CA2311190A1 - System and method for processing certificates - Google Patents
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- CA2311190A1 CA2311190A1 CA 2311190 CA2311190A CA2311190A1 CA 2311190 A1 CA2311190 A1 CA 2311190A1 CA 2311190 CA2311190 CA 2311190 CA 2311190 A CA2311190 A CA 2311190A CA 2311190 A1 CA2311190 A1 CA 2311190A1
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Abstract
A computer-based system and method for processing certificates, such as gift certificates or other vouchers of value. The invention relates to a system and method for issuing and validating certificates that allow gift certificates to be purchased over the Internet, through a point-of-sale system at a physical store location, or over the telephone, and where the certificate can be redeemed and subsequently validated via the Internet, through a point-of-sale system, or by telephone.
The invention provides for a system for processing certificates with a number of components including a user interface for receiving input validation data, a database for storing certificate data, a module responsive to a validation request to determine if the certificate is valid, and a module to initiate a transfer of funds to a party honoring the certificate.
The invention provides for a method for processing certificates comprising the steps of processing an order for the purchase of a certificate, processing payment for the order, generating a certificate, storing information pertaining to the generated certificate in a database, validating the certificate, and processing payment to the party honoring the certificate. The invention allows for these steps to be performed in real-time.
The invention addresses certificate control issues such as fraud, duplicate use, and accounting difficulties that hinder effective certificate management, especially where multiple merchants are involved.
The invention provides for a system for processing certificates with a number of components including a user interface for receiving input validation data, a database for storing certificate data, a module responsive to a validation request to determine if the certificate is valid, and a module to initiate a transfer of funds to a party honoring the certificate.
The invention provides for a method for processing certificates comprising the steps of processing an order for the purchase of a certificate, processing payment for the order, generating a certificate, storing information pertaining to the generated certificate in a database, validating the certificate, and processing payment to the party honoring the certificate. The invention allows for these steps to be performed in real-time.
The invention addresses certificate control issues such as fraud, duplicate use, and accounting difficulties that hinder effective certificate management, especially where multiple merchants are involved.
Description
- Title: SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING CERTIFICATES
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a system and method for processing certificates. More specifically, this invention relates to a computer-based system and method for issuing and validating certificates, including gift certificates for example, allowing certificates issued in real-time using one of a variety of methods to be validated in real-time by a merchant honoring the certificate.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Typically, many merchants allow consumers to purchase gift certificates or gift vouchers to be redeemed by a third party towards a purchase of goods or services from the merchant. Not surprisingly, many merchants doing business over the Internet also allow the purchase and redemption of gift certificates or gift vouchers.
As a gift certificate may be applied to a purchase made at a merchant establishment, thereby reducing the balance that must be paid for the goods or services being purchased, the gift certificate may, in this aspect, be considered similar to what is conventionally known as a coupon. Systems and methods for distributing, generating, redeeming, and tracking coupons, and in particular electronic coupons, are well known in the prior art.
For example, the prior art method and apparatus disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,710,886 issued to Christensen et al. discloses a method where electronic discount coupons having a consumer identification number printed on the coupon may be validated by telephone prior to the coupons being printed on a computer, and where the coupons may be subsequently redeemed at a store in the same manner as conventional coupons. When a coupon is redeemed, consumer identification information and other coupon information may be retrieved from the coupons, which is then forwarded to a coupon clearing house, and used to compile statistical data relating to coupon usage. Since each coupon has a unique consumer identification number which may be associated with the consumer's personal information obtained at the validation stage, fraudulent copying and redemption of coupons is discouraged, and fraudulent activity can be tracked at the coupon clearing house allowing warnings to be sent to the offending consumer. However, validation does not occur in real-time, and is effected as a separate step after a coupon has been redeemed by the consumer.
As a further example, the prior art system disclosed in U.S.
Patent No. 5,855,007 issued to Jovicic et al. discloses a system which generates discount coupons over the Internet. A consumer-selected coupon can be transmitted to a printer for printing and subsequent redemption at a physical store location, or sent by electronic mail to the consumer, or alternatively, directly to an online merchant web site. Each coupon contains a unique serial number. Subsequently, a notification center records the transaction in a database, and information pertaining to the coupon may later be used for verification purposes. Merchants may validate coupons using a telephone, or through a computer interface to the notification center database.
However, typical couponing systems generate coupons or vouchers which can only be redeemed towards a specific good or service at one of a limited number of pre-specified merchant establishments.
Therefore, coupons are typically inflexible as compared to gift certificates which, for example, may instead, be generally applied to the purchase of any good or service at selected merchant establishments, and are treated like cash. Furthermore, as coupons are typically, for accounting purposes, not treated as cash by a merchant but instead as a discount to be applied to a consumer's purchase, particularly since the value of a coupon is generally small, a sophisticated accounting system is generally not required to deal with the processing of conventional coupons.
Systems and methods for generating paper gift certificates specifically, are also well known in the prior art. For example, the prior art method and apparatus disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,652,421 issued to Veeneman et al. describes an electronic device for printing and dispensing paper gift certificates purchased by credit card. Consumers may purchase a gift certificate for a number of participating merchant establishments for a preset denomination, and the corresponding value is charged to the consumer's credit card account. The merchant establishment that will honor the certificate may be notified of the issuance of the gift certificate by the Veeneman apparatus, but no means for real-time validation of the certificate is provided by the apparatus.
As a further example, the prior art system disclosed in U.S.
Patent No. 5,870,718 issued to Spector describes a computer-printer Internet terminal which allows a user to print out a paper gift certificate and greeting card, where the gift certificate can be subsequently redeemed at a merchant establishment linked to the Internet. The cost of the gift certificate can be billed to a credit card, or alternatively can be charged to a telephone account, or debited from a bank account.
While paper gift certificate systems are well known in the prior art, and whereas paper gift certificates are commonly sold and used at many merchant establishments, potential growth in the use of gift certificates by consumers is hindered by several factors. While gift certificates may be considered to be a good marketing incentive to draw consumers into merchant establishments, merchants may be reluctant to promote the sale and use of gift certificates due to the fact that paper gift certificates are relatively easy to fraudulently reproduce. Reproduction of certificates has been made even easier with advances in printing and reproduction technology. Many merchants are unable to confirm easily and quickly the validity of redeemed paper gift certificates, and will not typically know that an invalid gift certificate has been redeemed until a later date when the gift certificates are reconciled with a list of issued gift certificates. Furthermore, while adding security features to paper gift certificates in order to deter fraudulent reproduction of the certificates may enhance security, it is generally not a cost-effective solution. The cost of adding these security features may be difficult for a merchant to justify since a profit is not typically made on the sale or redemption of gift certificates.
There are a number of other disadvantages with conventional paper gift certificates. There are difficulties associated with the monitoring of stocks of paper gift certificates, and preventing fraud or theft by a merchant's own staff. Additionally, at any one time, a merchant generally has no way of tracking the total value of uncashed or unused gift certificates. This is a particular issue for merchants having many store locations, and can cause considerable accounting problems when a gift certificate is purchased in one store location and redeemed at another store location.
For all these reasons, merchants and businesses are ambivalent about the promotion of gift certificates. While consumers may like gift certificates, and while merchants may find gift certificates useful as promotional tools, gift certificates have numerous problems associated with them, including the fact that they offer many possibilities for fraud or misuse.
The sale of gift certificates may also be effected over a network, such as the Internet. For example, an online merchant may allow consumers to purchase electronic gift certificates that may be subsequently redeemed towards a purchase online. Alternatively, online merchants which also have affiliated physical store locations may issue paper gift certificates that may subsequently be redeemed at the store location.
However, these merchants typically are unable to issue gift certificates which may be redeemed at either the online merchant site or at the physical store location at the option of the person redeeming the gift certificate. Furthermore, these gift certificates typically may only be redeemed at one particular online store location or at one of a number of affiliated physical store locations.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a system and method for processing certificates. More specifically, this invention relates to a computer-based system and method for issuing and validating certificates, including gift certificates for example, allowing certificates issued in real-time using one of a variety of methods to be validated in real-time by a merchant honoring the certificate.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Typically, many merchants allow consumers to purchase gift certificates or gift vouchers to be redeemed by a third party towards a purchase of goods or services from the merchant. Not surprisingly, many merchants doing business over the Internet also allow the purchase and redemption of gift certificates or gift vouchers.
As a gift certificate may be applied to a purchase made at a merchant establishment, thereby reducing the balance that must be paid for the goods or services being purchased, the gift certificate may, in this aspect, be considered similar to what is conventionally known as a coupon. Systems and methods for distributing, generating, redeeming, and tracking coupons, and in particular electronic coupons, are well known in the prior art.
For example, the prior art method and apparatus disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,710,886 issued to Christensen et al. discloses a method where electronic discount coupons having a consumer identification number printed on the coupon may be validated by telephone prior to the coupons being printed on a computer, and where the coupons may be subsequently redeemed at a store in the same manner as conventional coupons. When a coupon is redeemed, consumer identification information and other coupon information may be retrieved from the coupons, which is then forwarded to a coupon clearing house, and used to compile statistical data relating to coupon usage. Since each coupon has a unique consumer identification number which may be associated with the consumer's personal information obtained at the validation stage, fraudulent copying and redemption of coupons is discouraged, and fraudulent activity can be tracked at the coupon clearing house allowing warnings to be sent to the offending consumer. However, validation does not occur in real-time, and is effected as a separate step after a coupon has been redeemed by the consumer.
