Patent Grant
10846684
The present invention relates generally to gift cards and more particularly to purchasing vendor specific gift cards and exchanging unused gift cards at a kiosk.
Gift cards can be perceived as a quintessential cop-out gift, pegging the gift-giver as lazy or impersonal. While that may be true of the preloaded value cards that big chain stores put out and that can be found in virtually every drugstore now, small businesses have the advantage of developing gift card offerings that are good for more than just cash on a card. However, current gift card offerings do not provide a convenient method to purchase the gift card except to physically visit the store.
A fixed-money amount for a gift card limits the gift giver in what they are able to spend. Typically people have long holiday gifts lists and a budget for how much they want to spend on each person, but they will be more likely to spend $150 if they know, for example, that they are buying someone a deluxe spa package. However, most gift cards available in stores have a logo or print with the face value of the card. Therefore, there is a need for a customizable gift card available to customers at a convenient location.
Often times, the people who are buying gift cards are not the regular customers. So if they don't know anything about the business, then they are not going to know how much to spend. Providing customers with the opportunity to purchase different types of packages helps them feel like they are providing a more personalized gift. Therefore, there is a need for providing customizable and personalized gift card options to consumers.
Convenience plays a big role in the purchasing of gift cards during the holidays. While not everyone buys their gifts online, most people will at some point be browsing the web for gift ideas during these final weeks, and the more they come across your website while shopping, the better. Anyone can easily go to the big box stores for the standard gift offerings, but most people would rather give a gift that is local to the recipient and shows that they put some thought into the purchase.
Customers enjoy the sheer convenience of sending the certificate in an email with a personalized message, or if they are seeing the person they can print out the certificate and hand it to them. Either way, there is an element of personalization to it because you can write your own message and choose the background for the certificate. Therefore, there is a need for a personalizing gift cards at a local convenience or retail store kiosk.
Some recipients of gift cards do not necessarily use the cards due to several reasons. Currently, there are no systems to redeem unused gift cards for cash, reduced value gift cards, rewards points, automatic bank debit, or an eCode for applying to online purchases.
The prior art as detailed above suffers from the following deficiencies:
While some of the prior art may teach some solutions to several of these problems, the core issue of purchasing gift cards at a kiosk has not been addressed by prior art.
Accordingly, the objectives of the present invention are (among others) to circumvent the deficiencies in the prior art and affect the following objectives:
While these objectives should not be understood to limit the teachings of the present invention, in general these objectives are achieved in part or in whole by the disclosed invention that is discussed in the following sections. One skilled in the art will no doubt be able to select aspects of the present invention as disclosed to affect any combination of the objectives described above.
The present invention in various embodiments addresses one or more of the above objectives in the following manner. The present invention provides a kiosk gift card system for purchasing gift cards at a kiosk. The system includes a gift card distribution kiosk located at a retail establishment that provides a user with access to a multitude of different forms of gift cards that may be purchased and printed onto a customizable card with a personalized message. The kiosk includes a kiosk processor interface, a gift card dispenser, a card reader, and gift card management server connected to a network. The gift card management server, through the kiosk processor interface, provides vendor options to users to select and pay via the card reader. In another embodiment, the kiosk is used to redeem unused user gift cards for a reduced value user selected gift card, reduced cash value, full value store card, rewards points, bank debit, and/or electronic code user towards online purchases.
The present invention system may be utilized in the context of an overall kiosk gift card purchase method, wherein the kiosk gift card system as described previously is controlled by a method having the following steps:
Integration of this and other preferred exemplary embodiment methods in conjunction with a variety of preferred exemplary embodiment systems described herein in anticipation by the overall scope of the present invention.
For a fuller understanding of the advantages provided by the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description together with the accompanying drawings wherein:
While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detailed preferred embodiments of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the embodiment illustrated.
