Method and system for monetary gift registry

• US 7,039,601 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2002
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dannielle Gary
• Original Assignee: Dannielle Gary
• Inventors: Gary, Dannielle
• Primary Examiner(s): Fischer, Andrew J
• Application Number:
  US10/277,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20040078283A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,288 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/14, 705/16, 705/30, 705/36.R
• US Class Current: 705/14.35
• 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 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 pre-determined percentage of the gift funds for withdrawal by the customer from the customer account;

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

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

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the gift account is associated with an event, an event identifier being stored in the customer record.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the gift account is assigned a gift account identifier, the gift account identifier being stored in the customer record.

4. The method of claim 3, 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 the 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.