As a further example, the prior art system disclosed in U.S.
Patent No. 5,855,007 issued to Jovicic et al. discloses a system which generates discount coupons over the Internet. A consumer-selected coupon can be transmitted to a printer for printing and subsequent redemption at a physical store location, or sent by electronic mail to the consumer, or alternatively, directly to an online merchant web site. Each coupon contains a unique serial number. Subsequently, a notification center records the transaction in a database, and information pertaining to the coupon may later be used for verification purposes. Merchants may validate coupons using a telephone, or through a computer interface to the notification center database.
However, typical couponing systems generate coupons or vouchers which can only be redeemed towards a specific good or service at one of a limited number of pre-specified merchant establishments.
Therefore, coupons are typically inflexible as compared to gift certificates which, for example, may instead, be generally applied to the purchase of any good or service at selected merchant establishments, and are treated like cash. Furthermore, as coupons are typically, for accounting purposes, not treated as cash by a merchant but instead as a discount to be applied to a consumer's purchase, particularly since the value of a coupon is generally small, a sophisticated accounting system is generally not required to deal with the processing of conventional coupons.
Systems and methods for generating paper gift certificates specifically, are also well known in the prior art. For example, the prior art method and apparatus disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,652,421 issued to Veeneman et al. describes an electronic device for printing and dispensing paper gift certificates purchased by credit card. Consumers may purchase a gift certificate for a number of participating merchant establishments for a preset denomination, and the corresponding value is charged to the consumer's credit card account. The merchant establishment that will honor the certificate may be notified of the issuance of the gift certificate by the Veeneman apparatus, but no means for real-time validation of the certificate is provided by the apparatus.
As a further example, the prior art system disclosed in U.S.
Patent No. 5,870,718 issued to Spector describes a computer-printer Internet terminal which allows a user to print out a paper gift certificate and greeting card, where the gift certificate can be subsequently redeemed at a merchant establishment linked to the Internet. The cost of the gift certificate can be billed to a credit card, or alternatively can be charged to a telephone account, or debited from a bank account.
While paper gift certificate systems are well known in the prior art, and whereas paper gift certificates are commonly sold and used at many merchant establishments, potential growth in the use of gift certificates by consumers is hindered by several factors. While gift certificates may be considered to be a good marketing incentive to draw consumers into merchant establishments, merchants may be reluctant to promote the sale and use of gift certificates due to the fact that paper gift certificates are relatively easy to fraudulently reproduce. Reproduction of certificates has been made even easier with advances in printing and reproduction technology. Many merchants are unable to confirm easily and quickly the validity of redeemed paper gift certificates, and will not typically know that an invalid gift certificate has been redeemed until a later date when the gift certificates are reconciled with a list of issued gift certificates. Furthermore, while adding security features to paper gift certificates in order to deter fraudulent reproduction of the certificates may enhance security, it is generally not a cost-effective solution. The cost of adding these security features may be difficult for a merchant to justify since a profit is not typically made on the sale or redemption of gift certificates.
There are a number of other disadvantages with conventional paper gift certificates. There are difficulties associated with the monitoring of stocks of paper gift certificates, and preventing fraud or theft by a merchant's own staff. Additionally, at any one time, a merchant generally has no way of tracking the total value of uncashed or unused gift certificates. This is a particular issue for merchants having many store locations, and can cause considerable accounting problems when a gift certificate is purchased in one store location and redeemed at another store location.
For all these reasons, merchants and businesses are ambivalent about the promotion of gift certificates. While consumers may like gift certificates, and while merchants may find gift certificates useful as promotional tools, gift certificates have numerous problems associated with them, including the fact that they offer many possibilities for fraud or misuse.
The sale of gift certificates may also be effected over a network, such as the Internet. For example, an online merchant may allow consumers to purchase electronic gift certificates that may be subsequently redeemed towards a purchase online. Alternatively, online merchants which also have affiliated physical store locations may issue paper gift certificates that may subsequently be redeemed at the store location.
However, these merchants typically are unable to issue gift certificates which may be redeemed at either the online merchant site or at the physical store location at the option of the person redeeming the gift certificate. Furthermore, these gift certificates typically may only be redeemed at one particular online store location or at one of a number of affiliated physical store locations.
Certain online companies, giftcertificates.com for example, allow consumers to purchase paper gift certificates for a merchant establishment chosen from a list of different merchant establishments.
These companies keep an inventory of paper gift certificates that have been issued by various merchants which can be subsequently redeemed at the respective physical store locations. While this provides a buyer of gift certificates with greater flexibility in purchasing gift certificates, it is necessary for these companies to maintain an inventory of paper gift certificates and to provide warehousing or storage space for these gift certificates. It is also necessary to send the paper gift certificates to the recipients by mail. Furthermore, since the role of these companies is mainly to fulfill orders for gift certificates, fraudulent reproduction and use of gift certificates is still a potential problem.
Certain online sites, flooz.com for example, allow electronic gift certificates to be purchased and sent by electronic mail to a recipient, for subsequent redemption at one of numerous online retailers. Typically, the gift certificates are purchased for one of a small number of pre-specified denominations. Similarly, other online companies managing sites such as beenz.com, allow gift certificates for pre-specified denominations at specified merchant establishments to be purchased by a participating consumer with units of the company's proprietary online electronic currency.
The prior art systems disclosed on the web sites of giftcertificates.com and flooz.com typically only allow for gift certificates to be issued and redeemed online, and cannot be used at physical store locations at the option of the person redeeming the gift certificate.
Furthermore, purchases may only be made in pre-specified denominations.
Generally, electronic currency systems address some of the disadvantages of the prior art systems described above, in that electronic vouchers of value may be made in a manner that makes it more difficult to be fraudulently reproduced compared to paper gift certificates.
These companies keep an inventory of paper gift certificates that have been issued by various merchants which can be subsequently redeemed at the respective physical store locations. While this provides a buyer of gift certificates with greater flexibility in purchasing gift certificates, it is necessary for these companies to maintain an inventory of paper gift certificates and to provide warehousing or storage space for these gift certificates. It is also necessary to send the paper gift certificates to the recipients by mail. Furthermore, since the role of these companies is mainly to fulfill orders for gift certificates, fraudulent reproduction and use of gift certificates is still a potential problem.
Certain online sites, flooz.com for example, allow electronic gift certificates to be purchased and sent by electronic mail to a recipient, for subsequent redemption at one of numerous online retailers. Typically, the gift certificates are purchased for one of a small number of pre-specified denominations. Similarly, other online companies managing sites such as beenz.com, allow gift certificates for pre-specified denominations at specified merchant establishments to be purchased by a participating consumer with units of the company's proprietary online electronic currency.
The prior art systems disclosed on the web sites of giftcertificates.com and flooz.com typically only allow for gift certificates to be issued and redeemed online, and cannot be used at physical store locations at the option of the person redeeming the gift certificate.
Furthermore, purchases may only be made in pre-specified denominations.
Generally, electronic currency systems address some of the disadvantages of the prior art systems described above, in that electronic vouchers of value may be made in a manner that makes it more difficult to be fraudulently reproduced compared to paper gift certificates.
Furthermore, amounts transferred need not be for a pre-specified denomination. Prior art systems for distributing electronic money, or the creation and transferring of digital vouchers having value, are disclosed in the prior art, such as the systems disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,745,886 issued to Rosen and U.S. Patent No. 6,047,269 issued to Biffar, for example.
However, the process of transferring an amount designated by one party to be sent to a second merchant party for redemption by a third party recipient is typically not cost-effective when using these electronic cash systems, since these systems typically require the use of specialized hardware (for example, smart cards and a smart card reader) to handle electronic funds. Furthermore, in digital voucher systems like that disclosed in Biffar, while the digital voucher may be transported in a variety of ways (for example, using the Internet, cellular networks, or telecommunication networks), all information pertaining to the history of the voucher, the quantity of which may be substantial, is transmitted from one party to another. It is not possible to transfer only a few identifying numbers from one party to another, to be subsequently used towards purchases at a merchant establishment, and where it is still possible to verify that the corresponding voucher of value is valid and has not been previously redeemed.
Accordingly, there is a need for a system and method for processing gift certificates or other vouchers of value, where the redemption of the gift certificates or vouchers are not limited to a particular product or store location, where the system is capable of effectively handling the transfers of cash associated with the purchase or redemption of a gift certificate or voucher in real-time, where the gift certificate or voucher can be validated in real-time to prevent duplicate use, fraudulent or otherwise, and where the gift certificate or voucher can be purchased in real-time either online, at a physical store location, or any other feasible method to be subsequently redeemed at an online web site or physical store location at the option of the party redeeming the gift certificate or voucher.
_7_ SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides for a system for processing certificates with a number of components including a user interface for receiving input validation data, a database for storing certificate data, a module responsive to a validation request to determine if the certificate is valid, and a module to initiate a transfer of funds to a party honoring the certificate.
