Processing value-ascertainable items

• US 8,751,294 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2012
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: e2Interactive Incorporated
• Original Assignee: e2Interactive Incorporated
• Inventors: Bhattacharya, Ashmit, Bower, Bruce, Briggs, Gary, Gendron, Marc, Grove, Steve, Henson, Tina, Thomas, Parker
• Primary Examiner(s): Iwarere, Oluseye
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ludwig, Peter L
• Application Number:
  US13/467,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20120221405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.1, 705/14.11, 705/14.15, 705/14.19, 705/14.23, 705/14.38
• US Class Current: 705/14.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping 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 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Techniques are provided for allowing a merchant to process third party closed-loop instruments (such as gift cards) as if the closed-loop instruments were open-loop instruments. A customer provides card data of a third party gift card to a merchant, e.g., online or in a merchant store, for the purchase of one or more items provided by the merchant. The merchant sends the gift card data to an intermediary that deducts at least a portion of the balance of the gift card. The intermediary sends an offer for the gift card to the customer. If the customer accepts the offer, then the merchant applies the offer towards the total purchase price of the one or more items.

Claims

1. A method performed by one or more computing devices of a first party, comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

while owning, by the first party, a closed-loop stored-value instrument that has a positive current balance that has been issued by a particular merchant, wherein the particular merchant is different than the first party;

receiving at the one or more computing devices of the first party purchase data that indicates a particular amount that must be paid in order to purchase one or more items from the particular merchant;

providing by the one or more computing devices of the first party an offer message to be displayed to a user that initiated the purchase of the one or more items from the particular merchant, wherein the offer message includes an offer that indicates that the particular amount can be reduced if the user accepts the offer, wherein the offer is based on at least the positive current balance of the closed-loop stored-value instrument owned by the first party;

receiving at the one or more computing devices of the first party input that indicates that the user accepted the offer;

in response to receiving the input, providing by the one or more computing devices of the first party to the particular merchant an identifier of the closed-loop stored-value instrument as value for a first portion of the particular amount, wherein the first portion is based on the current balance of the closed-loop stored-value instrument; and

receiving payment at the one or more computing devices of the first party from the user in exchange for the first party providing the particular merchant the identifier of the closed-loop stored-value; and

wherein the first party provides a gift card exchange service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the offer message is presented to the user via a plug-in to a web browser.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to the step of receiving the purchasing data:

determining that a webpage is from the particular merchant and is being displayed to the user;

wherein the step of providing the offer message is performed in response to determining that the webpage that is from the particular merchant is being displayed to the user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a plurality of closed-loop stored-value instruments, each of the plurality of closed-loop stored-value instruments having a current balance that is positive; and

applying the current balances of each closed-loop stored-value instrument of the plurality of closed-loop stored-value instruments to the particular amount.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising causing cash to be applied to the particular amount.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the current balance of the closed-loop stored-value instrument is a first amount;

the closed-loop stored-value instrument was purchased by a first party for a second amount that is less than the first amount; and

the payment is for a third amount that is greater than the second amount and less than the first amount.

7. One or more non-transitory machine-readable media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the performance of the method comprising:

a first party, while owning or representing an owner of, a closed-loop stored-value instrument that has a positive current balance issued by a particular merchant, wherein the particular merchant is different than the first party;

receiving at one or more computing devices of the first party purchase data that indicates a particular amount that must be paid in order to purchase one or more items from the particular merchant;

providing by the one or more computing devices of the first party an offer message to be displayed to a user that initiated the purchase of the one or more items from the particular merchant, wherein the offer message includes an offer that indicates that the particular amount can be reduced if the user accepts the offer, wherein the offer is based on the positive current balance of the closed-loop stored-value instrument owned by the first party;

receiving at the one or more computing devices of the first party input that indicates that the user accepted the offer;

in response to receiving the input, providing by the first party to by the one or more computing devices the particular merchant an identifier of the closed-loop stored-value instrument as value for a first portion of the particular amount, wherein the first portion is based on the current balance of the closed-loop stored-value instrument; and

receiving payment at the one or more computing devices of the first party from the user in exchange for the first party providing the particular merchant the identifier of the closed-loop stored;

wherein the first party provides a gift card exchange service.

8. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 7, further comprising storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, present the offer message to the user via plug-in to a web browser.

9. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 7, further comprising storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, prior to the receiving the purchase data:

determine that a webpage that is from the particular merchant and is being displayed to the user; and

wherein providing the offer message is performed in response to determining that the webpage that is from the particular merchant is being displayed to the user.

10. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 7, further comprising storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors:

identify a plurality of closed-loop stored-value instruments, each of which having a current balance that is positive; and

apply the current balances of each closed-loop stored-value instrument of the plurality of closed-loop stored-value instruments to the particular amount.

11. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 7, further comprising storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause cash to be applied to the particular amount.

12. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 7, wherein:

the current balance of the closed-loop stored-value instrument is a first amount;

the closed-loop stored-value instrument was purchased by a first party for a second amount that is less than the first amount; and

the payment is for a third amount that is greater than the second amount and less than the first amount.