IP Library Granted Patent US 9,299,096
Granted Patent B2
US 9,299,096 · App. 13/428,894 · Granted Mar 29, 2016

Systems, methods, and computer program products for on-line gifting

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,299,096
App. No.
13/428,894
Granted
Mar 29, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method includes receiving an identification of a first item to be purchased, entering the first item into an electronic shopping cart facilitating an on-line transaction, providing a method of payment for a value of the first item to the shopping cart, and sending the value of the first item and a description of the item to a recipient with at least the following electronic options from which the recipient may choose: accepting the first item with payment made and modifying the transaction in accordance with the value of the first item.

Claims (63)

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a server, an identification of a first item to be purchased entered into a first electronic shopping cart that facilitates an on-line transaction of a first merchant at which the first item was identified;

parsing, by the server, code of a page displaying the first electronic shopping cart to perform a screen scrape of a device associated with a giver of the first item;

transferring, from the server, information from the parsed code to an e-commerce provider to search for the first item at a second merchant different than the first merchant;

entering, by the server, the first item into a second universal electronic shopping chart maintained by the server in response to locating the first item at the second merchant;

receiving, at the server, a method of payment for a value of the first item to the second shopping cart; and

sending, from the server, the value of the first item and a description of the first item to a recipient with at least a plurality of electronic options from which the recipient may choose comprising:

accepting the first item with payment made; and

modifying the transaction in accordance with the value of the first item.

2. The method of claim 1 , in which the option of modifying the transaction comprises at least one of:

configuring a characteristic of the first item;

selecting a second item instead of the first item; and

selecting a cash value of the first item.

3. The method of claim 2 , in which selecting a cash value of the item includes at least one of:

selecting a gift card from a merchant from which the first item was identified; and

putting the cash value on a prepaid card that is not limited to the merchant from which the first item was identified.

4. The method of claim 2 , in which selecting a cash value of the item includes selecting a cash credit into an electronic wallet of the recipient.

5. The method of claim 1 , in which the device associated with the giver of the first item comprises a handheld communication device, the receiving an identification of the first item further comprising:

receiving product information from a scan of a code on a physical item at a brick and mortar store from an application on the handheld communication device.

6. The method of claim 5 , in which the handheld communication device includes at least one of:

a user's personal device; and

a scanning device associated with the brick and mortar store.

7. The method of claim 1 , in which the giver of the first item and the recipient are both associated with a service providing a respective electronic payment account to each, further in which the second electronic shopping cart, as seen by the recipient, is provided by the service.

8. The method of claim 1 , in which sending a description of the first item and the value of the first item comprises:

identifying, by the server in correspondence with the second merchant, the recipient as a member of a loyalty program of the second merchant.

9. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium tangibly recording executable computer program logic for facilitating electronic gifting by a payment service provider, the computer program product comprising:

code to receive an identification of a first item available for purchase from a first e-commerce resource and entered into a first electronic shopping cart of the first e-commerce resource that is separate from the payment service provider;

code to parse an electronic page displaying the first electronic shopping cart to perform a screen scrape of a device associated with a giver of the first item;

code to transfer information from the parsed code of the electronic page to a second e-commerce resource different from the first e-commerce resource and the payment service provider;

code to enter the first item into a second universal electronic shopping cart maintained by the payment service provider in response to locating the first item at the second e-commerce resource;

code to receive a method of payment for the first item to cover at least a value of the first item; and

code to send a description of the first item and at least a value of the first item covered by the method of payment to a recipient with a plurality of electronic options comprising:

accept delivery of the first item;

decline the first item and use at least the value of the first item for a second item; and

decline the first item and receive a cash value for at least the value of the first item.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 , further comprising:

code to process input from the recipient choosing one of the electronic options.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 , further comprising:

code to transfer the cash value to an account at a payment service; and

code to transfer the cash value to a gift card.

12. The computer program product of claim 9 , further comprising:

code to send a notice to the recipient that the value has been sent.

13. The computer program product of claim 9 , further comprising:

code to send a notice to the giver of the first item that the recipient has accepted the first item.

14. The computer program product of claim 9 , further comprising:

code to withhold processing of payment with the second e-commerce resource prior to the recipient choosing from among the electronic options.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 , further comprising:

code to process the payment with the second e-commerce resource in response to the recipient choosing to accept delivery of the first item.

16. A computer system comprising:

a network interface configured to receive an identification of a first item to be purchased, the first item being entered into a first electronic shopping cart that facilitates an on-line transaction of a first e-commerce resource, and transmit a second electronic shopping cart to a recipient;

a memory module configured to store instructions as part of a program module; and

a processor configured to execute the program module, the program module configured to:

parse an electronic page displaying the first electronic shopping cart to perform a screen scrape of a device associated with a giver of the first item;

transfer information from the parsed code of the electronic page to a second e-commerce resource different from the first e-commerce resource;

enter the first item into the second electronic shopping cart in response to locating the first item at the second e-commerce resource;

receive a method of payment for the first item to cover at least a value of the first item;

populate the second electronic shopping cart with the first item paid for and with a plurality of options: i) accept the first item, and ii) decline the first item and use at least the value of the first item for something else; and

utilize, as an address of the recipient, address information obtained from a contact list of an electronic device associated with the giver.

17. The computer system of claim 16 , wherein the computing device comprises a server of a payment service provider.

18. The computer system of claim 16 , wherein the program module is further configured to:

withhold processing of payment with the second e-commerce resource prior to the recipient choosing from among the plurality of options.

19. The computer system of claim 18 , wherein the program module is further configured to:

process the payment with the second e-commerce resource in response to the recipient choosing to accept the first item.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 23, 2015
From: EBAY INC.
To: PAYPAL, INC.
Reel/Frame 036169/0798 →