The numerous innovative teachings of the present application will be described with particular reference to the presently preferred embodiment, wherein these innovative teachings are advantageously applied to the particular problems of a gift card system and method. However, it should be understood that this embodiment is only one example of the many advantageous uses of the innovative teachings herein. In general, statements made in the specification of the present application do not necessarily limit any of the various claimed inventions. Moreover, some statements may apply to some inventive features but not to others.
The present invention may be seen in more detail as generally illustrated in
According to a preferred exemplary embodiment, a user may purchase a gift card at kiosk with the kiosk processor interface. The gift card may be customized to add a fixed value and also personalized to add a personal message or image on the card. A user may request a gift card for a specific vendor, for example Starbucks, and add a fixed amount, for example $90. In other embodiments, the gift card may be configured with a variable amount, and can thus be reloaded, as needed, with any particular amount. In addition, the vendor may not necessarily by limited to a particular merchant/retailer, but is instead one that provides gift cards that may be used at multiple retail locations, such as a VISA® or MasterCard® gift card.
Furthermore, the user may include a personalized message such as “Happy Holidays” or any other customized private message, as discussed herein, on the card. Additionally, the user may personalize the font, design, color, size, and position of the personalized message. In some embodiments, the personalized message may be audio and/or video messages recorded by the purchaser at the kiosk used to purchase the gift card. Such embodiments would allow a purchaser to record an audio/video message that would then accompany the gift card (or gift card eCode, etc.) such that when the receiver of the gift card obtains it, they would see/hear the personalized message recorded by the purchaser. Such playback could be played from the kiosk at, and during the time, which the receiver obtains the gift card, providing for a very personalized and special experience while receiving a gift card. Similarly, when the gift card is provided as an eCode or other form of payment vehicle, the personalized recorded message could accompany the receipt of the eCode, etc., either at the kiosk visited by the receiver or even via the message by which the receiver receives the eCode or other form of payment vehicle, such as an email or a mobile message (away from a kiosk), an NFC transfer to the receiver's device or any other means by which the receiver receives the gift card code, etc. either physically or via a device of the receiver.
The kiosk processor interface (KPI) (0105) receives a purchase request from the user (0101) and forwards the request to a gift card management server (GMS) (0102). The GMS (0102) may then connect with the vendor of interest and receive a confirmation to print or reload the gift card. The GMS (0102) may then instruct a printer to print the gift card and dispense the gift card via the gift card dispenser (0111) after an amount has been paid with a card reader and a payment module. After a transaction is complete, the user may request real time support through a live interface portal (0106) such as a camera or an online chat on the KPI (0105). The user may also seek live support during the gift card transaction with the live interface portal (0106). The LIP (0106) may further communicate with a customer support center through (0103) a network and gift card management server (0102).
The present invention may be seen in more detail as generally illustrated in
The system comprises a kiosk (0210) with a kiosk processor interface (KPI) (0211) that communicates with a gift card management server (0230). The GMS (0230) may be physically connected directly to the kiosk (0210). The GMS (0230) may be remotely located that may be accessible via the network (0240). An administrator may remotely monitor GMS (0230) via the network (0240). The network may be wired and may use protocols such as Ethernet. The network may be wireless and may use protocols such as 4G, LTE, and/or Bluetooth.
The KPI (0211) is configured for enabling users to interact with GMS (0230). The GMS (0230) may further comprise a microprocessor executing instructions read from a computer-readable medium (0231) and a graphical user interface (GUI) with a pointing device. An administrator may open a GUI and select vendor database (0232) for updating records. A more detailed view of GUI may be seen in
The kiosk further comprises a Kiosk Card Stacker (0213) that maintains an inventory of blank cards equipped with or without a NFC device. The NFC device in a card may be enabled to communicate wirelessly with a NFC reader installed in a mobile computing device such as a smart phone or other NFC reader equipped devices. The blank cards may be configured to be in different sizes so as to enable users to choose a size. A Kiosk card printer (0214) may be connected physically to the Kiosk Card Stacker (0213). The Kiosk Card Stacker (0213) may automatically feed a blank card to the printer when it receives a print request. The print request may include information pertaining to the card size, personalized message, color, logo, value, and/or NFC chip.