The invention also provides for a method for processing certificates comprising the steps of processing an order for the purchase of a certificate, processing payment for the order, generating a certificate, storing information pertaining to the generated certificate in a database, validating the certificate, and processing payment to the party honoring the certificate.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings which show a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and in which:
Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the present invention;
Figure 2 is a schematic diagram further detailing the components of the present invention;
Figure 3 is a flow chart illustrating the steps performed by the present invention;
Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating the steps performed in a certificate purchase by the present invention;
Figure 5 is a flow chart illustrating the steps performed in a certificate validation by the present invention;
Figure 6 is a screen displayed during a certificate purchase where certificate information is entered by a certificate buyer;
_g_ Figure 7 is a screen displayed during a certificate purchase where payment information is entered by a certificate buyer; and Figure 8 is an example of a certificate generated by the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to Figure 1, a system for processing certificates is shown generally as 10. System 10 comprises a certificate management unit 20, which provides interfaces to a certificate buyer 30, a bank 32, a recipient 34, and a merchant 36.
In this specification and in the claims, a certificate refers primarily to a gift certificate or cash certificate, redeemable at a specific merchant establishment, or at a merchant establishment chosen by the recipient 34 of the gift certificate or cash certificate from a group of merchant establishments. A merchant establishment may be, for example, an Internet web site, a physical store location, or a store where goods or services may be ordered electronically or by telephone. Therefore, for example, a certificate may be designed to be a gift certificate or cash certificate, in paper or electronic form, that may be redeemable by the recipient 34 at a specific store, at any store location in a chain of stores, or at any store in a group of stores at a common location, as in a mall, for example.
The certificate management unit 20 of system 10 comprises several components: a database interface module 42 which reads information from and stores information to a certificate database 44 in order to perform certain tasks including the processing of a certificate purchase initiated by a certificate buyer 30, generating a certificate, processing a certificate validation initiated by a merchant 36 at a merchant establishment, and directing a bank 32 to process any necessary funds transfers; a telephony server 46 and a web interface 47 for managing the input of certificate-related data; and a certificate delivery module 48 which sends a generated certificate to a recipient 34.
When a certificate buyer 30 purchases a certificate, the certificate buyer 30 accesses a web interface 47. The database interface module 42 takes the information entered by the certificate buyer 30 through the web interface 47, and processes the certificate purchase, in part, by entering certificate information into the certificate database 44. The database interface module 42 further processes the purchase of a certificate by a certificate buyer 30 by obtaining payment information from the certificate buyer 30, which is then transmitted to a bank 32 for payment processing. The steps involved in a certificate purchase will be explained in greater detail later in this specification.
Storing certificate information in the certificate database 44 allows the database interface module 42 to generate reports allowing for certificate processing activity to be tracked, including for example, how many certificates are outstanding, sales of certificates in any specified period or for any specified merchant or groups of merchants, or any other desired statistical or accounting information that can be generated from the information in the certificate database 44.
When a certificate is generated by the database interface module 42 using the information stored in the certificate database 44, the certificate is subsequently delivered to a recipient 34 using the certificate delivery module 48. More specifically, the certificate delivery module 48 takes information corresponding to a generated certificate, formats the information for delivery, and initiates delivery of the certificate to the recipient 34.
When a certificate is submitted to a merchant 36 at a merchant establishment for redemption by a recipient 34, the merchant 36 provides certificate information to the database interface module 42 by telephone through a telephony server 46 in order to initiate a certificate validation. In processing a certificate validation, the database interface module 42 provides output to the merchant 36 indicating whether or not the certificate information provided by the merchant 36 is valid. If the information is valid, the database interface module 42 sends output to the bank 32 to initiate a transfer of funds from the bank 32 to the merchant 36.
The above-referenced telephony server 46 is a component that is able to take data as input from a variety of sources connected to a telephone line. The data includes, for example, input entered by voice and/or touch-tones over a telephone, or input obtained through a point-of-sale device at a physical store location. The telephony server 46 processes input data from the different sources, and translates the input data into a format that is recognized by the database interface module 42.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a certificate is purchased by a certificate buyer 30 through a central Internet web site, referred to in this specification as a central certificate distribution web site, where certificates for various merchants may be purchased. The components associated with the generation of the contents of the web pages at the central certificate distribution web site and the web pages themselves collectively comprise the web interface 47 of the certificate management unit 20 of the system 10 for processing certificates.
Information relating to the certificate purchase is entered on web pages at the central certificate distribution web site by the certificate buyer 30. A
more detailed schematic diagram illustrating the components of system 10 in the preferred embodiment is shown in Figure 2.
Referring to Figure 2, a certificate buyer 30 accesses the central certificate distribution web site through the web interface 47 of system 10 using a web browser 50. More specifically, the web browser 50 is used to access web pages 52 over the Internet, where the web pages 52 reside on a central certificate distribution web server 54. A web server engine 56 primarily generates the contents of the web pages 52 as seen by the certificate buyer 30 in the web browser 50 during a certificate purchase transaction. In generating the contents of the web pages 52, the web server engine 56 may also access information from a customer profile database 57 that stores information pertaining to the certificate buyer 30, such as information relating to buying preferences, for example. The web server engine 56 may also access a local certificate database 58 which maintains information on the certificates which are being made available for purchase to the certificate buyer 30 through the central certificate distribution web site.
The web server 54 is connected via a network connection, for example an Ethernet connection, to a secure web server 60. A secure web engine 62 residing on the secure web server 60 generates the contents of the secure web pages 64. The secure web pages 64 provides means for a certificate buyer 30, using a web browser 50, to input information relating to the certificate purchase, which may include, for example, certificate payment information such as a credit card number and expiry date, personal information, or any other information that is to be transmitted securely within the system 10. Access to the secure web pages 64 using a web browser 50 is made through a secure connection, for example, using the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol, or other secure protocol, as is known. Information relating to the certificate purchase received through the secure web pages 64 may be subsequently stored in the certificate database 44 by the database interface module 42.
The database interface module 42 generates confirmations relating to the certificate purchase to be delivered to a certificate buyer 30 through web pages 52, secure web pages 64, and by electronic mail.
The database interface module 42 generates certificates based on information stored in the certificate database 44, and initiates certificate delivery to a recipient 34 by electronic mail through the certificate delivery module 48. Certificates may be encrypted using known methods to enhance security of certificate delivery.
The database interface module 42 also transmits the credit card information of the certificate buyer 30 obtained through the secure web pages 64 to a payment processor 70 such as National Cash Register (NCR) using a secure DATAPAC line 72. Payment processor 70 validates the credit card information and initiates a funds transfer from the credit card account of the certificate buyer 30 to be deposited into one or more accounts at a bank 32.
When a recipient 34 presents the certificate to a merchant 36 at a merchant establishment for redemption, the merchant 36 validates the certificate. Certificate validation is performed by telephone through a telephony server 46 and phone daemon 74 which entails accessing the information in the certificate database 44 through the database interface module 42 in real-time. The telephony server 46 routes calls to the phone daemon 74, which prompts callers to enter certificate information using a telephone keypad and transmits the information to the database interface module 42. The database interface module 42 compares information on the certificate being redeemed as provided by the merchant 36 validating the certificate to the information stored in the certificate database 44, and determines whether any changes to the denomination of the certificate has been made, or whether the certificate has been previously redeemed.
Upon validation of the certificate, the database interface module 42 sends an electronic request to the bank 32 to transfer funds to an account of the specific merchant 36. The bank 32 confirms receipt of the funds transfer instructions, and later sends a confirmation indicating that the funds transfer has been executed.
Referring to Figure 3, a method for processing certificates is shown as a series of steps commencing at step 100. At step 102, a certificate purchase is initiated by a certificate buyer 30 through the web interface 47 of a central certificate distribution web site where certificates for a variety of merchants 36 may be purchased. At step 104, a certificate generated by the database interface module 42 is delivered to a recipient 34 by electronic mail by a certificate delivery module 48. At step 106, the recipient 34 redeems the certificate at a merchant establishment.
At step 108, the certificate is validated by a merchant 36 honoring the certificate. The merchant 36 accesses information in the certificate database 44 through the database interface module 42, in real-time, to ensure that the certificate is valid.
A certificate is considered valid if the information on the certificate accepted as input for certificate validation is consistent with information in the certificate database 44. Certificates of the present invention comprise three identifying numbers or codes, namely a certificate number, a validation number, and a certificate value. It will be appreciated that the certificate number and validation number need not be pure numbers, and they could be any combination of alpha-numeric characters. Preferably though, the certificate number is a pure number and these numbers are assigned sequentially. Validation numbers are preferably randomly assigned, although other variant methods of assigning validation numbers to certificates may be applied to the present invention. Also, for simplicity, the certificate number and validation number could be treated as a single identifying string of characters. Thus, in a certificate validation, the validation number and certificate value as shown on the certificate being redeemed identified by a certificate number, should match the validation number and certificate value for the certificate having the same certificate number as recorded in the certificate database 44, if the certificate is to be considered valid.
Also, a merchant identifier entered by the merchant 36 honoring the certificate is compared to the information recorded in the certificate database 44 by the database interface module 42 to determine whether the certificate being redeemed can be honored by that particular merchant 36. Merchant identifiers are assigned to each participating merchant 36 by the operator of the system 10 for processing certificates.
This is done prior to the offering of certificates for purchase to a certificate buyer 30. This allows the operator of the system 10 for processing certificates to associate a bank account with each participating merchant 36 for the purposes of funds transfers as described in this specification.
Information on each participant merchant 36 which may be incorporated in a certificate may also be stored in the local certificate database 58, which may be used in the marketing of the certificates on the central certificate distribution web site.
