Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for dynamically generated gift cards

1 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, perform a method of processing real-time merchant information retrieved from an external search service to dynamically generate a gift card configuration, the method comprising:

receiving, from a first client device of a first user, a search for one or more merchants;

responsive to receiving the search, retrieving, from the external search service via an application programming interface associated with the external search service, merchant information for the one or more merchants,

wherein the merchant information is retrieved, in real time, from the external search service upon receipt of the search from the first client device such that a stock-keeping unit of the gift card configuration associated with the one or more merchants is undefined prior to retrieval of the merchant information;

analyzing the merchant information to determine a merchant category code;

causing a restriction of the gift card configuration to the merchant category code associated with the merchant information;

automatically generating a communication comprising an affordance, wherein the affordance is actuatable to receive an acceptance of the gift card configuration from a second user;

automatically populating, to a messaging application on the first client device of the first user, the communication,

wherein the communication is editable by the first user via the messaging application,

wherein the communication is received by a second client device associated with the second user from a phone number associated with the first client device;

responsive to an actuation of the affordance via the second client device, initiating a verification that the second user is an intended recipient, the verification including at least one of two-factor authentication or a one-time password; and

responsive to verifying the second user is the intended recipient, transmitting an issuance instruction to a financial institution to issue a gift card corresponding to the gift card configuration such that the gift card contains the restriction to the merchant category code,

wherein the gift card is prevented from being issued prior to the verification.

2 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 ,

wherein a graphical user interface for receiving the search is accessible via an application embedded within at least one of a third-party application or a third-party website.

3 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 2 ,

wherein the third-party application or the third-party website is associated with the external search service.

4 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 ,

wherein the search includes at least one of a merchant name, a location, or a merchant type.

5 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, from the first user, an indication of a second external search service to query,

wherein the external search service is a first external search service; and

responsive to receiving the search, retrieving, from the second external search service, the merchant information for the one or more merchants.

6 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

receiving recipient information associated with the second user from the first user;

determining, based on the recipient information, one or more suggested merchants of the one or more merchants.

7 . A method of processing real-time merchant information retrieved from an external search service to dynamically generate a gift card configuration, the method comprising:

receiving, from a first client device of a first user, a search for one or more merchants;

responsive to receiving the search, retrieving, from the external search service via an application programming interface associated with the external search service, merchant information for the one or more merchants,

wherein the merchant information is retrieved, in real time, from the external search service upon receipt of the search from the first client device such that a stock-keeping unit of the gift card configuration associated with the one or more merchants is undefined prior to retrieval of the merchant information;

analyzing the merchant information to determine a merchant category code;

causing a restriction of the gift card configuration to the merchant category code associated with the merchant information;

automatically generating a communication comprising an affordance, wherein the affordance is actuatable to receive an acceptance of the gift card configuration from a second user;

automatically populating, to a messaging application on the first client device of the first user, the communication,

wherein the communication is editable by the first user via the messaging application,

wherein the communication is received by a second client device associated with the second user from a phone number associated with the first client device;

responsive to an actuation of the affordance via the second client device, initiating a verification that the second user is an intended recipient, the verification including at least one of two-factor authentication or a one-time password; and

responsive to verifying the second user is the intended recipient, transmitting an issuance instruction to a financial institution to issue a gift card corresponding to the gift card configuration such that the gift card contains the restriction to the merchant category code,

wherein the gift card is prevented from being issued prior to the verification.

8 . The method of claim 7 ,

wherein the merchant information retrieved from the external search service includes the merchant category code.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises:

filtering at least one of the one or more merchants based on known information associated with the second user.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises:

providing access to a graphical user interface via the application programming interface embedded within the external search service,

wherein the search is received via the graphical user interface.

11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises:

determining a merchant restriction for the gift card configuration; and

causing issuance of the gift card based on the merchant restriction,

wherein the gift card is only redeemable at a merchant associated with the merchant restriction.

12 . The method of claim 7 ,

wherein access to a visual rendering of the gift card is blocked prior to the verification.

13 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

determining if the merchant category code is associated with historical fraudulent activity; and

in response to determining the merchant category code is associated with the historical fraudulent activity, alerting the first user.

14 . A system for processing real-time merchant information retrieved from an external search service to dynamically generate a gift card configuration, the system comprising:

a graphical user interface for receiving a search from a first user;

an application programming interface configured to query one or more external search services based on the search; and

one or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the system to carry out actions, comprising:

receiving, from a first client device of the first user, the search for one or more merchants;

responsive to receiving the search, retrieving, from the one or more external search services via the application programming interface associated with the one or more external search services, merchant information for the one or more merchants,

wherein the merchant information is retrieved, in real time, from the external search service upon receipt of the search from the first client device such that a stock-keeping unit of the gift card configuration associated with the one or more merchants is undefined prior to retrieval of the merchant information;

analyzing the merchant information to determine a merchant category code;

causing a restriction of the gift card configuration to the merchant category code associated with the merchant information;

automatically generating a communication comprising an affordance, wherein the affordance is actuatable to receive an acceptance of the gift card configuration from a second user;

automatically populating, to a messaging application on the first client device of the first user, the communication,

wherein the communication is editable by the first user via the messaging application,

wherein the communication is received by a second client device associated with the second user from a phone number associated with the first client device;

responsive to an actuation of the affordance via the second client device, initiating a verification that the second user is an intended recipient, the verification including at least one of two-factor authentication or a one-time password; and

responsive to verifying the second user is the intended recipient, transmitting an issuance instruction to a financial institution to issue a gift card corresponding to the gift card configuration such that the gift card contains the restriction to the merchant category code,

wherein the gift card is prevented from being issued prior to the verification.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the actions further comprise:

receiving, via the graphical user interface, a second search for the one or more merchants; and

re-querying the one or more external search services using the application programming interface.

16 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the actions further comprise:

filtering the one or more merchants based on a filter parameter received from the first user.

17 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the actions further comprise:

receiving, from the first user, a selection of a template for the gift card configuration, wherein a preview is displayed based on the template.

18 . The system of claim 14 ,

determining, based on recipient information associated with the second user, one or more suggested merchants from the one or more merchants for the gift card, the recipient information including social media information associated with the second user.

19 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the actions further comprise:

wherein a rendering of the gift card is accessible after the verification of the second user.

20 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the actions further comprise:

responsive to the verification, receiving, from the financial institution, a primary account number associated with the gift card; and

generating a link containing the primary account number.