System and method for accepting closed loop cards or codes at a merchant point of sale

• US 9,361,634 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2014
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• 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:
  US14/472,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20140372223A1
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235379-381, 235/383, 705/14, 705/14.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/027 involving a payment switch or gateway
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/34 using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards
• 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 30/0208 Trade or exchange of goods or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0213 Consumer transaction fees
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for redeeming a closed loop card/code funded with an amount of money. The system receives from a merchant point of sale an indication of use of a closed loop card/code not issued by the merchant and presented by a consumer, queries and receives a confirmation of an amount of money in an account associated with the closed loop card/code, presents the consumer with an offer to buy the closed loop card/code at a discount price, and upon accepting the offer, closes out the closed loop card/code and pays the discount price to the consumer. Paying the discount price can include applying the discount price to a purchase by the consumer at the merchant. The merchant can provide cash back to the consumer for excess value of the discount price over the consumer'"'"'s purchase. Merchants can apply more than the discount price.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, via a processor, an indication of a sale by a first consumer of a first closed loop account in the form of one of a physical card to an entity and a closed loop code not associated with a physical card;

upon receiving acceptance from the first consumer of an offer associated with the sale of the first closed loop account, transferring ownership of the first closed loop account to the entity;

closing the first closed loop account;

replacing the first closed loop account with a second closed loop account of equal value from a same merchant who issued the first closed loop account; and

offering for sale, to a second consumer, the second closed loop account.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying an amount of money to a purchase by the first consumer as part of the sale of the first closed loop account.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing cash back to the first consumer for any excess value after applying the amount of money to the purchase.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the amount of money is applied to a merchant-specific card of the first consumer.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

confirming an amount of money stored in the first closed loop account via a multi-process secure gateway.

6. A system comprising:

a processor; and

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

receiving an indication of a sale by a first consumer of a first closed loop account in the form of one of a physical card to an entity and a closed loop code not associated with a physical card;

upon receiving acceptance from the first consumer of an offer associated with the sale of the first closed loop account, transferring ownership of the first closed loop account to the entity;

closing the first closed loop account;

replacing the first closed loop account with a second closed loop account of equal value from a same merchant who issued the first closed loop account; and

offering for sale, to a second consumer, the second closed loop account.

7. The system of claim 6, the operations further comprising:

applying an amount of money to a purchase by the first consumer as part of the sale of the first closed loop account.

8. The system of claim 7, the operations further comprising:

providing cash back to the first consumer for any excess value after applying the amount of money to the purchase.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the amount of money is applied to a merchant-specific card of the first consumer.

10. The system of claim 6, the operations further comprising:

confirming an amount of money stored in the first closed loop account via a multi-process secure gateway.