Furthermore, an identifier stored in the certificate database 44 indicating whether or not the certificate has already been redeemed is checked to ensure that the current certificate being validated has not already been redeemed. Certificate validation ensures that fraudulent changes to the denomination of the certificate have not been made, and that a duplicate redemption of the certificate has not occurred. After redemption and validation of a certificate, the certificate is marked as redeemed in certificate database 44.
Certificate validation is performed using a touch-tone telephone interface of the system 10 for processing certificates, namely a telephony server 46 and phone daemon 74. It will be understood, however, that any suitable means of real-time communication could be used.
The flow of method steps then proceeds to step 110, which marks the end of the method for processing certificates.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, all steps as shown in Figure 3 are performed in real-time.
Referring to Figure 4, the details of a certificate purchase (step 102 of Figure 3) are shown, and which commence at step 122. As noted above, the certificate purchase is performed in real-time. At step 124, a certificate buyer 30 accesses a central certificate distribution web site on the Internet using a web browser 50. On the web pages 52, the certificate buyer selects an option to purchase a gift certificate. On the secure web pages 64, the certificate buyer 30 then inputs information relating to the certificate purchase. This information comprises, for example: a country and city in which the certificate is to be redeemed; a merchant category and 25 merchant subcategory for which the certificate is to be purchased, where merchants 36 may be categorized, for example, by the goods or services offered, the prices of the goods and services offered, the brands of goods offered and/or by a geographical location of the merchant; an identifier of a specific merchant 36 identifier or an identifier representing a group of 30 merchants 36 where a recipient 34 may redeem the certificate at any merchant 36 of that group; the name of the recipient 34 and the electronic mail and/or postal mail addresses of the recipient 34; the amount of the certificate, which may be any full dollar denomination or other permissible value; certificate delivery information, which may indicate immediate delivery or delivery at some time in the future; and an optional certificate style, or personalized message to accompany the certificate. The certificate buyer 30 also enters payment information, which may comprise a credit card type, a credit card number, a credit card expiry date, the cardholder's name, and an address and/or electronic mail address to which a receipt will be sent. The input information obtained in this step is stored in the certificate database 44.
At step 126, payment for the certificate is processed by the database interface module 42. Credit card information of the certificate buyer 30 is transmitted to a payment processor 70 such as NCR over a secure DATAPAC line 72. Payment processor 70 then validates the credit card information, and subsequently, at step 128, payment processor 70 initiates a funds transfer from the credit card account of the certificate buyer 30 to a certificate account held at a bank 32, where the funds are held in trust until the certificate is redeemed. Electronic mail confirmation of the credit card charge is sent to the certificate buyer 30. The actual amount of funds deposited into the certificate account of the bank 32 relating to this transaction may be equal to the amount of the certificate purchased by the certificate buyer 30, or may be for an amount less than the value of the certificate purchased by the certificate buyer 30 depending on the arrangements made between the merchant 36 and the operator of the system 10 for processing certificates concerning applicable charges, commissions or fees applicable to transactions associated with the purchase or redemption of certificates. Any applicable charges, commissions or fees are deposited into a separate commission account at the bank 32.
An example of a commission structure that may apply to the present invention is as follows: if a certificate purchase is made at a central certificate distribution web site, a merchant is charged a commission of 5%
of the value of the certificate which is withheld by the operator of the system 10 from funds collected associated with the certificate purchase, and the certificate buyer 30 is charged an additional service fee of 4% of the value of the certificate which is added to the purchase price; if a certificate purchase is made at a merchant-specific web site, a merchant is charged a commission of 5% of the value of the certificate which is withheld by the operator of the system 10 from funds collected associated with the certificate purchase; if a certificate purchase is made at a physical store location where a certificate is generated using a point-of-sale device integrated with the system 10, a merchant is charged a $0.35 fee per certificate purchase transaction; or if a certificate purchase is made at a physical store location where a merchant uses existing gift or cash certificates upon which a sticker with certificate information associated with the system 10 of the present invention is to be affixed, a merchant is charged a $0.15 fee per certificate purchase transaction.
It will be understood by those skilled in the art, that the particular commission structure that may be applied in the present invention may be varied and is not limited to the commission structure described above.
At step 130, a certificate is generated by database interface module 42. A new certificate number is generated and assigned to the certificate. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, new certificate numbers are generated sequentially. The newly generated certificate is also assigned a randomly-generated validation number by the database interface module 42. The certificate also comprises a value, and a merchant location or list of merchant locations, or one or more identifiers therefor, where the certificate may be redeemed. The certificate may also comprise other items such as an expiry date, or a personalized message.
At step 130, an electronic mail confirmation may also be delivered to the purchaser confirming that the certificate has, in fact, been sent to the recipient.
Further, at step 130, the certificate is also marked in the certificate database 44 as not yet having been redeemed or validated.
After the steps of Figure 4 are completed, the gift certificate is deemed to be active by the system 10 for processing certificates, and is immediately ready for redemption by a recipient 34. The flow of method steps then proceeds to step 132, which marks the end of a certificate purchase.
It will be understood that while step 102 of Figure 3 has been described as effected by an Internet connection, it is also possible for a certificate purchase to be made at a participating store location, and then a certificate can then be electronically transmitted to the recipient 34, and/or a printed certificate can be produced for the recipient 34.
Referring to Figure 5, the details of a certificate validation (step 108 of Figure 3) are shown, and which commence at step 140. As noted above, the steps in a certificate validation are performed in real-time. At step 142, an item of input information (for example, the certificate number, the validation number, the merchant identifier, the certificate value) required to validate a certificate is entered as input by a merchant 36 honoring the certificate. Input is entered using a touch-tone telephone through an interface of the system 10 for processing certificates, namely the telephony server 46 and phone daemon 74. Voice prompts indicate to the merchant 36 what items of data pertaining to the certificate being validated need to be entered. Input is entered by the merchant 36 by generating touch-tone responses to the prompts using the touch-tone telephone. A merchant 36 can validate a certificate by dialing a designated toll-free number, and connecting to the telephony server 46 and phone daemon 74 to interact with the database interface module 42, thus allowing access to the information in the certificate database 44 in real-time.
At step 144, the input information obtained at step 142 is processed by the database interface module 42. Input information received at step 142 is compared to the information pertaining to the certificate in the certificate database 44.
At step 146, the database interface module 42 determines whether the input information is consistent with the information recorded in the certificate database 44. If the input information is not consistent with the information recorded in the certificate database 44, an error message is outputted indicating that the certificate is invalid at step 148. As indicated at step 149, if the system 10 for processing certificates permits the merchant 36 to re-enter data, the flow of method steps proceeds back to step 142 where another item of input information required to validate the certificate is received again, otherwise the flow of method steps proceeds to step 156 which marks the end of a certificate validation. The database interface module 42 may be programmed to permit data to be re-entered for a limited or unlimited number of times.
Alternatively, if at step 146 the database interface module 42 determines that the inputted data is not consistent with the information as recorded in the certificate database 44, the flow of method steps proceeds to step 150. At step 150, the database interface module 42 checks if any other input information is required to complete the certificate validation. If so, the flow of method steps proceeds back to step 142 where the next item of input information is entered. Otherwise, the flow of method steps proceeds to step 151, where the certificate database is updated to indicate that certificate has been redeemed and validated.
Subsequently, at step 152, the database interface module 42 initiates, through a bank 32, an electronic transfer of funds from the certificate account where funds were stored at step 130 of Figure 4, to an account of the merchant 36 honoring the certificate. The bank 32 sends a confirmation of the funds transfer to the merchant 36.
At step 154, information pertaining to the certificate validation is outputted to the merchant 36. The merchant 36 is informed that the certificate is valid, and an authorization code is issued to the merchant 36 as a record of the transaction. The flow of method steps then proceeds to step 156 which marks the end of a certificate validation.
Examples of screens seen in a browser 50 during a certificate purchase are shown in Figures 6 and 7, where the certificate purchase is being made at a central certificate distribution web site.
Referring to Figure 6, a certificate information screen 200 is shown where information pertaining to the certificate being purchased for a selected merchant 36 is to be entered by a certificate buyer 30. The certificate information screen 200 comprises several input fields: a recipient name field 210, a certificate value field 212, a certificate delivery date field 214, a personalized message field 216, an electronic mail address field 218, and postal address fields 220.
Referring to Figure 7, a payment information screen 230 is shown where information pertaining to payment information of the certificate buyer 30 is entered. The payment information screen 230 comprises several input fields: a credit card type field 240, a credit card number field 242, an expiry date field 244, a credit cardholder name field 246, a certificate sender name field 248, and a receipt electronic mail address field 250.
Referring to Figure 8, the certificate received by the recipient 34 by electronic mail is shown. The information shown on the certificate comprises, for example, a gift certificate number, a validation number, a gift certificate value, an expiry date, merchant information indicating where the certificate may be redeemed, and the personalized message submitted by the certificate buyer 30 at the time the certificate was purchased.
Although a certificate, in this specification and in the claims, primarily refers to a gift certificate or cash certificate redeemable at a merchant establishment, a certificate generally refers to any voucher of value including a gift certificate, a cash certificate, a credit note, a coupon, any item of value, or any item having no cash value but which may be redeemed by one party, for goods, services, or cash, and honored by another party. Furthermore, a party honoring a certificate need not be limited to a merchant or an employee of a merchant establishment.
