IP Library Granted Patent US 8,500,007
Granted Patent B2
US 8,500,007 · App. 12/701,711 · Granted Aug 6, 2013

System and method for merchant interaction with and tracking of the secondary gift card marketplace

Inventors: Jason Wolfe (Sewickley, PA); Mark Romanelli (Bridgeville, PA); Sanjay Akut (Pittsburgh, PA); Mike Kelly (Langhorne, PA); Mary Jane Kelly (Langhorne, PA)
Assignee: Giftcodes.com, LLC
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,500,007
App. No.
12/701,711
Granted
Aug 6, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for tracking a secondary gift card marketplace. A system configured to practice the method collects data related to a secondary market, which includes a transaction associated with a gift card, the transaction not involving an issuer of the gift card, processes the collected data, and presents at least a portion of the processed collected data to a merchant in a user interface. Gift cards can include at least one of gift cards and gift codes. The collected data can further include a plurality of transactions associated with gift cards. In one aspect, each gift card transaction in the plurality of gift card transaction does not involve an original issuing merchant of a gift card. The collected data can further include at least one of pricing, demographic, geographic, and other information related to the gift card transactions.

Claims (29)

1. A method comprising:

collecting data of multiple transactions in which consumers, as non-issuers of gift cards, in a secondary market, sell the gift cards for at least one of cash, goods and services to yield collected data;

aggregating the collected data to yield aggregated data; and

presenting, via a user interface, at least a portion of the aggregated data to a merchant.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gift cards comprise at least one of gift cards and gift codes.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the collected data further comprises at least one of pricing information, demographic information, and geographic information.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein aggregating the collected data further comprises categorizing the collected data based on a characteristic associated with at least one of the collected data and the multiple transactions.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein aggregating the collected data further comprises normalizing the collected data.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein aggregating the collected data further comprises removing private information from the collected data.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein aggregating the collected data further comprises removing information from the collected data which could personally identify an individual.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein presenting, via the user interface, at least the portion of the aggregated data further comprises presenting a first portion of the collected data relating to the merchant and a second comparable aggregated portion of the aggregated data for comparison with the first portion.

9. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instruction which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

collecting data of multiple transactions in which non-issuers of gift cards, in a secondary market, sell the gift cards for at least one of cash, goods and services to yield collected data;

aggregating the collected data to yield aggregated data; and

presenting, via a user interface, at least a portion of the aggregated data to a merchant.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the collected data further comprises at least one of pricing information, demographic information, and geographic information.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium further stores instructions which result in the operations further comprising:

presenting at least the portion of the collected data by presenting a first portion of the collected data relating to the merchant and a second comparable aggregated portion of the collected data for comparison with the first portion.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

collecting data of multiple transactions in which non-issuers of gift cards, in a secondary market, sell the gift cards for at least one of cash, goods and services to yield collected data;

aggregating the collected data to yield aggregated data; and

presenting, via a user interface, at least a portion of the aggregated data to a merchant.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein aggregating the collected data further comprises categorizing the collected data based on a characteristic associated with at least one of the collected data and the multiple transactions.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein aggregating the collected data further comprises normalizing the data.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein aggregating the collected data further comprises removing private information from the collected data.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein aggregating the collected data further comprises removing information from the collected data which could personally identify an individual.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein presenting at least the portion of the aggregated data further comprises presenting a first portion of the collected data relating to the merchant and a second comparable aggregated portion of the aggregated data for comparison with the first portion.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 3, 2012
From: GIFTCARDS.COM LLC
To: GIFTCODES.COM, LLC
Reel/Frame 029069/0735 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 26, 2010
From: WOLFE, JASON; ROMANELLI, MARK; AKUT, SANJAY; KELLY, MIKE; KELLY, MARY JANE
To: GIFTCARDS.COM, LLC
Reel/Frame 023995/0041 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation In Part 12573060 · Oct 2, 2009
Related Publication 20110079644A1 · Apr 7, 2011