Gift card services for mobile devices

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for gift card services. In general, data characterizing a request to provide a merchant credit service to an intended recipient is received and a message to be sent to the intended recipient is generated, where the message characterizes a phone number to call to activate the merchant credit service. Data characterizing authentication by a call to the phone number to activate the merchant credit service from the mobile phone number of the intended recipient is received, where the authentication includes checking caller identification of the call to ensure the call is from the mobile phone number of the intended recipient. The merchant credit service is activated. Credit associated with an account of a merchant credit service may be redeemed by providing an account number of the service. Redemption may be authorized based on caller identification of a mobile phone number associated with an account.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for implementation by one or more data processors of at least one computing system comprising:
 receiving, by at least one data processor, data characterizing a request to provide a wireless gift card service to an intended recipient, the wireless gift card service to be provided by a wireless gift card server in communication with a physical gift card account server, the physical gift card account server storing balances for wireless gift cards;   generating, by at least one data processor, a message for the intended recipient comprising a wireless gift card of a starting balance; and   transmitting, by at least one data processor, the message to a user message account of a social networking web site corresponding to the intended recipient.   
     
     
         2 . A method as in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 communicating, by at least one data processor, with the physical gift card account server to generate an account comprising the starting balance;   receiving, by at least one data processor, a request to settle a transaction with the wireless gift card server, the request to settle the transaction comprising an account number;   querying, by at least one data processor, a wireless gift card database to determine an account of a physical gift card associated with the account number;   querying, by at least one data processor, the physical gift card account server for a current balance of the account; and   authorizing, by at least one data processor, settlement of the transaction for the current balance of the account.   
     
     
         3 . A method as in  claim 2  further comprising:
 generating, by at least one data processor, a message characterizing a notification of the authorizing settlement of the transaction, the message to be sent to the intended recipient. 
 
     
     
         4 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein the generating the message comprises generating, by at least one data processor, a message to cause to be transmitted as part of an application programming interface call to a messaging server. 
     
     
         5 . A method as in  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving, by at least one data processor, requests to authorize one or more payment transactions for the wireless gift card; and 
 approving, by at least one data processor, transactions for which there is sufficient remaining balance for the wireless gift card. 
 
     
     
         6 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein the wireless gift card comprises pre-paid credit for purchasing products or services of a merchant. 
     
     
         7 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein the gift card may be redeemed using a mobile phone. 
     
     
         8 . A non-transitory computer program product storing instructions, which when executed by at least one data processor of at least one computing system result in operations comprising:
 receiving data characterizing a request to provide a wireless gift card service to an intended recipient, the wireless gift card service to be provided by a wireless gift card server in communication with a physical gift card account server, the physical gift card account server storing balances for wireless gift cards;   generating a message for the intended recipient comprising a wireless gift card of a starting balance; and   transmitting the message to a user message account of a social networking web site corresponding to the intended recipient.   
     
     
         9 . A computer program product as in  claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 communicating with the physical gift card account server to generate an account comprising the starting balance;   receiving a request to settle a transaction with the wireless gift card server, the request to settle the transaction comprising an account number;   querying a wireless gift card database to determine an account of a physical gift card associated with the account number;   querying the physical gift card account server for a current balance of the account; and   authorizing settlement of the transaction for the current balance of the account.   
     
     
         10 . A computer program product as in  claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 generating a message characterizing a notification of the authorizing settlement of the transaction, the message to be sent to the intended recipient.   
     
     
         11 . A computer program product as in  claim 9 , wherein the generating the message comprises generating a message to cause to be transmitted as part of an application programming interface call to a messaging server. 
     
     
         12 . A computer program product as in  claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving requests to authorize one or more payment transactions for the wireless gift card; and   approving transactions for which there is sufficient remaining balance for the wireless gift card.   
     
     
         13 . A computer program product as in  claim 12 , wherein the wireless gift card comprises pre-paid credit for purchasing products or services of a merchant. 
     
     
         14 . A computer program product as in  claim 9 , wherein the gift card may be redeemed using a mobile phone. 
     
     
         15 . A method for implementation by one or more data processors of at least one computing system comprising:
 receiving, by at least one data processor, data characterizing a request to provide a gift card service to an intended recipient, the gift card service to be provided by a first gift card server in communication with a second gift card account server, the second gift card account server storing balances for wireless gift cards;   generating, by at least one data processor, a message for the intended recipient comprising a gift card of a starting balance; and   transmitting, by at least one data processor, the message to a user message account of a social networking web site corresponding to the intended recipient.   
     
     
         16 . A method as in  claim 15 , further comprising:
 communicating, by at least one data processor, with the second gift card account server to generate an account comprising the starting balance;   receiving, by at least one data processor, a request to settle a transaction with the first gift card server, the request to settle the transaction comprising an account number;   querying, by at least one data processor, a gift card database to determine an account of a gift card associated with the account number;   querying, by at least one data processor, the second gift card account server for a current balance of the account; and   authorizing, by at least one data processor, settlement of the transaction for the current balance of the account.   
     
     
         17 . A method as in  claim 16  further comprising:
 generating, by at least one data processor, a message characterizing a notification of the authorizing settlement of the transaction, the message to be sent to the intended recipient. 
 
     
     
         18 . A method as in  claim 15 , wherein the generating the message comprises generating, by at least one data processor, a message to cause to be transmitted as part of an application programming interface call to a messaging server. 
     
     
         19 . A method as in  claim 16  further comprising:
 receiving, by at least one data processor, requests to authorize one or more payment transactions for the gift card; and 
 approving, by at least one data processor, transactions for which there is sufficient remaining balance for the gift card. 
 
     
     
         20 . A method as in  claim 15 , wherein the gift card comprises pre-paid credit for purchasing products or services of a merchant and wherein the gift card may be redeemed using a mobile phone.