In variant embodiments of the invention, a certificate can be purchased using one of several different methods, for example through a web site operated by a specific merchant, through a point-of-sale device, through the telephone, or by any other device capable of communicating, transmitting, or receiving data, including cellular phones, telephones with or without displays, pagers, hand-held electronic devices primarily used for storing and managing data (for example, a Palm PilotTM as is presently popular), wireless communication devices, any communication means over a network, or any communication means over the Internet.
A point-of-sale device may connect to the components of the certificate management unit 20 through a telephone line, in which case access to the database interface module 42 may be made through a telephony server 46. Alternatively, the point-of-sale device may be connected by a network connection or other means to the components of the certificate management unit 20. Access to the database interface module 42 by telephone may also be made through a telephony server 46.
In variant embodiments of the invention, information may be transmitted to the components of the certificate management unit 20 using secure data transmission methods, non-secure data transmission methods, or a combination of the two methods.
In variant embodiments of the invention, information pertaining to a certificate may be represented differently than described in the preferred embodiment. For example, a certificate number and a validation number can be combined to form a single certificate number, or several certificate and validation numbers could be used to uniquely define a certificate.
In variant embodiments of the invention, payment for a certificate may be made through a debit of an account at a bank 32, through any electronic transfer of funds, by cash, or any payment means as is known.
In variant embodiments of the invention, a certificate may be purchased at a physical store location by a certificate buyer 30, using any known means of payment. The certificate purchased may be generated by a point-of-sale device, or other device integrated with the system 10 for processing certificates. Alternatively, existing paper certificates used by a merchant 36 may be issued, in which case certificate information as generated by the system 10 for processing certificates may be printed or written on the paper certificate, or printed or written on a sticker or decal to be affixed to the paper certificate, or printed or written on any paper, form, or other document to be attached to the paper certificate or which accompanies the paper certificate.
In variant embodiments of the invention, a generated certificate can be delivered to a recipient by means other than by electronic mail, including: by postal mail; by personal delivery, if for example, the certificate was purchased at a physical store location; or by any other device capable of communicating, transmitting, or receiving data, including cellular phones, telephones with or without displays, pagers, hand-held electronic devices primarily used for storing and managing data (for example, a Palm PilotTM as is presently popular), wireless communication devices, any communication means over a network, or any communication means over the Internet.
In variant embodiments of the invention, information associated with a generated certificate may be copied onto paper, a form, document, or any other instrument, digital or otherwise, capable of recording information, for subsequent certificate redemption and certificate validation. This is possible since only the information contained in a certificate is required for redemption and validation, and not the form in which the information is stored, transmitted or received.
In variant embodiments of the invention, certificate validation may be made through a web-based interface. A simple form containing fields for entering required information for a certificate validation is provided to a merchant 36. Upon submission of information to the database interface module 42 which accesses information in the certificate database 44, an authorization code may be returned to the merchant 36 in real-time if the certificate is determined to be valid. Alternatively, certificate validation may be performed by an merchant 36 operating a web site either initiated manually, or performed automatically by a module programmed to perform certificate validations.
In variant embodiments of the invention, certificate validation may be made through a point-of-sale device. A merchant 36 would enter the required information for a certificate validation information through their point-of-sale device. That information may then transmitted by a network connection to the database interface module 42 in a data packet using a protocol compatible with the specific point-of-sale device used by the merchant 36. The information is then processed by the database interface module 42 and the certificate is subsequently either considered valid or declined. A return data packet transmits this information back to the merchant 36.
In variant embodiments of the invention, certificate validation may be made through a point-of-sale device connected to the components of the certificate management unit through a telephone line.
A telephony server 46 may provide the point-of-sale device with an interface to the database interface module 42.
In variant embodiments of the invention, certificate validation may be made by telephone where an interface to the database interface module 42 is provided capable of accepting voice inputs, or a combination of touch-tone inputs and voice inputs.
In variant embodiments of the invention, certificate validation may be made using any device capable of communicating, transmitting, or receiving data, including cellular phones, telephones with or without displays, pagers, hand-held electronic devices primarily used for storing and managing data (for example, a Palm PilotT~'' as is presently popular), wireless communication devices, any communication means over a network, or any communication means over the Internet.
In variant embodiments of the invention, a transfer of funds directly to an account of the merchant 36 honoring the certificate may occur at the time of certificate purchase, and not during a certificate validation.
In variant embodiments of the invention, a transfer of funds may be made directly to an account of the merchant 36 honoring the certificate from the certificate buyer 30, or from an account of the certificate buyer 30, without the need for funds to be directed through a certificate account.
With respect to certificate validation, in variant embodiments of the invention, a database interface module 42 may require all data items pertaining to a certificate being validated to be entered before determining whether or not a certificate is valid.
With respect to the elements of the system 10 for processing certificates described in this specification, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the execution of various tasks associated with the processing of a certificate need not be performed by the particular component specified in the description of the preferred embodiment of the invention. For example, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the performance of steps (or parts thereof) by the database interface module 42 in the preferred embodiment of the invention may be performed by several modules, and/or distributed across several modules. As a further example, the steps performed by certificate delivery module 48 may be performed by the database interface module 42, or other module. It will also be obvious to those skilled in the art that information stored in certificate database 44, may instead be distributed across several storage means.
As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, other various modifications and adaptations of the system and methods described herein are possible without departing from the present invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims.
However, the process of transferring an amount designated by one party to be sent to a second merchant party for redemption by a third party recipient is typically not cost-effective when using these electronic cash systems, since these systems typically require the use of specialized hardware (for example, smart cards and a smart card reader) to handle electronic funds. Furthermore, in digital voucher systems like that disclosed in Biffar, while the digital voucher may be transported in a variety of ways (for example, using the Internet, cellular networks, or telecommunication networks), all information pertaining to the history of the voucher, the quantity of which may be substantial, is transmitted from one party to another. It is not possible to transfer only a few identifying numbers from one party to another, to be subsequently used towards purchases at a merchant establishment, and where it is still possible to verify that the corresponding voucher of value is valid and has not been previously redeemed.
Accordingly, there is a need for a system and method for processing gift certificates or other vouchers of value, where the redemption of the gift certificates or vouchers are not limited to a particular product or store location, where the system is capable of effectively handling the transfers of cash associated with the purchase or redemption of a gift certificate or voucher in real-time, where the gift certificate or voucher can be validated in real-time to prevent duplicate use, fraudulent or otherwise, and where the gift certificate or voucher can be purchased in real-time either online, at a physical store location, or any other feasible method to be subsequently redeemed at an online web site or physical store location at the option of the party redeeming the gift certificate or voucher.
_7_ SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides for a system for processing certificates with a number of components including a user interface for receiving input validation data, a database for storing certificate data, a module responsive to a validation request to determine if the certificate is valid, and a module to initiate a transfer of funds to a party honoring the certificate.
The invention also provides for a method for processing certificates comprising the steps of processing an order for the purchase of a certificate, processing payment for the order, generating a certificate, storing information pertaining to the generated certificate in a database, validating the certificate, and processing payment to the party honoring the certificate.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings which show a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and in which:
Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the present invention;
Figure 2 is a schematic diagram further detailing the components of the present invention;
Figure 3 is a flow chart illustrating the steps performed by the present invention;
Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating the steps performed in a certificate purchase by the present invention;
Figure 5 is a flow chart illustrating the steps performed in a certificate validation by the present invention;
Figure 6 is a screen displayed during a certificate purchase where certificate information is entered by a certificate buyer;
_g_ Figure 7 is a screen displayed during a certificate purchase where payment information is entered by a certificate buyer; and Figure 8 is an example of a certificate generated by the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to Figure 1, a system for processing certificates is shown generally as 10. System 10 comprises a certificate management unit 20, which provides interfaces to a certificate buyer 30, a bank 32, a recipient 34, and a merchant 36.
In this specification and in the claims, a certificate refers primarily to a gift certificate or cash certificate, redeemable at a specific merchant establishment, or at a merchant establishment chosen by the recipient 34 of the gift certificate or cash certificate from a group of merchant establishments. A merchant establishment may be, for example, an Internet web site, a physical store location, or a store where goods or services may be ordered electronically or by telephone. Therefore, for example, a certificate may be designed to be a gift certificate or cash certificate, in paper or electronic form, that may be redeemable by the recipient 34 at a specific store, at any store location in a chain of stores, or at any store in a group of stores at a common location, as in a mall, for example.
The certificate management unit 20 of system 10 comprises several components: a database interface module 42 which reads information from and stores information to a certificate database 44 in order to perform certain tasks including the processing of a certificate purchase initiated by a certificate buyer 30, generating a certificate, processing a certificate validation initiated by a merchant 36 at a merchant establishment, and directing a bank 32 to process any necessary funds transfers; a telephony server 46 and a web interface 47 for managing the input of certificate-related data; and a certificate delivery module 48 which sends a generated certificate to a recipient 34.
When a certificate buyer 30 purchases a certificate, the certificate buyer 30 accesses a web interface 47. The database interface module 42 takes the information entered by the certificate buyer 30 through the web interface 47, and processes the certificate purchase, in part, by entering certificate information into the certificate database 44. The database interface module 42 further processes the purchase of a certificate by a certificate buyer 30 by obtaining payment information from the certificate buyer 30, which is then transmitted to a bank 32 for payment processing. The steps involved in a certificate purchase will be explained in greater detail later in this specification.
