Redeeming gift certificate without presenting gift certificate

Abstract

A system and method for processing a gift certificate is disclosed for redemption of the gift certificate using an account or a payment card but without presenting or submitting the gift certificate for redemption. For the system and method, a user interface is provided for associating or linking a gift certificate with an account or payment card for the redemption without presenting or submitting. Associating the gift certificate with the account or payment card involves accessing data of the first gift certificate that is stored in at least one gift certificate database.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of processing a gift certificate, the method comprising:
 providing a user interface configured for associating a gift certificate with an account for redemption of the gift certificate in connection with the account;   receiving a first request submitted, through the user interface running on a first computing terminal, for associating a first gift certificate with a first account of a first user, wherein the first request comprises identification information of the first gift certificate, wherein the first gift certificate is redeemable in transactions at participating stores by presenting or submitting to the stores without associating with the first account;   verifying first gift certificate using the identification information included in the first request, wherein verifying comprises communicating with a computing server to access or obtain data associated with the first gift certificate and stored in at least one gift certificate database; and   subsequently associating the first gift certificate with the first account in at least one account server that manages activities of the first account, wherein associating enables the at least one account server to access the at least one gift certificate database for information including a first balance that is redeemable with the first gift certificate, and wherein associating further enables the at least one account server to cause a submission of payment for a transaction using the first account, which to redeem the first gift certificate without presenting or submitting.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first computing terminal comprises a mobile device of the first user, wherein the mobile device of the first user communicates, over a communication network for processing the first request, with a system configured for redemption of the first gift certificate. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein verifying further comprises checking to see if the first gift certificate is valid by communicating with the computing server connected to the at least one gift certificate database using the identification information, wherein verifying is at least partly performed by the at least one account server that manages activities of the first account. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein associating the first gift certificate with the first account constitutes effectively establishing within the first account the first balance to spend in transactions using the first account, wherein the method further comprises associating with the first account a second gift certificate that has a second balance redeemable in transactions, wherein associating the second gift certificate with the first account constitutes effectively charging the first account with the second balance to expend using the first account. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein associating the first gift certificate with the first account makes the first gift certificate effectively stored in the first account such that redemption of the first gift certificate is possible using the first account in the absence of the first gift certificate, wherein the identification information of the first gift certificate comprises an identification code appearing on the first gift certificate, wherein the first request comprises the identification code of the first gift certificate. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identification information of the first gift certificate comprises an identification code appearing on the first gift certificate, wherein the first request comprises the identification code of the first gift certificate, wherein the first request further comprises either or both of a password of the first gift certificate and identification information of the first account. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first account is a virtual account of the first user, wherein associating the first gift certificate with the first account causes to establish the first balance within the virtual account for use in future transactions using the virtual account without having to present or submit the first gift certificate to a store. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein associating the first gift certificate with the first account further enables the at least one account server to cause the first balance to get reduced in the at least one gift certificate database when payment is made with redemption of the first gift certificate. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 conducting, in a first store, a first transaction using the first account in the absence of the first gift certificate, in which at least part of payment for the first transaction is made by redemption of the first gift certificate even in the absence of the first gift certificate; and   causing to reduce the first balance in the at least one gift certificate database by an amount of the at least part of payment.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first store comprises an on-line store, and wherein the first transaction using the first account comprises an on-line transaction, wherein the first transaction is made through the first store's system that is to accept credit card transactions. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 upon payment for the first transaction, causing the reduced first balance to become immediately available for checking by the first user.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 upon payment for the first transaction, causing a receipt of the first transaction to include information that at least part of payment for the first transaction is made by the first balance associated with the first gift certificate.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 monitoring, by the at least one account server, payment for a first transaction using the first account, which to cause redemption of the first transaction and reduction of the first balance; and   upon completion of the first transaction, causing the reduced first balance to become immediately available for the first user.   
     
