Redeemable gift message
A method for enabling redeemable gift messages to be ordered and sent comprises presenting a webpage for customer orders by means of a server. After receiving a response from a customer that a redeemable gift message has been selected, the server presents information on a webpage to the customer to enable the customer to order a redeemable gift message. After receiving a redeemable gift message order from the customer, the server sends a redeemable gift message or an invitation to accept or reject the message to a recipient designated by the customer. A system for implementing the above method comprises a storage that stores at least one order form; and a processor that presents a webpage for customer orders, the at least one order form from the storage, and sends a redeemable gift message or an invitation to accept or reject the message to a recipient designated by a customer according to information on the customer order form. The gift may be a cookie or cookies.
1. A method for enabling gift transactions with cookies, comprising:
receiving a cookie gift order from a customer through an Internet-connected computing device, the cookie gift order specifying an electronic delivery address associated with a recipient, and a number of ordered cookies;
at a processor, transmitting a redeemable cookie invitation to the electronic delivery address, the redeemable cookie invitation comprising a prompt to accept the cookie gift order;
billing the customer according to the number of ordered cookies;
at a processor, in response to acceptance of the cookie gift order through the redeemable cookie invitation, transmitting a cookie code to the electronic delivery address, the cookie code redeemable at a cookie merchant for the number of ordered cookies;
in response to redemption of the cookie code at the cookie merchant at a first time for a first number of cookies less than the number of ordered cookies, decrementing a number of cookies redeemable at the cookie merchant with the cookie code by the first number of cookies;
notifying the customer of redemption of the cookie code for the first number of cookies; and
in response to redemption of the cookie code at the cookie merchant at a second time for a second number of cookies, decrementing the number of cookies redeemable at the cookie merchant with the cookie code by the second number of cookies.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising decrementing a cookie inventory record of the cookie merchant according to redemption of the cookie code for a particular cookie.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein decrementing the cookie inventory record comprises decrementing the cookie inventory record according to a flavor of the particular cookie.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the cookie gift order from the customer comprises receiving an electronic delivery address associated with the customer, wherein notifying the customer of redemption of the cookie code for the first number of cookies comprises transmitting a notification to the electronic delivery address associated with the customer.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the cookie gift order from the customer comprises receiving a note from the customer, and wherein transmitting the redeemable cookie invitation to the electronic delivery address comprises transmitting the note to the electronic delivery address.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the cookie gift order from the customer comprises receiving a name of the recipient and an email address of the recipient, and wherein transmitting the redeemable cookie invitation to the electronic delivery address comprises transmitting the redeemable cookie invitation to the email address of the recipient.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving an electronic payment option from the customer, wherein billing the customer according to the number of ordered cookies comprises charging the electronic payment option in response to acceptance of the cookie gift order through the redeemable cookie invitation by the recipient.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising withholding a charge to the electronic payment option in response to rejection of the cookie gift order through the redeemable cookie invitation.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising notifying the customer, through the Internet-connected computing device, of acceptance of the cookie gift order.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the cookie gift order from the customer comprises receiving details of the cookie gift order through a webpage form displayed on the Internet-connected computing device.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving the cookie code, from the cookie merchant, over a computer network in response to initiation of a transaction between the recipient and the merchant with the cookie code.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising transmitting, to the cookie merchant, a balance of cookies redeemable at the cookie merchant with the cookie code.
13. A method for enabling gift transactions with cookies, comprising:
receiving a cookie gift order from a customer through an Internet-connected computing device, the cookie gift order specifying an electronic delivery address associated with a recipient, and a number of ordered cookies;
at a processor, transmitting a redeemable cookie invitation to the electronic delivery address, the redeemable cookie invitation comprising a prompt to accept the cookie gift order;
billing the customer according to the number of ordered cookies;
at a processor, in response to acceptance of the cookie gift order through the redeemable cookie invitation, transmitting a cookie code to the electronic delivery address, the cookie code redeemable at a cookie merchant for the number of ordered cookies;
in response to redemption of the cookie code at the cookie merchant at a first time for a first number of cookies less than the number of ordered cookies, decrementing a number of cookies redeemable at the cookie merchant with the cookie code by the first number of cookies; and
in response to redemption of the cookie code at the cookie merchant at a second time for a second number of cookies, decrementing the number of cookies redeemable at the cookie merchant with the cookie code by the second number of cookies.