Abstract: One variation of the first method includes: receiving a first gift order from a first sender through a social networking system, the first gift order specifying a recipient, a first merchant, and a first monetary value redeemable through the first merchant; issuing a tangible gift card to the recipient, the gift card linked to a gift account, of the recipient, within the social networking system; receiving a second gift order from a second sender through the social networking system, the second gift order specifying the recipient, a second merchant, and a second monetary value redeemable through the second merchant; linking the first and second monetary values to the gift account; and, in response to a first purchase from the first merchant with the gift card, publishing a detail of the first purchase to a feed within the social networking system in accordance with a privacy setting of the recipient.

Abstract: One variation of a method for calculating advertisement effectiveness includes: posting an advertisement for a product to a social feed within a social networking system; tracking a view of the advertisement by a user; determining a proximity of the user to a store of a merchant; in accordance with a privacy setting of the user, selecting personal data of the user from data stored in the social networking system, the personal data including an identity of the user and an interest of the user; in response to the determined proximity of the user to the store, transmitting the selected personal data to the store; and, in response to a transaction between the user and the store, assessing an effectiveness of the advertisement according to a determined correlation between the transaction and the view of the advertisement by the user.

Abstract: Exemplary methods and systems for dynamically processing payment authorization requests for gift card purchases. An exemplary method includes maintaining information associated with a gift card, receiving a payment authorization request for the gift card from a particular merchant, detecting a trigger associated with the received payment authorization request, and sending, based on the detected trigger, a response to the payment authorization request. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

Abstract: One variation of a method for calculating advertisement effectiveness includes: posting an advertisement for a product to a social feed within a social networking system; tracking a view of the advertisement by a user; determining a proximity of the user to a store of a merchant; in accordance with a privacy setting of the user, selecting personal data of the user from data stored in the social networking system, the personal data including an identity of the user and an interest of the user; in response to the determined proximity of the user to the store, transmitting the selected personal data to the store; and, in response to a transaction between the user and the store, assessing an effectiveness of the advertisement according to a determined correlation between the transaction and the view of the advertisement by the user.

Abstract: One variation of the first method includes: receiving a first gift order from a first sender through a social networking system, the first gift order specifying a recipient, a first merchant, and a first monetary value redeemable through the first merchant; issuing a tangible gift card to the recipient, the gift card linked to a gift account, of the recipient, within the social networking system; receiving a second gift order from a second sender through the social networking system, the second gift order specifying the recipient, a second merchant, and a second monetary value redeemable through the second merchant; linking the first and second monetary values to the gift account; and, in response to a first purchase from the first merchant with the gift card, publishing a detail of the first purchase to a feed within the social networking system in accordance with a privacy setting of the recipient.