amounts for each of the account identifiers and a group identifier that is associated with the group of account identifiers; and

a package arrangement comprising a plurality of presentation instruments that each have a presentation instrument identifier stored thereon, packaging material used to secure the presentation instruments together, and a package identifier associated with the packaging material;

wherein the host computer system is configured to receive the package identifier from a point of sale device, to compare the package identifier with the group identifier and to activate each of the presentation instruments that are associated with the group identifier.

12. The system as in claim 11, wherein the account identifier and the associated presentation instrument identifiers are the same.

13. The system as in claim 11, wherein the host computer system includes an activation amount that is associated with each of the account identifiers, and wherein the host computer system is configured to receive a purchase amount for the package arrangement and to activate the associated presentation instruments if the activation amount equals the purchase amount for all of the account identifiers associated with the package.

14. The system as in claim 13, wherein at least some of the activation amounts are different from each other.

15. The system as in claim 11, further comprising at least one point of sale device that is configured to read the package identifier and to transmit the package identifier to the host computer system.

16. The system as in claim 15, wherein the point of sale device includes a reader selected from a group consisting of a bar code reader, a magnetic stripe reader and an RF reader.

17. The system as in claim 11, further comprising at least one point of sale device that is configured to read the presentation instrument identifier from the presentation instrument and to transmit the presentation instrument identifier to the host computer system

18. The system as in claim 11, wherein the presentation instruments comprise plastic cards and wherein the account identifiers are stored on media selected from a group consisting of bar codes, magnetic stripes and RF chips.

19. The system as in claim 11, wherein the packaging material is selected from a group consisting of shrink wrap, card board and paper, and wherein the package identifier is stored on media selected from a group consisting of bar codes and RF chips.

20. The system as in claim 11, wherein the host computer system is configured to receive one of the presentation instrument identifiers along with a requested redemption amount and to reduce the activation amount by the redemption amount.