METHOD OF PROVIDING AND PROCESSING A PLURALITY OF STORED-VALUE CARDS

• US 20100025462A1
• Filed: 10/12/2009
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Inventors: SMITH, Dennis R., SCHULTZ, Mark A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,841,520 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 11/18 Ticket-holders or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/229 Hierarchy of users of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

A method of providing and processing a plurality of stored-value cards includes providing a stored-value card assembly including the plurality of stored-value cards in a housing. The plurality of stored-value cards includes a first stored-value card and a last stored-value card. Each of the plurality of stored-value cards is associated with a different account identifier linking each one of the plurality of stored-value cards to a different financial record or account. The different account identifiers collectively define a series of account identifiers. The method further includes scanning the different account identifier associated with the first stored-value card using a point-of-sale terminal, and scanning the different account identifier associated with the last stored-value card using the point-of-sale terminal. The housing indicates which of the different account identifier associated with the first stored-value card and the last stored-value card should be scanned first. Other card assemblies and associated methods are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of providing and processing a plurality of stored-value cards, the method comprising:

providing a stored-value card assembly including the plurality of stored-value cards maintained in a housing, the plurality of stored-value cards including a first stored-value card and a last stored-value card, wherein;

each of the plurality of stored-value cards is associated with a different account identifier linking each respective one of the plurality of stored-value cards to a different financial record or account,

the different account identifiers of the plurality of stored-value cards collectively define a series of account identifiers bounded by the different account identifier associated with the first stored-value card and the different account identifier associated with the last stored-value card; and

scanning the different account identifier associated with the first stored-value card using a point-of-sale terminal to enter the different account identifier of the first stored-value card into the point-of-sale terminal; and

scanning the different account identifier associated with the last stored-value card using the point-of-sale terminal to enter the different account identifier of the last stored-value card into the point-of-sale terminal, wherein the housing indicates which of the different account identifier associated with the first stored-value card and the different account identifier associated with the last stored-value card should be scanned first.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the different account identifiers is a different bar code, and scanning the different account identifier associated with the first stored-value card includes scanning the different bar code associated with the first stored-value card.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the series of account identifiers based on the different account identifier associated with the first stored-value card and the different account identifier associated with the last stored-value card entered into the point-of-sale terminal and characterized by an absence of scanning other ones of the different account identifiers using the point-of-sale terminal; and

activating each of the different financial records or accounts linked to the plurality of stored-value cards based on the identified series of account identifiers, wherein each of the plurality of stored-value cards are configured for use toward a purchase price only after activating each of the different financial records or accounts.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of stored-value cards includes at least three stored-value cards, and the method is characterized by reading only the different account identifier associated with the first stored-value card and the different account identifier associated with the last stored-value card of the series of account identifiers prior to activating the plurality of stored-value cards.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein only the different account identifier associated with the first stored-value card and the different account identifier associated with the last stored-value card of the series of account identifiers are provided for unobscured scanning by the point-of-sale terminal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein scanning the different account identifier associated with the first stored-value card includes scanning the different account identifier associated with the first stored-value card directly from the first stored-value card.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein activating each of the different financial records or accounts includes:

entering a common monetary value to be added to each of the different financial records or accounts linked to the plurality of stored-value cards upon activation of the plurality of stored-value cards.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the different financial records or accounts is associated with a predetermined monetary value prior to activating the plurality of stored-value cards, and upon activation, each of the plurality of stored-value cards is redeemable as payment toward one or more purchases, and the payment is equal to the predetermined monetary value.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the stored-value card assembly includes providing a plurality of backers within the housing, wherein each of the plurality of backers is configured to support one of the plurality of stored-value cards for presentation to a recipient.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of stored-value cards are stacked into one or more stacks and the housing is formed of a planar piece of material folded to surround at least four sides of one or more stacks.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the housing encloses the plurality of stored-value cards.

