Gift card conversion and digital wallet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10346833-B2
Application number	US-201816139311-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2018
Priority date	Mar 17, 2011
Publication date	Jul 9, 2019
Grant date	Jul 9, 2019

Abstract

A method and a system convert the value of a gift card for use with a mobile device. The value of the gift card is determined from an issuer of the gift card. The value of the gift card is stored in a digital payment account in a storage device. The digital payment account stores values of gift cards from issuers. A financial transaction corresponding to the issuer of the gift card is performed on the digital payment account. The value of a first gift card from a first issuer of a first digital payment account is exchanged with the value of a second gift card from a second issuer of a second digital payment account.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving a request to trade a first gift card from a first issuer with a second gift card from a second issuer;
in response to the request:
exchanging the value of the first gift card in a first digital payment account with the value of the second gift card in a second digital payment account;
transferring a captured digital image of the first gift card from a first digital wallet of a first user to a second digital wallet of a second user, the captured digital image of the first gift card for use by the second user; and
transferring a captured digital image of the second gift card from a second digital wallet of the second user to the first digital wallet, the captured digital image of the second gift card for use by the first user, the first gift card and the second gift card listed for exchange in the gift card exchange market.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a value of the first gift card from the first issuer of the first gift card, and a value of the second gift card from the second issuer of the second gift card;
storing the value of the first gift card in the first digital payment account, the value of the second gift card in the second digital payment account; and
performing a first financial transaction corresponding to the first issuer of the first gift card on the first digital payment account, and a second financial transaction corresponding to the second issuer of the second gift card on the second digital payment account.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising:
receiving an image of the first gift card via an optical input of a mobile device associated with the digital payment account, the image of the first gift card comprising a machine-readable symbol;
querying the value of the first gift card based on the image of the first gift card; and
linking the value of the first gift card with a financial account of the first user of the mobile device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising:
displaying the image of the first gift card on the mobile device for the first financial transaction;
retrieving an updated value of the first gift card after the first financial transaction; and
updating the first gift card balance in the first digital payment account and the financial account of the first user of the mobile device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , further comprising:
linking the value of the first gift card with a new disposable gift card financial account of the user of the mobile device, the new disposable gift card financial account being deleted when the gift card balance is zero.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
updating the first digital payment account with the value of the second gift card; and
updating the second digital payment account with the value of the first gift card.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a set of instructions that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations, comprising:
receiving a request to trade a first gift card from a first issuer with a second gift card from a second issuer;
in response to the request:
exchanging the value of the first gift card in a first digital payment account with the value of the second gift card in a second digital payment account;
transferring captured digital image of the first gift card from a first digital wallet of a first user to a second digital wallet of a second user, the captured digital image of the first gift card for use by a second user; and

transferring a captured digital image of the second gift card from the second issuer from a second digital wallet of the second user to the first digital wallet, the captured digital image of the second gift card for use by the first user, the first gift card and the second gift card listed for exchange in the gift card exchange market.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , the operations further comprising:
determining a value of the first gift card from the first issuer of the first gift card, and a value of the second gift card from the second issuer of the second gift card;
storing the value of the first gift card in the first digital payment account, the value of the second gift card in the second digital payment account; and
performing a first financial transaction corresponding to the first issuer of the first gift card on the first digital payment account, and a second financial transaction corresponding to the second issuer of the second gift card on the second digital payment account.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , the operations further comprising:
receiving an image of the first gift card via an optical input of a mobile device associated with the digital payment account, the image of the first gift card comprising a machine-readable symbol;
querying the value of the first gift card from the first issuer of the gift card based on the image of the first gift card; and
linking the value of the first gift card with a financial account of the first user of the mobile device.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , the operations further comprising:
displaying the image of the first gift card on the mobile device for the first financial transaction;
retrieving an updated value of the first gift card after the first financial transaction; and
updating the first gift card balance in the first digital payment account and the financial account of the first user of the mobile device.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , the operations further comprising:
linking the value of the first gift card with a new disposable gift card financial account of the user of the mobile device, the new disposable gift card financial account being deleted when the gift card balance is zero.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , the operations further comprising:
updating the first digital payment account with the value of the second gift card; and
updating the second digital payment account with the value of the first gift card.

13. A computer system comprising:
one or more processors; and
executable instructions accessible on a computer-readable medium that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
receiving a request to trade a first gift card from a first issuer with a second gift card from a second issuer;
in response to the request:
exchanging the value of the first gift card in a first digital payment account with the value of the second gift card in a second digital payment account;
transferring a captured digital image of the first gift card from a first digital wallet of a first user to a second digital wallet of a second user, the captured digital image of the first gift card for use by a second user; and

transferring a captured digital image of the second gift card from the second issuer from a second digital wallet of the second user to the first digital wallet, the captured digital image of the second gift card for use by the first user, the first gift card and the second gift card listed for exchange in the gift card exchange market.

14. The computer system of claim 13 , the operations further comprising:
determining a value of the first gift card from the first issuer of the first gift card, and a value of the second gift card from the second issuer of the second gift card;
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Assignees

• Ebay Inc

Inventors

• Yankovich Steve
• Melcher Ryan
• Veres Robert Dean

Classifications

• G06Q40/04

  Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange · CPC title

• G06Q20/36

  using electronic wallets or electronic money safes · CPC title

• G06Q20/351

  Virtual cards · CPC title

• G06Q20/3276

  using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device · CPC title

• G06Q30/06 Primary

  Buying, selling or leasing transactions · CPC title