Abstract: Portable Consumer Payment Devices (PCPDs), such as gift cards, can be bulk activated and thereby be made ready to use in a commercial transaction. The bulk activation is provided through a web service giving a user experience that includes an online interactive user interface that receives an order for PCPDs and a request to activate all PCPDs in the order. The respective accounts of the PCPDs in the order are funded upon activation and a fee is assessed for the activations. Thereafter, each activated PCPD can be used in a transaction with a merchant who submits the transaction to an acquirer for processing by a transaction handler who requests an issuer of the account of the PCPD to obtain payment for the transaction from the account corresponding to the PCPD.

Abstract: Consumer Payment Device (PCPD)s, such as gift cards, can be bulk activated and thereby be made ready to use in a commercial transaction. The bulk activation is provided through a web service giving a user experience that includes an online interactive user interface that receives an order for PCPDs and a request to activate all PCPDs in the order. The respective accounts of the PCPDs in the order are funded upon activation and a fee is assessed for the activations. Thereafter, each activated PCPD can be used in a transaction with a merchant who submits the transaction to an acquirer for processing by a transaction handler who requests an issuer of the account of the PCPD to obtain payment for the transaction from the account corresponding to the PCPD.