| 摘要 |
Devices, systems and methods are disclosed which relate to allowing a recipient of a closed-loop gift card to select one of a number of merchants toward which to apply the value. A consumer buys a variable gift card from a service provider for a set amount, pays the service provider that amount, and the service provider holds that amount in escrow. The consumer sends the gift card to a recipient with a predetermined merchant. The recipient receives the gift card and decides to switch the gift card from the predetermined merchant to a desired merchant. The recipient requests the service provider to change the merchant, and the service provider delivers the amount from escrow to the desired merchant. If the recipient does desire to use the predetermined merchant, the recipient contacts the service provider for activation and the service provider transfers the amount to the predetermined merchant. |
| 主权项 |
1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a gift card server comprising a processor, an activation request for a variable gift card that is associated with a first merchant and has a value comprising a first amount that is held in an escrow account of a service provider, wherein the first merchant is not paid prior to the activation request and the service provider is different from the first merchant and a second merchant, wherein the variable gift card is associated with a restriction placed by a purchaser of the variable gift card, wherein the restriction comprises a type of merchant and prohibits certain merchants, and wherein the activation request is received from a mobile device associated with a recipient of the variable gift card; causing, by the gift card server, placement of the variable gift card in a mobile wallet associated with the recipient; receiving, by the gift card server, a bid from the second merchant, the bid specifying the second amount, wherein the second amount is greater than the first amount and is offered with an identification of the second merchant; receiving, by the gift card server, an acceptance of the bid, the acceptance of the bid being subject to the restriction; querying, by the gift card server and via a user interface associated with the mobile device, the recipient to determine if the variable gift card should be switched from being associated with the first merchant and having the value comprising the first amount to being associated with the second merchant and having the value comprising a second amount that is different from the first amount; receiving, by the gift card server and from the mobile device, an indication that the variable gift card should be switched to being associated with the second merchant and having the value comprising the second amount; associating, by the gift card server, the variable gift card with the second merchant; defining, by the gift card server, the value of the variable gift card as the second amount; transferring, by the gift card server, the first amount from the escrow account to the second merchant; activating, by the gift card server, the variable gift card; receiving, by the gift card server and from the second merchant, an activation confirmation for the variable gift card; forwarding, by the gift card server, the activation confirmation to the mobile device; and causing, by the gift card server, placement of the variable gift card for the second merchant in the mobile wallet. |