The kiosk processor interface (KPI) (0211) may receive a purchase/exchange request from a user (0201) which subsequently forwards the request to a gift card management server (GMS) (0230). The GMS (230) may then search the vendor database (0232) to check if the vendor exists on the database. If so, the GMS (0230) may connect with the vendor of interest via vendor management server (VMS) (0250) via network (0240) and receive a confirmation to print the gift card. The user may pay with a credit card or debit card for the requested amount with a card reader (0217). The user may also choose to pay in cash. The card reader may communicate via network (0240) with a payment server (0260) that authenticates the payment and sends a confirmation for the payment. The GMS (0230) may then instruct a printer (0214) to print the gift card and dispense the gift card via the gift card dispenser (0215). According to an exemplary embodiment, gift card manufacturing on demand (MOD) with a gift card kiosk enables a consumer to print a gift card on as needed basis.
The kiosk may also comprise a Near Field Communication (NFC) device (0212). The communication (NFC) is a standards-based short-range wireless connectivity technology that makes life easier and more convenient for consumers by making it simpler to make transactions, exchange digital content, and connect electronic devices with a touch. The user may use a mobile computing device (0202) equipped with a NFC reader to establish a NFC connection with the kiosk (0210). According to a preferred exemplary embodiment, the user (0201) may use the NFC device (0202) to pay for a gift card. The user may also receive a confirmation to the device (0202).
The kiosk (0210) may also be communicating via network (0240) with an advertisement server ADS (0270) that is configured to display advertisements on the kiosk processor interface (0211). According to a preferred exemplary embodiment, the kiosk is enabled to target advertisements to the user through the advertising server (0270), and such advertisements may even be demographically based.
The kiosk (0210) may also use a card collector (0216) to gather unused gift cards that may be redeemed or exchanged for like kind gift cards or cash as described below in one of several methods. The unused cards may be recycled or reused for customized gift cards.
According to preferred exemplary embodiment, the kiosk in the retail establishment may be integrated into the retail network server (0280) to provide retailer specific value offers and discounts. For example, if the kiosk is located in Walmart, advertisements and offers related to Walmart may be displayed on the KPI (0211). Value Offers may also be presented to the user on a mobile computing device (MCD) (0202). The consumer may use the Value offers at check out with the MCD (0202) or print a paper copy at the kiosk.
Vendor Database (0232)
As illustrated below in Table 1.0, the vendor database (VBD) (0232) may further comprise vendor related information such as “Vendor Name”, “Vendor ID”, “Credit Limit”, “Address” and “Gift Card Serial Number”. The VDB (0232) may communicate with GMS (0230) or through a wired or wireless network. When a consumer requests a gift card, the KPI (0211) may process and forward the request to the GMS (0230). The GMS (0230) may determine the vendor from the request and issue a gift card with a serial number from the VDB (0232). If the requested gift card amount exceeds the Credit Limit for the vendor, the GMS (0230) may forward the request to a vendor management server (0250). The VMS (0250) may further communicate with the user requested vendor with the Address, for authorization upon which a customized gift card may be printed and dispensed to the requesting consumer.
Consumer Database (0233)
As illustrated below in Table 2.0, the consumer database (CBD) (0233) may further comprise consumer related information such as “Consumer Name”, “Consumer ID”, “Credit Check”, “Consumer Contact information”, and “Consumer History”. A single entry for example may contain information about a consumer 1 with a consumer ID 123-56-789 who has been credit checked. The CDB (0233) may also maintain consumer history and past purchases. For example, Consumer 1 may have purchased a Vendor 1 and Vendor 3 gift card. The consumer history, as well as demographics based on any collected consumer demographic information, may be analyzed further for presenting specific advertisements to consumers with an advertising server ADS (0270). It should be appreciated by anyone skilled in the art that the database may be maintained and stored in standard SQL or any industry DBMS standard.