12. A method of providing and processing a plurality of financial transaction cards, the method comprising:

providing a financial transaction card assembly including the plurality of financial transaction cards and a package, wherein;

the plurality of financial transaction cards includes a first financial transaction card and a last financial transaction card,

each of the plurality of financial transaction cards corresponds with a different bar code linking the corresponding one of the plurality of financial transaction cards to a different one of a plurality of financial accounts or records,

each of the financial transaction cards is printed with the different bar code corresponding thereto,

the different bar codes are a sequential range of different bar codes, the package substantially encloses all of the plurality of financial transaction cards, and

the different bar code corresponding with the first financial transaction card and the different bar code corresponding with the last financial transaction card collectively indicate boundaries of the sequential range of different bar codes;

using a register, configured to process a retail sale, to scan the different bar code corresponding with the first financial transaction card; and

using the register to scan the different bar code corresponding with the last financial transaction card after reading the different bar code corresponding with the first financial transaction card, wherein the package indicates which of the different bar code of the first financial transaction card and the different bar code of the last financial transaction card should be read by the register first.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

using the register to determine the plurality of financial accounts or records based solely on the different bar code corresponding with the first financial transaction card and the different bar code corresponding with the last financial transaction card as previously scanned by the register; and

activating each of the plurality of financial transaction cards by updating each of the plurality of financial accounts or records determined by the register to allow the plurality of financial transaction cards to be individually used as payment toward one or more retail purchases following activation of each of the plurality of financial transaction cards.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of financial transaction cards includes at least three financial transaction cards, and the method is characterized by scanning only the different bar code corresponding with the first financial transaction card and the different bar code corresponding with the last financial transaction card of the sequential range of different bar codes prior to activating each of the plurality of financial transaction cards.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein providing the financial transaction card assembly includes providing the different bar code corresponding with the first financial transaction card and the different bar code corresponding with the last financial transaction card of the sequential range of different bar codes in a manner unobscured by the package for reading by the register, while other ones of the different bar codes are obscured by the package.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein using the register to read the different bar code corresponding with the first financial transaction card includes reading the different bar code corresponding with the first financial transaction card directly from the first financial transaction card.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein providing the financial transaction card assembly includes providing a plurality of backers within the package, wherein each of the plurality of backers is configured to support one of the plurality of financial transaction cards for presentation to a recipient.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of financial transaction cards are stacked into one or more stacks, and the package is formed of a planar piece of material folded to surround at least four sides of one or more stacks.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the package encloses the plurality of financial transaction cards.

20. A method of providing and processing a plurality of stored-value cards, the method comprising:

providing a stored-value card assembly including the plurality of stored-value cards maintained in a housing, the plurality of stored-value cards including a first stored-value card and a last stored-value card, wherein;

each of the plurality of stored-value cards is associated with a different account identifier linking each respective one of the plurality of stored-value cards to a different financial record or account,

the different account identifiers of the plurality of stored-value cards collectively define a series of account identifiers bounded by the different account identifier associated with the first stored-value card and the different account identifier associated with the last stored-value card, and

only the different account identifier of the first stored-value card and the different account identifier of the last stored-value card of the series of account identifiers are provided in a manner unobscured by the housing;

scanning the different account identifier associated with the first stored-value card using a point-of-sale terminal to enter the different account identifier of the first stored-value card into the point-of-sale terminal;

scanning the different account identifier associated with the last stored-value card using the point-of-sale terminal to enter the different account identifier of the last stored-value card into the point-of-sale terminal, wherein the housing indicates which of the different account identifier associated with the first stored-value card and the different account identifier associated with the last stored-value card should be scanned first; and

identifying the series of account identifiers based on the different account identifier associated with the first stored-value card and the different account identifier associated with the last stored-value card entered into the point-of-sale terminal and characterized by an absence of scanning other ones of the different account identifiers using the point-of-sale terminal; and

activating each of the different financial records or accounts linked to the plurality of stored-value cards based on the identified series of account identifiers, wherein each of the plurality of stored-value cards are configured for use toward a purchase price only after activating each of the different financial records or accounts;

wherein the plurality of stored-value cards includes at least three stored-value cards, and the method is characterized by reading only the different account identifier associated with the first stored-value card and the different account identifier associated with the last stored-value card of the series of account identifiers prior to activating the plurality of stored-value cards.