Storing certificate information in the certificate database 44 allows the database interface module 42 to generate reports allowing for certificate processing activity to be tracked, including for example, how many certificates are outstanding, sales of certificates in any specified period or for any specified merchant or groups of merchants, or any other desired statistical or accounting information that can be generated from the information in the certificate database 44.
When a certificate is generated by the database interface module 42 using the information stored in the certificate database 44, the certificate is subsequently delivered to a recipient 34 using the certificate delivery module 48. More specifically, the certificate delivery module 48 takes information corresponding to a generated certificate, formats the information for delivery, and initiates delivery of the certificate to the recipient 34.
When a certificate is submitted to a merchant 36 at a merchant establishment for redemption by a recipient 34, the merchant 36 provides certificate information to the database interface module 42 by telephone through a telephony server 46 in order to initiate a certificate validation. In processing a certificate validation, the database interface module 42 provides output to the merchant 36 indicating whether or not the certificate information provided by the merchant 36 is valid. If the information is valid, the database interface module 42 sends output to the bank 32 to initiate a transfer of funds from the bank 32 to the merchant 36.
The above-referenced telephony server 46 is a component that is able to take data as input from a variety of sources connected to a telephone line. The data includes, for example, input entered by voice and/or touch-tones over a telephone, or input obtained through a point-of-sale device at a physical store location. The telephony server 46 processes input data from the different sources, and translates the input data into a format that is recognized by the database interface module 42.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a certificate is purchased by a certificate buyer 30 through a central Internet web site, referred to in this specification as a central certificate distribution web site, where certificates for various merchants may be purchased. The components associated with the generation of the contents of the web pages at the central certificate distribution web site and the web pages themselves collectively comprise the web interface 47 of the certificate management unit 20 of the system 10 for processing certificates.
Information relating to the certificate purchase is entered on web pages at the central certificate distribution web site by the certificate buyer 30. A
more detailed schematic diagram illustrating the components of system 10 in the preferred embodiment is shown in Figure 2.
Referring to Figure 2, a certificate buyer 30 accesses the central certificate distribution web site through the web interface 47 of system 10 using a web browser 50. More specifically, the web browser 50 is used to access web pages 52 over the Internet, where the web pages 52 reside on a central certificate distribution web server 54. A web server engine 56 primarily generates the contents of the web pages 52 as seen by the certificate buyer 30 in the web browser 50 during a certificate purchase transaction. In generating the contents of the web pages 52, the web server engine 56 may also access information from a customer profile database 57 that stores information pertaining to the certificate buyer 30, such as information relating to buying preferences, for example. The web server engine 56 may also access a local certificate database 58 which maintains information on the certificates which are being made available for purchase to the certificate buyer 30 through the central certificate distribution web site.
The web server 54 is connected via a network connection, for example an Ethernet connection, to a secure web server 60. A secure web engine 62 residing on the secure web server 60 generates the contents of the secure web pages 64. The secure web pages 64 provides means for a certificate buyer 30, using a web browser 50, to input information relating to the certificate purchase, which may include, for example, certificate payment information such as a credit card number and expiry date, personal information, or any other information that is to be transmitted securely within the system 10. Access to the secure web pages 64 using a web browser 50 is made through a secure connection, for example, using the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol, or other secure protocol, as is known. Information relating to the certificate purchase received through the secure web pages 64 may be subsequently stored in the certificate database 44 by the database interface module 42.
The database interface module 42 generates confirmations relating to the certificate purchase to be delivered to a certificate buyer 30 through web pages 52, secure web pages 64, and by electronic mail.
The database interface module 42 generates certificates based on information stored in the certificate database 44, and initiates certificate delivery to a recipient 34 by electronic mail through the certificate delivery module 48. Certificates may be encrypted using known methods to enhance security of certificate delivery.
The database interface module 42 also transmits the credit card information of the certificate buyer 30 obtained through the secure web pages 64 to a payment processor 70 such as National Cash Register (NCR) using a secure DATAPAC line 72. Payment processor 70 validates the credit card information and initiates a funds transfer from the credit card account of the certificate buyer 30 to be deposited into one or more accounts at a bank 32.
When a recipient 34 presents the certificate to a merchant 36 at a merchant establishment for redemption, the merchant 36 validates the certificate. Certificate validation is performed by telephone through a telephony server 46 and phone daemon 74 which entails accessing the information in the certificate database 44 through the database interface module 42 in real-time. The telephony server 46 routes calls to the phone daemon 74, which prompts callers to enter certificate information using a telephone keypad and transmits the information to the database interface module 42. The database interface module 42 compares information on the certificate being redeemed as provided by the merchant 36 validating the certificate to the information stored in the certificate database 44, and determines whether any changes to the denomination of the certificate has been made, or whether the certificate has been previously redeemed.
Upon validation of the certificate, the database interface module 42 sends an electronic request to the bank 32 to transfer funds to an account of the specific merchant 36. The bank 32 confirms receipt of the funds transfer instructions, and later sends a confirmation indicating that the funds transfer has been executed.
Referring to Figure 3, a method for processing certificates is shown as a series of steps commencing at step 100. At step 102, a certificate purchase is initiated by a certificate buyer 30 through the web interface 47 of a central certificate distribution web site where certificates for a variety of merchants 36 may be purchased. At step 104, a certificate generated by the database interface module 42 is delivered to a recipient 34 by electronic mail by a certificate delivery module 48. At step 106, the recipient 34 redeems the certificate at a merchant establishment.
At step 108, the certificate is validated by a merchant 36 honoring the certificate. The merchant 36 accesses information in the certificate database 44 through the database interface module 42, in real-time, to ensure that the certificate is valid.
A certificate is considered valid if the information on the certificate accepted as input for certificate validation is consistent with information in the certificate database 44. Certificates of the present invention comprise three identifying numbers or codes, namely a certificate number, a validation number, and a certificate value. It will be appreciated that the certificate number and validation number need not be pure numbers, and they could be any combination of alpha-numeric characters. Preferably though, the certificate number is a pure number and these numbers are assigned sequentially. Validation numbers are preferably randomly assigned, although other variant methods of assigning validation numbers to certificates may be applied to the present invention. Also, for simplicity, the certificate number and validation number could be treated as a single identifying string of characters. Thus, in a certificate validation, the validation number and certificate value as shown on the certificate being redeemed identified by a certificate number, should match the validation number and certificate value for the certificate having the same certificate number as recorded in the certificate database 44, if the certificate is to be considered valid.
Also, a merchant identifier entered by the merchant 36 honoring the certificate is compared to the information recorded in the certificate database 44 by the database interface module 42 to determine whether the certificate being redeemed can be honored by that particular merchant 36. Merchant identifiers are assigned to each participating merchant 36 by the operator of the system 10 for processing certificates.
This is done prior to the offering of certificates for purchase to a certificate buyer 30. This allows the operator of the system 10 for processing certificates to associate a bank account with each participating merchant 36 for the purposes of funds transfers as described in this specification.
Information on each participant merchant 36 which may be incorporated in a certificate may also be stored in the local certificate database 58, which may be used in the marketing of the certificates on the central certificate distribution web site.
Furthermore, an identifier stored in the certificate database 44 indicating whether or not the certificate has already been redeemed is checked to ensure that the current certificate being validated has not already been redeemed. Certificate validation ensures that fraudulent changes to the denomination of the certificate have not been made, and that a duplicate redemption of the certificate has not occurred. After redemption and validation of a certificate, the certificate is marked as redeemed in certificate database 44.
Certificate validation is performed using a touch-tone telephone interface of the system 10 for processing certificates, namely a telephony server 46 and phone daemon 74. It will be understood, however, that any suitable means of real-time communication could be used.
The flow of method steps then proceeds to step 110, which marks the end of the method for processing certificates.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, all steps as shown in Figure 3 are performed in real-time.
Referring to Figure 4, the details of a certificate purchase (step 102 of Figure 3) are shown, and which commence at step 122. As noted above, the certificate purchase is performed in real-time. At step 124, a certificate buyer 30 accesses a central certificate distribution web site on the Internet using a web browser 50. On the web pages 52, the certificate buyer selects an option to purchase a gift certificate. On the secure web pages 64, the certificate buyer 30 then inputs information relating to the certificate purchase. This information comprises, for example: a country and city in which the certificate is to be redeemed; a merchant category and 25 merchant subcategory for which the certificate is to be purchased, where merchants 36 may be categorized, for example, by the goods or services offered, the prices of the goods and services offered, the brands of goods offered and/or by a geographical location of the merchant; an identifier of a specific merchant 36 identifier or an identifier representing a group of 30 merchants 36 where a recipient 34 may redeem the certificate at any merchant 36 of that group; the name of the recipient 34 and the electronic mail and/or postal mail addresses of the recipient 34; the amount of the certificate, which may be any full dollar denomination or other permissible value; certificate delivery information, which may indicate immediate delivery or delivery at some time in the future; and an optional certificate style, or personalized message to accompany the certificate. The certificate buyer 30 also enters payment information, which may comprise a credit card type, a credit card number, a credit card expiry date, the cardholder's name, and an address and/or electronic mail address to which a receipt will be sent. The input information obtained in this step is stored in the certificate database 44.