     
         14 . A method of processing a gift certificate, the method comprising:
 providing a user interface configured for associating a gift certificate with an account for redemption of the gift certificate in connection with the account;   receiving a first request submitted, through the user interface running on a first computing terminal, for associating a first gift certificate with a first account of a first user, wherein the first request comprises identification information of the first gift certificate, wherein the first gift certificate is redeemable in transactions at participating stores by presenting or submitting to the stores without associating with the first account;   verifying first gift certificate using the identification information included in the first request, wherein verifying comprises communicating with a computing server to access or obtain data associated with the first gift certificate and stored in at least one gift certificate database;   subsequently associating the first gift certificate with the first account, which allows redemption of the first gift certificate by payment using the first account without presenting or submitting the first gift certificate for the redemption;   subsequently receiving, in a first store, a first submission of payment for a first transaction using the first account without presentation or submission of the first gift certificate, which to cause redemption of the first gift certificate;   processing the first submission of payment for the first transaction, wherein processing comprises accessing the at least one gift certificate database for information including a first balance that is redeemable with the first gift certificate at the moment; and   accepting payment for the first transaction, wherein accepting comprises causing the first balance stored in the at least one gift certificate database to get reduced by an amount of the first transaction.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the first transaction is made through the first store's transaction system that accepts credit card transactions, wherein the method further comprises: upon accepting payment for the first transaction, causing a first transaction receipt issued for the first transaction to indicate that at least part of payment for the first transaction is made by the first gift certificate. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the first store comprises an on-line store, and wherein the first transaction using the first account comprises an on-line transaction, wherein the method further comprises: upon accepting payment for the first transaction, causing the reduced first balance to become immediately available in the first account for checking by the first user. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the first computing terminal comprises a mobile device of the first user, wherein the mobile device of the first user communicates, over a communication network for processing the first request, with a system configured for redemption of the first gift certificate. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the first submission of payment is made through the first store's transaction system that accepts credit card transactions. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the first account is a virtual account of the first user, wherein associating the first gift certificate with the first account causes to establish the first balance within the virtual account for use in future transactions using the virtual account without having to present or submit the first gift certificate to a store, wherein the first transaction is made at the first store's transaction terminal that is to accept credit card transactions. 
     
     
         20 . A method of processing a gift certificate, the method comprising:
 issuing a first gift certificate that is redeemable in transactions at participating stores by presenting or submitting to the stores;   maintaining at least one gift certificate database storing first data associated with the first gift certificate, the first data comprising identification information of the first gift certificate and a first balance of the first gift certificate, wherein the first balance is a value redeemable in transactions using the first gift certificate;   permitting the first gift certificate to get associated with a first account in at least one account server that manages activities of the first account, which to enable redemption of the first gift certificate using the first account without having to presenting or submitting to a store, wherein permitting involves providing, in response to a request containing the identification information of the first gift certificate, at least part of the first data for verification of the first gift certificate;   conducting a first transaction in a first store, wherein conducting comprises receiving a first submission of payment for the first transaction using the first account without presentation or submission of the first gift certificate, which to cause redemption of the first gift certificate;   processing the first submission of payment for the first transaction, wherein processing comprises accessing the at least one gift certificate database for information including the first balance available at the moment; and   accepting payment for the first transaction, wherein accepting comprises causing the first balance stored in the at least one gift certificate database to get reduced by an amount of the first transaction.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein associating the first gift certificate with the first account enables the at least one account server to access the at least one gift certificate database for the first balance of the first gift certificate, wherein associating the first gift certificate with the first account further enables the at least one account server to cause a submission of payment for a transaction using the first account, which to redeem the first gift certificate without presenting or submitting. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein associating the first gift certificate with the first account makes the first gift certificate effectively stored in the first account such that redemption of the first gift certificate is possible using the first account in the absence of the first gift certificate, wherein the identification information of the first gift certificate comprises an identification code appearing on the first gift certificate, wherein the first request comprises the identification code of the first gift certificate, wherein the first request further comprises either or both of a password of the first gift certificate and identification information of the first account. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the first account is a virtual account of the first user, wherein associating the first gift certificate with the first account causes to establish the first balance within the virtual account for use in future transactions using the virtual account without having to present or submit the first gift certificate to a store, wherein the first transaction is made through the first store's transaction system that accepts credit card transactions. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the first store comprises an on-line store, and wherein the first transaction using the first account comprises an on-line transaction, wherein the method further comprises, upon accepting payment for the first transaction, causing the reduced first balance to become immediately available for checking by the first user. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the first request for associating further comprises either or both of a password of the first gift certificate and identification information of the first account, wherein the method further comprises: upon accepting payment for the first transaction, causing a receipt of the first transaction to include information that at least part of payment for the first transaction is made by the first balance associated with the first gift certificate. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 upon accepting payment for the first transaction, causing the reduced first balance to become immediately available in the first account for checking by the first user,   wherein the first submission of payment is made at the first store's transaction terminal that is to accept credit card transactions.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 permitting the at least one account server to monitor payment for a first transaction using the first account, which to cause redemption of the first gift certificate and reduction of the first balance; and   permitting the at least one account server to make the reduced first balance immediately available for the first user upon completion of the first transaction.