System and method for converting closed loop cards into gift codes

• US 8,887,999 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2010
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GiftCodes.com, LLC
• Original Assignee: GiftCodes.com, LLC
• Inventors: Wolfe, Jason, Romanelli, Mark, Akut, Sanjay, Kelly, Mike, Kelly, Mary Jane
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M
• Assistant Examiner(s): TAYLOR, APRIL ALICIA
• Application Number:
  US12/702,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20100200655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,743 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235379-381, 235/383, 705/14, 705/14.1
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for generating a gift code. The system receives an indication from a first user identifying a closed loop card, receives a confirmation of an amount of money in an account associated with the closed loop card, offers to purchase the closed loop card at an amount less than the amount of money in the account associated with the closed loop card, and upon acceptance of the offer, deactivates the closed loop card. The system then offers to sell the amount of money at a discount rate to a second user, receives acceptance of the offer to sell the amount of money at the discount rate, and associates a gift code with the amount of money for use by the second user. Gift codes can have no expiration date. A multi-process secure gateway can confirm the amount of money.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an indication from a first consumer identifying a closed loop card, wherein the first consumer is not a company;

receiving a confirmation of an amount of money in an account associated with the closed loop card;

presenting a first offer to purchase the closed loop card at an offer amount less than the amount of money;

upon acceptance of the first offer, deactivating the closed loop card;

presenting a second offer to sell the amount of money at a discount rate to a second consumer, wherein the first consumer differs from the second consumer, and wherein the second consumer is not a company;

receiving acceptance of the second offer; and

associating, via a processor, an electronic gift code with the amount of money for use by the second consumer, wherein the electronic gift code is redeemable at a merchant point of sale and does not represent a physical gift instrument.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic gift code has no expiration date.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a multi-process secure gateway provides the confirmation of the amount of money.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a multi-process secure gateway communicates with one or more closed loop card processors.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the electronic gift code to the second consumer.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a set of smaller values totaling a sum equal to the amount of money in the closed loop card account;

dividing the amount of money in the closed loop account into a plurality of electronic gift codes in denominations of the set of smaller values; and

offering to sell each of the plurality of electronic gift codes at a respective discount rate.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the information identifying the closed loop card is read from a physical closed loop card, the method further comprising receiving the physical closed loop card.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the offer amount is based on a resale velocity of cards of a similar type as the closed loop card.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising restricting a total amount of money the first consumer can redeem over a period of time.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein when the second consumer uses the electronic gift code, the method further comprising transferring the amount of money to another account.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic gift code is one of an open loop gift code and a closed loop gift code.

12. A system for processing closed loop cards, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving an indication from a first consumer identifying a closed loop card, wherein the first consumer is not a company;

receiving a confirmation of an amount of money in an account associated with the closed loop card;

presenting a first offer to purchase the closed loop card at an offer amount less than the amount of money;

upon acceptance of the first offer, deactivating the closed loop card;

offering to sell the amount of money at a discount rate to a second consumer, wherein the first consumer differs from the second consumer, and wherein the second consumer is not a company;

receiving acceptance of the second offer; and

associating an electronic gift code with the amount of money for use by the second consumer, wherein the electronic gift code is redeemable at a merchant point of sale and does not represent a physical gift instrument.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the electronic gift code has no expiration date.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein a multi-process secure gateway provides the confirmation of the amount of money.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein a multi-process secure gateway communicates with one or more closed loop card processors.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the electronic gift code is one of an open loop gift code and a closed loop gift code.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a computing device, control the computing device to process closed loop cards, the instructions comprising:

receiving an indication from a first consumer identifying a closed loop card, wherein the first consumer is not a company;

receiving a confirmation of an amount of money in an account associated with the closed loop card;

presenting a first offer to purchase the closed loop card at an offer amount less than the amount of money;

upon acceptance of the first offer, deactivating the closed loop card;

presenting a second offer to sell the amount of money at a discount rate to a second consumer, wherein the first consumer differs from the second consumer, and wherein the second consumer is not a company;

receiving acceptance of the second offer; and

associating, via a processor, an electronic gift code with the amount of money for use by the second consumer, wherein the electronic gift code is redeemable at a merchant point of sale and does not represent a physical gift instrument.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the offer amount is based on a resale velocity of cards of a similar type as the closed loop card.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, the instructions further controlling the computing device to restrict a total amount of money the first consumer can redeem over a period of time.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, the instructions further controlling the computing device to check that first consumer is not engaged in fraud with the closed loop card.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein when the second consumer uses the electronic gift code, the instructions further control the computing device to transfer the amount of money to another account.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the electronic gift code is one of an open loop gift code and a closed loop gift code.

23. A method comprising:

receiving an indication from a first consumer identifying a first code, wherein the first code is electronic and independent of a physical gift instrument, wherein the first consumer is not a company;

receiving a confirmation of an amount of money in an account associated with the first code;

presenting a first offer to purchase the first code at an offer amount less than the amount of money;

upon acceptance of the first offer, deactivating the first code;

presenting a second offer to sell the amount of money at a discount rate to a second consumer, wherein the first consumer differs from the second consumer, and wherein the second consumer is not a company;

receiving acceptance of the second offer; and

associating, via a processor, a second code with the amount of money for use by the second consumer, wherein the second code is electronic and independent of a physical gift instrument.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first code and the second code are each one of an open loop code and a closed loop code.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

determining a set of smaller values totaling a sum equal to the amount of money in the account;

dividing the amount of money in the account into denominations of the set of smaller values each smaller valve being associated with one of a plurality of codes; and

offering to sell each of the plurality of electronic gift codes at a respective discount rate.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the first code is associated with a first company and the second code is associated with a second company.