Consumer Personalization
According to a preferred exemplary embodiment, consumer personalization may be used to provide specific customer history with real time evaluation and supported purchases. For example, from the aforementioned table 2.0, consumer 2 may be evaluated in real time based on past purchase history such as Vendor 3 and Vendor 4. The consumer 3 may be presented with an advertisement for Vendor 3 or Vendor 4 after identifying the consumer with the CDB (0233) and consumer ID.
Consumer History Macro (Total) & Micro (by Card)
According to a preferred exemplary embodiment, the CDB (0233) may also provide Macro reports for total customer specific history in a particular category. For example, a consumer's past history from the CDB (0233) may indicate purchases in a drug store and the specific information may be used to present drug store related advertisements or drug store related gift cards.
Similarly, the CDB (0233) may also provide Micro reports for specific customer history with a genre or historical favorites. For example, a consumer's past history or historical favorites may be analyzed and determined that a consumer is interested in sports. A history of all transactions on a particular card may also be analyzed and
Consumer Card Balances
According to a preferred exemplary embodiment, a consumer may use the KPI (0211) and obtain real time balance on a gift card directly or with a NFC device (0202). A consumer (0201) may insert a gift card into card reader (0217) in the kiosk (0200). The card reader (0202) may then determine the vendor ID based on the gift card information. The GMS (0230) may then query the vendor database (0232) with the Vendor ID and receive a vendor address which may be used to login into a vendor management server (VMS) (0250). The VMS (0250) may then respond to the GMS (0230) with a gift card balance that may be presented to the consumer (0201) on the interface (0211). The gift card balance may also be wirelessly transmitted to the consumer's mobile device (0202) with the NFC reader (0212).
Consumer Direct Marketing
According to a preferred exemplary embodiment, the retailer system/kiosk interface provides customer specific advertising micro marketing material with the Advertising server (ADS) (0270). For example, when a consumer interfaces with the KPI (0211), the consumer may be identified with a consumer ID and the CDB (0233). The GMS (0230) may use the consumer information and forward it to an advertisement server ADS (0270) that is configured to serve advertisements. The ADS (0270) may serve advertisements directly to the consumer based on the consumers past purchase history, as well as collected or determined consumer demographics, while the customer is waiting for a transaction. Proximity marketing applications may be employed to target user mobile phones using beaconing connectivity technology as part of the hardware component matrix. In such embodiments, users may have a mobile application affiliated with the kiosk, or even with retailers/merchants available through the kiosk, for provide such targeted advertisements. Additionally, push advertisements may be transmitted directly to the consumer for promotions, coupons and product information. Retailer/merchant- and application-friendly integration may be provided at disclosed kiosks. Similarly, micro marketed promotions and discounts based on historical purchases or viewing may also be provided to a consumer.
Consumer Fraud Alerts
According to a preferred exemplary embodiment, the system/kiosk may provide “push” communication in the event of any issues with account usage or unauthorized access. When a user interfaces with KPI (0211), the consumer may be identified and if there is a history of misusage in the consumer's history, an alert may be communicated to the retail establishment. The alert may be transmitted with the network (0240) or an alarm may be sounded to notify concerned officials.
Consumer Customer Services
According to a preferred exemplary embodiment, the kiosk may provide connectivity with a “live” communication for post purchase, post issue follow up with a live interface portal (LIP) (0218). The LIP (0218) may be an audio device such as a microphone or a video device such as a camera. The LIP (0218) may enable a consumer (0201) to communicate with a live customer support (0290) via GMS (0230) and network (0240). Alternately, a consumer may perform an online chat on the KPI (0211) with a touch screen or typing with a keyboard. The consumer may also request support before a transaction, during a transaction, or after a transaction.
