System and method for processing gift card offer contingent upon an event

• US 8,939,362 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2014
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GiftCodes.com, LLC
• Original Assignee: GiftCodes.com, LLC
• Inventors: Wolfe, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Haupt, Kristy A
• Application Number:
  US14/218,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20140207542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 315 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/381, 235/382.5, 705/35, 705/39, 705/44, 705/14.26, 705/1.1, 705/16, 705/14.34, 705/14.15, 705/64, 705/14.1, 705/14.22
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06028 using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/06 Private payment circuits, e.g. involving electronic currency used among participants of a common payment scheme
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0655 e-cash managed centrally
• 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 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/354 Card activation or deactivation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4016 involving fraud or risk level assessment in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/127 in which both online and offline card verification can take place

Abstract

A system and method provide for offering a consignment of a closed-loop card/code. The method includes presenting an offer associated with a closed-loop card/code to pay an offer amount, wherein the offer is triggered based on an occurrence of an event. The system receives an acceptance of the offer from a user and performs one of deactivating and suspending of the closed-loop card/code after receiving the acceptance. When the event occurs, the system notifies the user and pays an offer amount to the user after the event occurs.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

presenting an offer associated with a closed-loop account to pay an offer amount, wherein the offer is triggered based on an occurrence of an event, wherein the event is one of a time associated with how long the closed-loop account will be available for resale and a resale of the closed-loop account;

receiving an acceptance of the offer from a user;

performing one of deactivating and suspending of the closed-loop account after receiving the acceptance;

notifying the user when the event occurs; and

paying an offer amount to the user after the event occurs.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein if the event does not occur, then the method further comprises one of reactivating and reinstating the closed-loop account.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one of deactivating and suspending the closed-loop account comprises withdrawing all funds associated with the closed-loop account.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein when the event is the time associated with how long the closed-loop account will be available for sale, and when the time has expired, the method comprises:

presenting the user with an option to modify the offer.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the option to modify the offer comprises an option to end the offer, resume the offer, reduce the offer amount and set a parameter to automatically renew the offer for one of a number of time intervals and indefinitely.

6. A system comprising:

a processor; and

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

presenting an offer associated with a closed-loop account to pay an offer amount, wherein the offer is triggered based on an occurrence of an event, wherein the event is one of a time associated with how long the closed-loop account will be available for resale and a resale of the closed-loop account;

receiving an acceptance of the offer from a user;

performing one of deactivating and suspending of the closed-loop account after receiving the acceptance;

notifying the user when the event occurs; and

paying an offer amount to the user after the event occurs.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein if the event does not occur, then the method further comprises one of reactivating and reinstating the closed-loop account.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the one of deactivating and suspending the closed-loop account comprises withdrawing all funds associated with the closed-loop account.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein when the event is the time associated with how long the closed-loop account will be available for sale, and when the time has expired, the non-transitory computer-readable medium stores further instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a further operation comprising:

presenting the user with an option to modify the offer.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the option to modify the offer comprises an option to end the offer, resume the offer, reduce the offer amount and set a parameter to automatically renew the offer for one of a number of time intervals and indefinitely.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

presenting an offer associated with a closed-loop account to pay an offer amount, wherein the offer is triggered based on an occurrence of an event, wherein the event is one of a time associated with how long the closed-loop account will be available for resale and a resale of the closed-loop account;

receiving an acceptance of the offer from a user;

performing one of deactivating and suspending of the closed-loop account after receiving the acceptance;

notifying the user when the event occurs; and

paying an offer amount to the user after the event occurs.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein if the event does not occur, then the method further comprises one of reactivating and reinstating the closed-loop account.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein the one of deactivating and suspending the closed-loop account comprises withdrawing all funds associated with the closed-loop account.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein when the event is the time associated with how long the closed-loop account will be available for sale, and when the time has expired, the computer-readable storage device stores further instructions which, when executed by the processor perform a further operation comprising:

presenting the user with an option to modify the offer.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 14, wherein the option to modify the offer comprises an option to end the offer, resume the offer, reduce the offer amount and set a parameter to automatically renew the offer for one of a number of time intervals and indefinitely.