Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for enabling gift card recipients to redeem gift card amounts using existing payment accounts. A system identifies a giver and recipient of a gift card amount and associated accounts. A policy is established which governs how the gift card is redeemed, such as a specific merchant or item. When a purchase is made using an existing credit/debit card according to the policy, the system intercepts the purchase and causes the gift card amount to be applied from an account other than the recipient account. No special codes, separate physical gift cards, or printable coupons are necessary for redemption. The recipient makes purchases using their normal purchasing credit/debit card via a qualifying purchase according to the policy, and the gift card is applied automatically. The recipient credit/debit card becomes a combination of an open-looped card and a closed-loop card. Thus, no money is wasted or lost.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for enabling gift card recipients to redeem gift card amounts using existing payment accounts. A method identifies a giver and recipient of a gift card amount and associated accounts. A policy is established which governs how the gift card is redeemed, such as a specific merchant or item. A notification is sent to the recipient that hides a parameter of the policy. When the recipient takes an action associated with the parameter, the parameter is revealed to the recipient. The recipient makes purchases using their normal purchasing credit/debit card via a qualifying purchase according to the policy, and the gift card is applied automatically.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for creating a gift in one medium of exchange from stored value in another medium of exchange. The system accesses a first account representing stored value in a first medium of exchange, and chooses an amount of the stored value from the first medium of exchange. Then the system converts the amount of the stored value to a second medium of exchange to yield a converted amount, and gives the converted amount in the second medium of exchange to a recipient as a gift, wherein the gift is associated with a recipient account for the second medium of exchange, and wherein the gift is associated with a policy monitoring transactions made using the recipient account such that the converted amount is applied to a transaction satisfying conditions of the policy.

Abstract: A method is disclosed which blends the use of scannable codes such as a quick response (QR) codes and processing virtual gift cards. The system receives from a first device associated with a giver at a first time, a first visual scan of a code and data from a giver to identify a recipient and other parameters with a gift. The system receives from a second device associated with a recipient a second visual scan of the code. The system presents at least a second portion of data on the second device and then establishes a policy based on the data that causes the system to monitor purchases using the recipient payment account that existed prior to the first time for a qualifying purchase upon which the system applies the gift according to the policy.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for providing a buy option to search results in a generalized search engine. That one location for a search field can be a website, an application, a search bar in a web browser, etc. Rather than navigating to a website to perform a search in the context of that website, a user can instead navigate to or open a generalized search field. Via the generalized search field, the system can analyze the input from the user and the resulting context. A buy button can be included a search result to the user input in the input search field. Payment for an item can be processing using a payment account registered with the system with delivery coordinated with a separate merchant via an application programming interface.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for providing a buy option to search results in a generalized search engine. That one location for a search field can be a website, an application, a search bar in a web browser, etc. Rather than navigating to a website to perform a search in the context of that website, a user can instead navigate to or open a generalized search field. Via the generalized search field, the system can analyze the input from the user and the resulting context. A buy button can be included a search result to the user input in the input search field. Payment for an item can be processing using a payment account registered with the system with delivery coordinated with a separate merchant via an application programming interface.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for providing a buy option to search results. That one location for a search field can be a website, an application, a search bar in a web browser, etc. Rather than navigating to a website to perform a search in the context of that website, a user can instead navigate to or open a generalized search field. Via the generalized search field, the system can analyze the input from the user and the resulting context. A buy button can be included a search result to the user input in the input search field. Payment for an item can be processing using a payment account registered with the system with delivery coordinated from a separate merchant. This approach reduces the number of interactions, starting when the user opens a browser or application, to get to a purchase or a search result.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for processing a gift between users in a social network. A system configured to practice the method presents an object to a giver in a social networking site, wherein the object provides an option to give a gift to a recipient. If the giver selects to give the gift, the system receives a selection of the recipient and a policy associated with the gift, wherein the giver is associated with a giver account, the recipient is associated with a recipient account, and the giver account is independent of the recipient account. The system monitors transactions of the recipient using the recipient account to yield information, and, based on the information, if the recipient makes a qualifying transaction according to the policy, the system applies at least part of the gift to the recipient account.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage devices for unifying access to multiple websites or other information sources such that the user only needs to visit one location, and utilize one input search field. That one location can be a website, an application, a search bar in a web browser, etc. Rather than navigating to a website to perform a search in the context of that website, a user can instead navigate to or open a generalized search field. Via the generalized search field, the system can implicitly or explicitly process and analyze the input from the user and the resulting context. Thus, the user goes to the website second, after the search is entered. This approach reduces the number of interactions, starting when the user opens a browser or application, to get to a purchase or a search result.