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Another embodiment of the disclosed systems and methods may be the creating or reloading of a gift card that may be used at any of a number of retailers. Such “anywhere” gift cards may be created for use anywhere the user desires, making them gift “wildcards” so to speak. For example, such gift “wildcards” may be based on the VISA® or MasterCard® network, and thus useable anywhere VISA or MasterCard is accepted. In other embodiments, the gift “wildcard” may be created for use at multiple distinct vendors, rather than simply a single vendor. However, such anywhere use gift card created in accordance with the disclosed principles could not only be customized and/or personalized as discussed herein, but also paid for at one kiosk location but printed/created (or reloaded in the case of a previously purchased gift card) at a second location. Such embodiments provide much more versatility in the receiver's use of the gift card, making them especially beneficial when the gift card is received by a user geographically distinct from the purchaser, such as a student away at school. Moreover, such a anywhere-use “gift wildcard” is advantageous since it may be used at any of a number of merchants/retailers, and may be obtained from a kiosk as disclosed herein in exchange for a consolidation/exchange of previously purchased merchant-specific gift or store credit cards.
Another embodiment of the disclosed systems and methods may be the creating or reloading of a restricted or limited use gift card. Such restricted or limited use gift cards could be similar to the anywhere use gift cards discussed above in that they may be used at any of a number of vendors; however, that may be created with limits that prevent their use at certain vendors or for certain types of products or services. For example, a gift card could be created for use at any vendor except for liquor stores, adult-themed stores, tobacco shops, drug dispensaries or other types of vendors of goods or services where the purchaser of the limited use gift card does not want the receiver to use the card. Such an embodiment is particularly suited for families, where parents provide such a limited use gift card to their children, but having limits on where they may be used. Similarly, the limited use gift card may be created such that it may only be used at certain type of vendors, such as bookstores, gas stations, and office supply stores. Such limited use gift cards would be desirable if the receiver is a student and the purchaser would like to limit the student's use of the gift card to school-related purchases.
In still other embodiments, the gift card could be limited so that it excludes the purchase of certain types of products. Most if not all products today are packaged with a skew or other type of identifying number, which assists retailers in tracking inventory as well as other uses. Limited use gift cards as disclosed herein could be created such that they may be used at any retailer, but could not be used to purchase certain items. For example, the gift card could be created such that the receiver of such a limited use gift card could purchase almost any item at a grocery store, except for alcohol and/or tobacco products. In other embodiments, the purchase amounts may be limited such that only purchases below a certain maximum amount may be made with the gift card in an effort to curtail overspending. Such limitations on the retailers, spending limits, and/or products that may be purchased with the limited use gift card allows the disclosed gift card to be ideal for use as a “family gift card,” where parents can provide their children any amount of funds via the gift card for use at a variety of retailers, but still place limits on its use at certain retailers and/or for purchasing certain goods or services, and only up a maximum amount per transaction. Such embodiments are a more desirable alternative to simply providing their children cash or even a credit card for their exclusive use in that protection against certain types of spending are still in place.
Limiting the use of a gift card as disclosed herein at particular merchants, or preventing use at particular merchants, may be done by interacting with the data collected and transmitted by the payment terminal at a merchant when purchases using cards or other payment vehicles are made. Conventionally, the payment terminals capture payment information from the purchaser from the card or other payment vehicle used with the payment terminal. That information, along with merchant identification information, is then transmitted to a payment processor from the terminal via a communications network. The merchant identification information could be used to identify at what merchant the disclosed gift card is being used, and then permit or prevent the payment processing to be completed. Similarly, payment terminals may be configured to capture skew or other product identifying data, along with the purchasing information, during a financial transaction. That product identification data may be used to allow or prevent certain goods from being purchased with the disclosed gift card right at the payment terminal and in real-time with the transaction by the user of the gift card. Other types of technologies may also be implemented with the disclosed limited use gift card to accomplish the same goals.
