Third-Party Gift Registry And Payment System

• US 20080243705A1
• Filed: 03/28/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Western Union
• Original Assignee: Western Union
• Inventors: Paintin, Scott
• Application Number:
  US11/692,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20080243705A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/78
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering

Abstract

A third-party gift registry system is disclosed. The system provides consumers access to at least one third-party gift registry. The at least one third-party gift registry includes a listing of gifts selected by a registrant at least one merchant. The system receives a gift selection from a consumer for a gift listed in a first third-party gift registry. A payment may then be received from the consumer at an agent location for the gift selection. The system then transfers at least a portion of the payment for the gift selection to the third-party merchant.

Claims

1. A third-party gift registry system comprising:

a third-party merchant interface adapted to communicate with more than one third-party merchant, wherein each third-party merchant maintains a gift registry, and each gift registry comprises a listing of merchandise selected for entry within the gift registry by a registrant;

a consumer interface, wherein the consumer interface is operable to provide access to at least one third-party merchant gift registry, the consumer interface is operable to receive a gift selection from the consumer selected from one of the third-party gift registries, and the consumer interface is operable to receive funds as payment for the gift selection from the consumer; and

a money transfer interface adapted to communicate money transfer information between the third-party gift registry system and a money transfer system, wherein the money transfer interface transfers the funds received as payment for the gift selection to the third-party merchant where the gift selection was selected.

2. The third-party gift registry system of claim 1, wherein the third-party gift registry system requests through the third-party merchant interface that a third-party merchant remove the gift selection from the gift registry upon receiving payment for the gift selection.

3. The third-party gift registry system of claim 1, wherein the third-party gift registry system requests through the third-party merchant interface that a third-party merchant flag the gift selection in the gift registry upon receiving payment for the gift selection.

4. The third-party gift registry system of claim 1, wherein the money transfer interface is adapted to communicate with an automated clearing house.

5. The third-party gift registry system of claim 1, wherein the third-party gift registry systems sends a message to the third-party merchant, wherein the message comprises information selected from the group consisting of:

consumer name, a personal message from the consumer to the registrant to accompany the selected gift, quantity, purchase price, and gift identifier.

6. The third-party gift registry system of claim 1, wherein the money transfer system comprises an automated clearing house.

7. A third-party gift registry system comprising:

a third-party merchant interface adapted to communicate with more than one third-party merchant;

a money transfer interface adapted to communicate money transfer information between the third-party gift registry and a money transfer system;

a master gift registry comprising more than one gift registry from more than one third-party merchant, wherein the master gift registry comprises a plurality of products selected for the master gift registry by a registrant; and

a consumer interface adapted to communicate products within the master gift registry to a consumer,

wherein;

the consumer interface is adapted to receive from a consumer a gift selection of at least one product from the master gift registry;

the consumer interface is adapted to receive payment details from the consumer for the selection of at least one product; and

the money transfer interface is adapted to send a money transfer request to the money transfer system to transfer money to the third-party merchant.

8. The third-party gift registry system of claim 7, wherein once the product has been paid for, the selected product is removed from the master gift registry for the specific gift recipient.

9. The third-party gift registry system of claim 7, wherein once the product has been paid for, the selected product is flagged in the master gift registry for the specific gift recipient.

10. The third-party gift registry system of claim 7, further comprising a network interface comprising the money transfer interface and the third-party interface.

11. The third-party gift registry system of claim 7, further comprising a network interface comprising the money transfer interface, the consumer interface, and the third-party interface.

12. The third-party gift registry system of claim 7, wherein the money transfer system comprises an automated clearing house.

13. A third-party gift registry method comprising:

providing access to at least one third-party gift registry, wherein the at least one third-party gift registry includes a listing of gifts selected by a registrant at least one merchant, and the at least one third-party gift registry comprises a first third-party gift registry;

receiving a gift selection from a consumer for a gift listed in the first third-party gift registry;

receiving a payment from the consumer through a financial services facilitator for the gift selection; and

transferring at least a portion of the payment for the gift selection to the first third-party merchant.

14. The third-party gift registry method of claim 13, wherein:

the providing access to at least one third-party gift registry comprises providing access to at least one third-party gift registry over the Internet; and

the receiving a gift selection from a consumer for a gift listed in the first third-party gift registry comprises receiving a gift selection from a consumer for a gift listed in the first third-party gift registry over the Internet.

15. The third-party gift registry method of claim 13, further comprising flagging the gift selection as selected by a consumer pending payment at the agent location.

16. The third-party gift registry method of claim 15, further comprising removing the flag after a period of time if a payment is not received at an agent location.

17. The third-party gift registry method of claim 13, wherein the sending at least a portion of the payment for the gift selection comprises a payment method selected from the group consisting of:

transferring money to the third-party merchant'"'"'s financial account, sending a check to the third-party merchant;

sending a negotiable instrument to the third-party merchant, transferring a credit to a stored value account, providing a payout card, providing cash at an agent location, and through a net settlement at a financial institution.

18. The third-party gift registry method of claim 13, further comprising sending a message to the third-party merchant, wherein the message includes information selected from the group consisting of:

consumer name, a personal message from the consumer to the registrant to accompany the selected gift, quantity, purchase price, and gift identifier.

19. The third-party gift registry method of claim 13, wherein the transferring at least a portion of the payment for the gift selection to the first third-party merchant comprises transferring funds through an automated clearing house.

20. The third-party gift registry method of claim 13, further comprising retaining a portion of the payment for the gift selection.

21. The third-party gift registry method of claim 13, further comprising sending a request to the first third-party merchant to remove the selected gift from the gift registry.

22. The third-party gift registry method of claim 13, further comprising sending a request to the first third-party merchant to flag the selected gift in the gift registry.

27. The third-party gift registry method of claim 13, wherein the financial services facilitator comprises a facilitator selected from the group consisting of an agent location, an ATM, a kiosk location, the Internet;

a mobile device, a telephone, and a mobile phone.

23. A web based third-party gift registry method comprising:

receiving a plurality of gift ideas from a registrant, wherein the plurality of gift ideas are found at a plurality of third-party merchants, and the plurality of gift ideas include a link to the gift idea at the third-party merchant webpage;

entering the plurality of gift ideas in a master gift registry including the link to each gift idea at the third-party webpage;

providing a listing of the gift ideas in the gift registry to a consumer;

receiving a gift selection from the consumer;

receiving a payment for the gift selection from the consumer; and

transferring at least a portion of the payment to the third-party merchant.

24. The web-based third-party gift registry method of claim 23, wherein the transferring at least a portion of the payment to the third-party includes transferring funds with an automated clearing house.

25. The web-based third-party gift registry method of claim 23, further comprising flagging a gift idea as already purchased in the gift registry when the gift idea has been selected by a consumer and a payment has been received.

26. The web-based third-party gift registry method of claim 23, further comprising sending shipping information to the third-party merchant, wherein the shipping information comprises the registrant'"'"'s shipping information.