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage devices for unifying access to multiple websites or other information sources such that the user only needs to visit one location, and utilize one input search field. That one location can be a website, an application, a search bar in a web browser, etc. Rather than navigating to a website to perform a search in the context of that website, a user can instead navigate to or open a generalized search field. Via the generalized search field, the system can implicitly or explicitly process and analyze the input from the user and the resulting context. Thus, the user goes to the website second, after the search is entered. This approach reduces the number of interactions, starting when the user opens a browser or application, to get to a purchase or a search result.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for creating a gift in one medium of exchange from stored value in another medium of exchange. The system accesses a first account representing stored value in a first medium of exchange, and chooses an amount of the stored value from the first medium of exchange. Then the system converts the amount of the stored value to a second medium of exchange to yield a converted amount, and gives the converted amount in the second medium of exchange to a recipient as a gift, wherein the gift is associated with a recipient account for the second medium of exchange, and wherein the gift is associated with a policy monitoring transactions made using the recipient account such that the converted amount is applied to a transaction satisfying conditions of the policy.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for receiving data from a giver at a first time, the data being used to identify a merchant at which a gift from the giver to a recipient is redeemable. The system presents a group of merchants associated with the data to the giver, each merchant of the group of merchants offering a promotion in connection with the gift. The system receives from the giver a selection of a chosen merchant from the group of merchants, the chosen merchant having an associated promotion. The system then generates a policy comprising the gift, the chosen merchant, and the associated promotion such that upon receiving an indication of a triggering event caused by the recipient, the system can apply the gift and the associated promotion according to the policy.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for a gift tracker portal that provides an interface to view and manage a history of gift transactions, and provides an interface to give gifts. In this gift tracker interface, a user can view a history of gifts given and received, and can view the status of each individual gift. The system can import gift transactions from other sources, as well as include gift transactions processed by the system itself. The gift tracker system can receive gift transaction history data associated with a user, provide an interface for accessing the gift transaction history data, and receive, via the interface and on behalf of the user, a request associated with the gift transaction history data. Then the gift tracker system can respond to the request.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for splitting a transaction among multiple participants. A system configured to practice the method first receives, at a first time, from a payor an identification of a payee and a policy, the payee having a payee account that was registered with a service provider prior to the first time. The system monitors, after the first time, purchasing transactions of the payee using the payee account for a qualified purchase according to the policy, wherein the policy, as defined by the payor, excludes a defined item. When the payee makes the qualified purchase by purchasing an item other than the defined item at a second time, which is later than the first time, the system transfers an amount of money into the payee account to pay for at least part of the qualified purchase.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for creating a gift in one medium of exchange from stored value in another medium of exchange. The system accesses a first account representing stored value in a first medium of exchange, and chooses an amount of the stored value from the first medium of exchange. Then the system converts the amount of the stored value to a second medium of exchange to yield a converted amount, and gives the converted amount in the second medium of exchange to a recipient as a gift, wherein the gift is associated with a recipient account for the second medium of exchange, and wherein the gift is associated with a policy monitoring transactions made using the recipient account such that the converted amount is applied to a transaction satisfying conditions of the policy.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for providing a follow-up survey for purchases made at a merchant entity. A customer can make a purchase at a merchant entity, such as a restaurant, and a system can coordinate and store data about the customer using a purchasing account. When the customer visits a website or application associated with the merchant entity, the system can determine if an offer to take a survey exists for the customer. If an offer exists, the system can prompt the customer to take the survey to receive a discount on future purchases made at the merchant entity. Once the customer completes the survey, the system monitors future purchases by the customer and applies the discount appropriately the next time the customer uses the purchasing account at the merchant entity.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for processing gift transactions, related to retaining a social and gratitude-based experience surrounding giving and receiving gifts, monitoring gift recipients on-premises at merchants and providing gift-related notifications, and managing funds in a gift that the recipient does not redeem. A system configured to practice a first method receives an object associated with a gift, receives a tag associated with the object, and transmits the object to the giver. A system configured to practice a second example method uses face identification at the merchant to identify a recipient of a gift. The system can transmit a reminder to the recipient regarding the gift. In a third example method, the system creates a gift and notifies the recipient of the gift. If the recipient never redeems the gift, then the giver is not charged for the gift and no transaction occurs.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage devices for receiving an identification of a giver, a gift, an amount of money to pay for the gift, and a recipient of the gift at a first time. The system can associate a policy with the gift, and initiate, at the first time, a transfer of at least part of the amount of money to pay for the gift from the giver payment account to a holding account that is separate from the recipient payment account. The system can monitor, according to the policy, purchases of the recipient using the recipient payment account to yield purchasing information based on the purchasing information, and determine whether the recipient has made a qualifying purchase according to the policy. If so, the system can apply the amount of money to pay for the gift from the holding account to the recipient payment account.