At step 126, payment for the certificate is processed by the database interface module 42. Credit card information of the certificate buyer 30 is transmitted to a payment processor 70 such as NCR over a secure DATAPAC line 72. Payment processor 70 then validates the credit card information, and subsequently, at step 128, payment processor 70 initiates a funds transfer from the credit card account of the certificate buyer 30 to a certificate account held at a bank 32, where the funds are held in trust until the certificate is redeemed. Electronic mail confirmation of the credit card charge is sent to the certificate buyer 30. The actual amount of funds deposited into the certificate account of the bank 32 relating to this transaction may be equal to the amount of the certificate purchased by the certificate buyer 30, or may be for an amount less than the value of the certificate purchased by the certificate buyer 30 depending on the arrangements made between the merchant 36 and the operator of the system 10 for processing certificates concerning applicable charges, commissions or fees applicable to transactions associated with the purchase or redemption of certificates. Any applicable charges, commissions or fees are deposited into a separate commission account at the bank 32.
An example of a commission structure that may apply to the present invention is as follows: if a certificate purchase is made at a central certificate distribution web site, a merchant is charged a commission of 5%
of the value of the certificate which is withheld by the operator of the system 10 from funds collected associated with the certificate purchase, and the certificate buyer 30 is charged an additional service fee of 4% of the value of the certificate which is added to the purchase price; if a certificate purchase is made at a merchant-specific web site, a merchant is charged a commission of 5% of the value of the certificate which is withheld by the operator of the system 10 from funds collected associated with the certificate purchase; if a certificate purchase is made at a physical store location where a certificate is generated using a point-of-sale device integrated with the system 10, a merchant is charged a $0.35 fee per certificate purchase transaction; or if a certificate purchase is made at a physical store location where a merchant uses existing gift or cash certificates upon which a sticker with certificate information associated with the system 10 of the present invention is to be affixed, a merchant is charged a $0.15 fee per certificate purchase transaction.
It will be understood by those skilled in the art, that the particular commission structure that may be applied in the present invention may be varied and is not limited to the commission structure described above.
At step 130, a certificate is generated by database interface module 42. A new certificate number is generated and assigned to the certificate. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, new certificate numbers are generated sequentially. The newly generated certificate is also assigned a randomly-generated validation number by the database interface module 42. The certificate also comprises a value, and a merchant location or list of merchant locations, or one or more identifiers therefor, where the certificate may be redeemed. The certificate may also comprise other items such as an expiry date, or a personalized message.
At step 130, an electronic mail confirmation may also be delivered to the purchaser confirming that the certificate has, in fact, been sent to the recipient.
Further, at step 130, the certificate is also marked in the certificate database 44 as not yet having been redeemed or validated.
After the steps of Figure 4 are completed, the gift certificate is deemed to be active by the system 10 for processing certificates, and is immediately ready for redemption by a recipient 34. The flow of method steps then proceeds to step 132, which marks the end of a certificate purchase.
It will be understood that while step 102 of Figure 3 has been described as effected by an Internet connection, it is also possible for a certificate purchase to be made at a participating store location, and then a certificate can then be electronically transmitted to the recipient 34, and/or a printed certificate can be produced for the recipient 34.
Referring to Figure 5, the details of a certificate validation (step 108 of Figure 3) are shown, and which commence at step 140. As noted above, the steps in a certificate validation are performed in real-time. At step 142, an item of input information (for example, the certificate number, the validation number, the merchant identifier, the certificate value) required to validate a certificate is entered as input by a merchant 36 honoring the certificate. Input is entered using a touch-tone telephone through an interface of the system 10 for processing certificates, namely the telephony server 46 and phone daemon 74. Voice prompts indicate to the merchant 36 what items of data pertaining to the certificate being validated need to be entered. Input is entered by the merchant 36 by generating touch-tone responses to the prompts using the touch-tone telephone. A merchant 36 can validate a certificate by dialing a designated toll-free number, and connecting to the telephony server 46 and phone daemon 74 to interact with the database interface module 42, thus allowing access to the information in the certificate database 44 in real-time.
At step 144, the input information obtained at step 142 is processed by the database interface module 42. Input information received at step 142 is compared to the information pertaining to the certificate in the certificate database 44.
At step 146, the database interface module 42 determines whether the input information is consistent with the information recorded in the certificate database 44. If the input information is not consistent with the information recorded in the certificate database 44, an error message is outputted indicating that the certificate is invalid at step 148. As indicated at step 149, if the system 10 for processing certificates permits the merchant 36 to re-enter data, the flow of method steps proceeds back to step 142 where another item of input information required to validate the certificate is received again, otherwise the flow of method steps proceeds to step 156 which marks the end of a certificate validation. The database interface module 42 may be programmed to permit data to be re-entered for a limited or unlimited number of times.
Alternatively, if at step 146 the database interface module 42 determines that the inputted data is not consistent with the information as recorded in the certificate database 44, the flow of method steps proceeds to step 150. At step 150, the database interface module 42 checks if any other input information is required to complete the certificate validation. If so, the flow of method steps proceeds back to step 142 where the next item of input information is entered. Otherwise, the flow of method steps proceeds to step 151, where the certificate database is updated to indicate that certificate has been redeemed and validated.
Subsequently, at step 152, the database interface module 42 initiates, through a bank 32, an electronic transfer of funds from the certificate account where funds were stored at step 130 of Figure 4, to an account of the merchant 36 honoring the certificate. The bank 32 sends a confirmation of the funds transfer to the merchant 36.
At step 154, information pertaining to the certificate validation is outputted to the merchant 36. The merchant 36 is informed that the certificate is valid, and an authorization code is issued to the merchant 36 as a record of the transaction. The flow of method steps then proceeds to step 156 which marks the end of a certificate validation.
Examples of screens seen in a browser 50 during a certificate purchase are shown in Figures 6 and 7, where the certificate purchase is being made at a central certificate distribution web site.
Referring to Figure 6, a certificate information screen 200 is shown where information pertaining to the certificate being purchased for a selected merchant 36 is to be entered by a certificate buyer 30. The certificate information screen 200 comprises several input fields: a recipient name field 210, a certificate value field 212, a certificate delivery date field 214, a personalized message field 216, an electronic mail address field 218, and postal address fields 220.
Referring to Figure 7, a payment information screen 230 is shown where information pertaining to payment information of the certificate buyer 30 is entered. The payment information screen 230 comprises several input fields: a credit card type field 240, a credit card number field 242, an expiry date field 244, a credit cardholder name field 246, a certificate sender name field 248, and a receipt electronic mail address field 250.
Referring to Figure 8, the certificate received by the recipient 34 by electronic mail is shown. The information shown on the certificate comprises, for example, a gift certificate number, a validation number, a gift certificate value, an expiry date, merchant information indicating where the certificate may be redeemed, and the personalized message submitted by the certificate buyer 30 at the time the certificate was purchased.
Although a certificate, in this specification and in the claims, primarily refers to a gift certificate or cash certificate redeemable at a merchant establishment, a certificate generally refers to any voucher of value including a gift certificate, a cash certificate, a credit note, a coupon, any item of value, or any item having no cash value but which may be redeemed by one party, for goods, services, or cash, and honored by another party. Furthermore, a party honoring a certificate need not be limited to a merchant or an employee of a merchant establishment.
In variant embodiments of the invention, a certificate can be purchased using one of several different methods, for example through a web site operated by a specific merchant, through a point-of-sale device, through the telephone, or by any other device capable of communicating, transmitting, or receiving data, including cellular phones, telephones with or without displays, pagers, hand-held electronic devices primarily used for storing and managing data (for example, a Palm PilotTM as is presently popular), wireless communication devices, any communication means over a network, or any communication means over the Internet.
A point-of-sale device may connect to the components of the certificate management unit 20 through a telephone line, in which case access to the database interface module 42 may be made through a telephony server 46. Alternatively, the point-of-sale device may be connected by a network connection or other means to the components of the certificate management unit 20. Access to the database interface module 42 by telephone may also be made through a telephony server 46.
In variant embodiments of the invention, information may be transmitted to the components of the certificate management unit 20 using secure data transmission methods, non-secure data transmission methods, or a combination of the two methods.
In variant embodiments of the invention, information pertaining to a certificate may be represented differently than described in the preferred embodiment. For example, a certificate number and a validation number can be combined to form a single certificate number, or several certificate and validation numbers could be used to uniquely define a certificate.
In variant embodiments of the invention, payment for a certificate may be made through a debit of an account at a bank 32, through any electronic transfer of funds, by cash, or any payment means as is known.
In variant embodiments of the invention, a certificate may be purchased at a physical store location by a certificate buyer 30, using any known means of payment. The certificate purchased may be generated by a point-of-sale device, or other device integrated with the system 10 for processing certificates. Alternatively, existing paper certificates used by a merchant 36 may be issued, in which case certificate information as generated by the system 10 for processing certificates may be printed or written on the paper certificate, or printed or written on a sticker or decal to be affixed to the paper certificate, or printed or written on any paper, form, or other document to be attached to the paper certificate or which accompanies the paper certificate.
In variant embodiments of the invention, a generated certificate can be delivered to a recipient by means other than by electronic mail, including: by postal mail; by personal delivery, if for example, the certificate was purchased at a physical store location; or by any other device capable of communicating, transmitting, or receiving data, including cellular phones, telephones with or without displays, pagers, hand-held electronic devices primarily used for storing and managing data (for example, a Palm PilotTM as is presently popular), wireless communication devices, any communication means over a network, or any communication means over the Internet.
In variant embodiments of the invention, information associated with a generated certificate may be copied onto paper, a form, document, or any other instrument, digital or otherwise, capable of recording information, for subsequent certificate redemption and certificate validation. This is possible since only the information contained in a certificate is required for redemption and validation, and not the form in which the information is stored, transmitted or received.
