Abstract: A first person can give a gift by using a mobile phone or other communications device to access a central computing system to which a gift and a second person (the intended recipient of the gift) can be identified by the first person. Thereafter, the central computing system transmits a unique code to the mobile phone or other communications device of the second person. The code can then be given by the second person, verbally or by transmission or display by his/her mobile phone, to a retailer of the gift. Upon validation by the retailer, such as by communication between the retailer's point-of-sale system and the central computing system, the retailer provides the gift identified by the first person.