Method and apparatus for issuing and managing gift certificates

• US 7,747,522 B1
• Filed: 07/10/2000
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Jindal, Sanjay K., Lech, Robert R., Jorasch, James A., Tedesco, Daniel E., Walker, Jay S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Colbert, Ella
• Application Number:
  US09/613,361
• Time in Patent Office: 3,641 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/14, 705/35, 705/40, 705/39, 705/44, 705/16, 705/30, 705/1, 235379-3825, 235/495, 364/478.01, 902/22
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for issuing and redeeming a gift certificate drawn on a credit card or other financial account. The present invention includes a first aspect directed to a merchant card authorization terminal and a second aspect directed to a credit card issuer central controller. According to the first aspect, a method for redeeming a gift certificate drawn on a financial account is disclosed including the steps of receiving a gift certificate for payment of an identified value, transmitting a request for authorization to a central server, receiving an authorization signal, representing an indication that redemption of the gift certificate is authorized, from said central server and receiving a payment from the account issuer based on said identified value. A system is also disclosed for implementing the methods in all aspects of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing stored account data associated with a financial account, the stored account data including an account identifier that is associated with the financial account;

determining by a computer, a certificate identifier corresponding to the financial account, said certificate identifier being different from said account identifier;

assigning in a database, by the computer, the corresponding certificate identifier to the financial account for identifying the financial account;

producing a gift certificate including thereon said corresponding certificate identifier,

said gift certificate not including said account identifier; and

distributing said gift certificate to an owner of said financial account.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the financial account identifier cannot be discerned from the gift certificate identifier by a third party.

3. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of:

receiving an indication of a gift certificate redemption; and

updating stored account data to reflect the redemption.

4. The method of claim 1, in which the assigned corresponding certificate identifier is linked to the financial account.

5. The method of claim 1, in which producing comprises:

obstructing the visibility of said corresponding certificate identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a security code corresponding to said gift certificate; and

transmitting said security code to said owner of the financial account.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a security code corresponding to said gift certificate; and

printing said security code on said gift certificate.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

producing a security token storing a security token corresponding to said gift certificate; and

distributing said security token.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said gift certificate is embodied as a magnetic stripe card.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said gift certificate is embodied as a token.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said gift certificate is

embodied as an event ticket.

12. The method of claim 1, in which the computer comprises a

credit card issuer central controller.

13. A method comprising:

accessing stored account data associated with a financial account, the stored account data including an account identifier that is associated with the financial account;

determining, by a computer, a certificate identifier corresponding to the financial account, said certificate identifier being different from said account identifier;

assigning in a database, by the computer, the corresponding certificate identifier to the financial account for identifying the financial account;

producing a gift certificate including thereon said corresponding certificate identifier,

said gift certificate not including said account identifier; and

distributing said gift certificate to a recipient.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the financial account identifier cannot be discerned from the gift certificate identifier by a third party.

15. The method of claim 13, further including the steps of:

receiving an indication of a gift certificate redemption; and

updating stored account data to reflect the redemption.

16. The method of claim 13, in which the assigned corresponding

certificate identifier is linked to the financial account.

17. The method of claim 13, in which producing comprises:

obstructing the visibility of said corresponding certificate identifier.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining a security code corresponding to said gift certificate; and

transmitting said security code to said recipient of the financial account.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining a security code corresponding to said gift certificate; and

printing said security code on said gift certificate.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

producing a security token storing a security token corresponding to said gift certificate; and

distributing said security token.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein said gift certificate is

embodied as a magnetic stripe card.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein said gift certificate is

embodied as a token.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein said gift certificate is

embodied as an event ticket.

24. The method of claim 13, in which the computer comprises a

credit card issuer central controller.

25. A system comprising:

computer means for generating a certificate identifier linked to an account identifier that is associated with a financial account, said certificate identifier being different from said account identifier;

means for producing a gift certificate including thereon said certificate identifier,

said gift certificate not including said account identifier; and

means for distributing said gift certificate to an owner of said financial account.

26. A system comprising:

computer means for generating a certificate identifier linked to an account identifier that is associated with a financial account, said certificate identifier being different from said account identifier;

means for producing a gift certificate including thereon said certificate identifier,

said gift certificate not including said account identifier; and

means for distributing said gift certificate to a recipient.

27. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with processing instructions, said processing instructions for directing a computer to perform the steps of:

accessing stored account data associated with a financial account, the stored account data including an account identifier that is associated with the financial account;

determining, by a computer, a certificate identifier corresponding to the financial account, said certificate identifier being different from said account identifier;

assigning in a database, by the computer, the corresponding certificate identifier to the financial account for identifying the financial account;

producing a gift certificate including thereon said corresponding certificate identifier,

said gift certificate not including said account identifier; and

distributing said gift certificate to an owner of said financial account.

28. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with processing instructions, said processing instructions for directing a computer to perform the steps of:

accessing stored account data associated with a financial account, the stored account data including an account identifier that is associated with the financial account;

determining, by a computer, a certificate identifier corresponding to the financial account, said certificate identifier being different from said account identifier;

assigning in a database, by the computer, the corresponding certificate identifier to the financial account for identifying the financial account;

producing a gift certificate including thereon said corresponding certificate identifier,

said gift certificate not including said account identifier; and

distributing said gift certificate to a recipient.

29. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a database accessible by the processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium encoded with processing instructions, said processing instructions for directing the processor to perform;

accessing stored account data associated with a financial account, the stored account data including an account identifier that is associated with the financial account;

generating a certificate identifier corresponding to the financial account, said certificate identifier being different from said account identifier;

assigning in the database the corresponding certificate identifier to the financial account for identifying the financial account;

producing a gift certificate including thereon said corresponding certificate identifier,

said gift certificate not including said account identifier; and

distributing said gift certificate to an owner of said financial account.

30. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a database accessible by the processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium encoded with processing instructions, said processing instructions for directing the processor to perform;

accessing stored account data associated with a financial account, the stored account data including an account identifier that is associated with the financial account;

generating a certificate identifier corresponding to the financial account, said certificate identifier being different from said account identifier;

assigning in the database the corresponding certificate identifier to the financial account for identifying the financial account;

producing a gift certificate including thereon said corresponding certificate identifier,

said gift certificate not including said account identifier; and

distributing said gift certificate to a recipient.