System for activation of multiple cards

• US 8,370,205 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2003
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: First Data Resources Incorporated (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Arthur, Steven E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Danneman, Paul
• Application Number:
  US10/696,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20050091115A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,388 Days
• Field of Search: 705/16
• US Class Current: 705/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network 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 20/354 Card activation or deactivation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the invention, a system is provided for activating a plurality of cards. A first card number and a total number of cards can be provided to an activation system to process the activation of the plurality of cards.

Claims

1. A method of validating activation of a plurality of gift cards using an activation computer that is programmed to:

receive from a POS device a first indicator indicative of a first card in a plurality of cards;

receive from the point of sale device a second indicator indicative of a total number of cards in said plurality of cards;

determine whether said plurality of cards can be activated based on the first indicator and the second indicator; and

communicate a validation signal so as to indicate at said POS device whether said plurality of cards can be activated;

wherein validating that the plurality of cards can be activated comprises;

determining for the first card a card type and an activation amount;

determining for each remaining card in the plurality of cards whether each remaining card is of the same card type and the same activation amount, and

wherein the communicating a signal so as to indicate at the POS device whether the plurality of cards can be activated comprises;

communicating a signal indicating that the plurality of cards cannot be activated if all of the plurality of cards do not match the activation amount and the card type.

2. The method as described in claim 1 and further comprising:

initiating a batch process to activate each of said plurality of cards.

3. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said communicating a signal so as to indicate at said POS device whether said plurality of cards can be activated comprises:

communicating a positive signal indicating that said plurality of cards can be activated if all of said plurality of cards do match said activation amount and said card type.

4. A method of activating a plurality of gift cards with a POS device, said method comprising:

receiving from a purchaser a plurality of cards for purchase;

entering a first card number into said POS device using a bar-code scanner or a magnetic stripe reader;

entering a total number of cards making up said plurality of cards into said POS device;

receiving payment for said plurality of cards at said POS device from said purchaser;

communicating said first card number to a card activation computer;

communicating said total number of cards making up said plurality of cards to said card activation computer;

determining for the first card a card type and an activation amount;

determining for each remaining card in the plurality of cards whether each remaining card is of the same card type and the same activation amount;

activating the card corresponding to said first card number;

activating the next n-1 successive cards corresponding to the next n-1 card numbers after the first card based on the first card number and the total number of cards if the plurality of cards are determined to be of the same card type and the same activation amount.

5. The method as described in claim 4 and further comprising:

communicating a negative signal to said POS device indicating that said plurality of cards cannot be activated if all of said plurality of cards do not match said activation amount and said card type.

6. The method as described in claim 4 and further comprising:

communicating a positive signal indicating that said plurality of cards can be activated if all of said plurality of cards do match said activation amount and said card type.