In variant embodiments of the invention, certificate validation may be made through a web-based interface. A simple form containing fields for entering required information for a certificate validation is provided to a merchant 36. Upon submission of information to the database interface module 42 which accesses information in the certificate database 44, an authorization code may be returned to the merchant 36 in real-time if the certificate is determined to be valid. Alternatively, certificate validation may be performed by an merchant 36 operating a web site either initiated manually, or performed automatically by a module programmed to perform certificate validations.
In variant embodiments of the invention, certificate validation may be made through a point-of-sale device. A merchant 36 would enter the required information for a certificate validation information through their point-of-sale device. That information may then transmitted by a network connection to the database interface module 42 in a data packet using a protocol compatible with the specific point-of-sale device used by the merchant 36. The information is then processed by the database interface module 42 and the certificate is subsequently either considered valid or declined. A return data packet transmits this information back to the merchant 36.
In variant embodiments of the invention, certificate validation may be made through a point-of-sale device connected to the components of the certificate management unit through a telephone line.
A telephony server 46 may provide the point-of-sale device with an interface to the database interface module 42.
In variant embodiments of the invention, certificate validation may be made by telephone where an interface to the database interface module 42 is provided capable of accepting voice inputs, or a combination of touch-tone inputs and voice inputs.
In variant embodiments of the invention, certificate validation may be made using any device capable of communicating, transmitting, or receiving data, including cellular phones, telephones with or without displays, pagers, hand-held electronic devices primarily used for storing and managing data (for example, a Palm PilotT~'' as is presently popular), wireless communication devices, any communication means over a network, or any communication means over the Internet.
In variant embodiments of the invention, a transfer of funds directly to an account of the merchant 36 honoring the certificate may occur at the time of certificate purchase, and not during a certificate validation.
In variant embodiments of the invention, a transfer of funds may be made directly to an account of the merchant 36 honoring the certificate from the certificate buyer 30, or from an account of the certificate buyer 30, without the need for funds to be directed through a certificate account.
With respect to certificate validation, in variant embodiments of the invention, a database interface module 42 may require all data items pertaining to a certificate being validated to be entered before determining whether or not a certificate is valid.
With respect to the elements of the system 10 for processing certificates described in this specification, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the execution of various tasks associated with the processing of a certificate need not be performed by the particular component specified in the description of the preferred embodiment of the invention. For example, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the performance of steps (or parts thereof) by the database interface module 42 in the preferred embodiment of the invention may be performed by several modules, and/or distributed across several modules. As a further example, the steps performed by certificate delivery module 48 may be performed by the database interface module 42, or other module. It will also be obvious to those skilled in the art that information stored in certificate database 44, may instead be distributed across several storage means.
As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, other various modifications and adaptations of the system and methods described herein are possible without departing from the present invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims.
Claims (25)
1. A system for processing certificates, the system comprising:
a) a user interface for receiving input validation data, where said input validation data uniquely identifies a certificate;
b) a database for storing certificate data;
c) a first module connected to said user interface and said database and responsive to a validation request, to determine if the certificate is valid by comparing said input data to said certificate data; and d) a second module connected to the first module, to initiate a transfer of funds to a party honoring the certificate.
a) a user interface for receiving input validation data, where said input validation data uniquely identifies a certificate;
b) a database for storing certificate data;
c) a first module connected to said user interface and said database and responsive to a validation request, to determine if the certificate is valid by comparing said input data to said certificate data; and d) a second module connected to the first module, to initiate a transfer of funds to a party honoring the certificate.
2. The system as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said user interface in (a) is accessible using a means selected from the group comprising: a device connected to a network, a telephone, a point-of-sale device, a cellular phone, a pager, a hand-held electronic device primarily used for storing and managing data, a wireless communication device, a device connected to the Internet.
3. The system as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the system comprises a means for obtaining said input validation data by telephone in one of a plurality of permissible data formats, and subsequently converting said input validation data to a format compatible with the system.
4. The system as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the system comprises a second user interface for receiving input purchase data from a certificate buyer, said input purchase data comprising a certificate value, a certificate recipient, an identifier indicating where the certificate is redeemable, and certificate payment information.
5. The system as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the system comprises a module connected to said second user interface and said database of (b) in Claim 1 for storing said input purchase data into said database.
6. The system as claimed in Claim 4, wherein said second user interface is accessible using a means selected from the group comprising: a device connected to a network, a telephone, a point-of-sale device, a cellular phone, a pager, a hand-held electronic device primarily used for storing and managing data, a wireless communication device, a device connected to the Internet.
7. The system as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the system comprises a means for obtaining said input purchase data by telephone in one of a plurality of permissible data formats, and subsequently converting said input purchase data to a format compatible with the system.
8. The system as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said certificate data in (b) comprises a certificate identifier, a validation identifier, a certificate value, an identifier indicating where the certificate is redeemable, and an identifier indicating when a certificate has been redeemed.
9. The system as claimed in Claim 4, wherein said system comprises a module that initiates a credit card transaction for a certificate purchase.
10. The system as claimed in Claim 4, wherein said system comprises a module that initiates a funds transfer from an account of a certificate buyer.
11. The system as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said system validates a certificate in real-time upon a validation request.
12. The system as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said system comprises means for delivering a certificate to a recipient selected from the group comprising: electronic mail, postal mail, personal delivery, cellular phone, pager, telephone, hand-held electronic device primarily used for storing and managing data, wireless communication device, interface to a network, interface to the Internet.
13. A system as claimed in claim 4, which includes at least one certificate account for receiving payment from a certificate buyer, wherein after validation, the second module transfers funds from said at least one certificate account for receiving payment from a certificate buyer to the party honoring the certificate.
14. A system as claimed in claim 13, which includes, for each party honoring certificates, assigning a party identifier and identifying a respective party account, wherein the second module includes means for identifying the party honoring a certificate from the party identifier received from the party honoring a certificate, and transferring funds from said at least one certificate account for receiving payment from a certificate buyer to an account of the respective party honoring a certificate.
15. A method for processing certificates, the method comprising the steps of:
a) processing a certificate purchase;
b) processing payment for the certificate purchase;
c) generating a certificate;
d) storing information pertaining to the certificate in a database;
e) processing a certificate validation;
f) processing payment to a party honoring the certificate.
a) processing a certificate purchase;
b) processing payment for the certificate purchase;
c) generating a certificate;
d) storing information pertaining to the certificate in a database;
e) processing a certificate validation;
f) processing payment to a party honoring the certificate.
16. The method claimed in Claim 15, wherein step (e) is performed in real-time upon redemption of the certificate.
17. The method claimed in Claim 15, wherein step (a) is initiated by a certificate buyer by one of the means of the group comprising: a device connected to a network, a telephone, a point-of-sale device, a cellular phone, a pager, a hand-held electronic device primarily used for storing and managing data, a wireless communication device, a device connected to the Internet.
18. The method claimed in Claim 15, wherein step (e) is initiated by one of the means of the group comprising: a device connected to a network, a telephone, a point-of-sale device, a cellular phone, a pager, a hand-held electronic device primarily used for storing and managing data, a wireless communication device, a device connected to the Internet.
19. The method claimed in Claim 15, wherein the payment referred to in step (b) is made by one of the means of the group comprising:
an electronic funds transfer, a credit card transaction, a cash payment.
an electronic funds transfer, a credit card transaction, a cash payment.
20. The method claimed in Claim 15, wherein the payment referred to in step (f) is made by one of the means of the group comprising:
an electronic funds transfer, a credit card transaction, a cash payment.
an electronic funds transfer, a credit card transaction, a cash payment.
21. The method claimed in Claim 20, wherein the method comprises an additional delivery step performed prior to the step (e), in which a certificate is delivered to a recipient by a means selected from the group comprising: electronic mail, postal mail, personal delivery, cellular phone, pager, telephone, hand-held electronic device primarily used for storing and managing data, wireless communication device, interface to a network, interface to the Internet.
22. The method claimed in claim 15, wherein all the steps of said method are performed in real-time.
23. The method claimed in claim 15, wherein one or more of steps (a) through (f) are performed in real-time.
24. The method claimed in claim 15, which includes, after step (b) transferring funds for the certificate to a certificate account.
25. The method claimed in claim 24, which includes providing each party honoring certificates with a party identifier, and storing in a database information pertaining to each party honoring certificates including a respective party identifier and a respective party account, and wherein step (e) includes identifying a party honoring a certificate from a party identifier received from the party honoring a certificate, and step (f) includes transferring funds from the certificate account to an account associated with the party honoring a certificate.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US57151500A | 2000-05-16 | 2000-05-16 | |
| US09/571,515 | 2000-05-16 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2311190A1 true CA2311190A1 (en) | 2001-11-16 |
Family
ID=24284018
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2311190 Abandoned CA2311190A1 (en) | 2000-05-16 | 2000-06-12 | System and method for processing certificates |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2311190A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR2878635A1 (en) * | 2004-11-26 | 2006-06-02 | Fco Cheques & Securite Sa | SECURITY METHOD FOR SECURITIES |
-
2000
- 2000-06-12 CA CA 2311190 patent/CA2311190A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR2878635A1 (en) * | 2004-11-26 | 2006-06-02 | Fco Cheques & Securite Sa | SECURITY METHOD FOR SECURITIES |
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