Even gift cards with geographical limits could be created using kiosks according to the disclosed principles. For example, a limited use gift card could be coded so that it may only be used at a retailer within a certain Zip code or other geographical boundary. In some embodiments, the gift card could be created with NFC technology, such as an embedded NFC chip, so that it may only be used when in proximity to the user's mobile telephone. The locations services on the phone could then be employed to ensure the limited use gift card is only being used with a particular geographic location, which can even include limitation to a particular retailer, etc. based on their geographic location. In other embodiments, the merchant identification information provided by the payment terminal as discussed above may be used to identify not only the merchant, but the merchant's location, especially in embodiments where a particular merchant has numerous locations. As before, the intercepting of that information from the payment terminal allows for placing real-time geographic restrictions on the purchases made using a limited use gift card as disclosed herein.
Still further, the limitations and restrictions that may be placed on a limited use gift card as disclosed herein may also be changeable by the purchaser or the user, perhaps with a predetermined access code, via a kiosk, if desired. The receiver of the limited use gift card, if given the capability, could simply visit their local kiosk with the gift card in order to modify the limitations place on their family gift card by the purchaser. Moreover, such access and modifications may be made via a website associated with the vendor of the gift card, if such capabilities have been established.
Another embodiment of the disclosed systems and methods may be the creating or reloading of “limited edition” or “collector edition” gift cards. Such embodiments may provide for the creation of a limited number or run of such collector/limited edition gift cards. In this context, a limited run of gift cards would be only a predetermined number of gift cards being created with a given image and/or text. Thus, the purchaser would be purchasing, for example, 1 of only 500 cards available with such a certain theme. Exemplary limited edition gift cards could include gift cards having images of or otherwise related to movies, TV shows, and musical bands. Similarly, the limited edition gift cards could include images or other items related to specific persons/celebrities or items related to specific movies, TV shows or musical acts. Of course, other types of limited edition gift cards are also envisioned, and no limitation to just TV, movies or bands is intended.
Another embodiment of the disclosed systems and methods may be the creating of greeting cards being purchased or created at the kiosk by the purchaser. Such greeting cards could be premade greeting cards and selected via the kiosk, or may be customized by the purchaser using the kiosk as disclosed herein. Such greeting cards may be selected/designed alone by the purchaser via the kiosk and sent to a receiver via a second (or the same) kiosk, or may be transmitted to the receiver using any type of technique, such as email, messaging, and even the printing and mailing of a physical card (for example, using an affiliate associated with the kiosk) if that option is selected by the purchaser via the kiosk. Additionally, such optional greeting cards may be purchased and provided to a receiver along with a gift card that is purchased and provided as disclosed herein.
Another embodiment of the disclosed systems and methods may be the purchasing of tickets for certain events via the kiosk. Such tickets may be for the purchaser employing the kiosk, or may be provided to an intended receiver as disclosed herein. As such, purchased tickets may be provided via a gift card, or may be provided via a traditional printed ticket. Tickets may also be provided by eCode or “eTicket”, where the ticket is provided digitally. These may be provided in any of a number of ways, such as an emailed eCode or other type of code (e.g., barcode, QR code, etc.), a messaged code, or even NFC transfer to a mobile device (of either the purchaser or the receiver of the ticket). Tickets purchased via a disclosed kiosk may include encoded tickets for events such as concerts, plays, and sporting events.
Another embodiment of the disclosed systems and methods may be the purchasing gifts in the form of gift cards or eCodes (or any other type of code) for downloading or streaming movies, shows, video games, or music. In exemplary embodiments, movies and video games may be selected by title, while music may be selected by musical artist/group name, album name or even track names. Such streaming cards or codes may be selected by the purchaser via the kiosk and sent to a receiver via a second (or the same) kiosk, or as before may be transmitted to the receiver using any type of technique, such as email, messaging, and even the printing and mailing of a physical card. Physical gift cards could include a code (e.g., bar code, QR code, etc.) for direct streaming of media content to the receiver's mobile phone or other device, computer, tablet, media streaming box, DVR, etc. Moreover, for physical streaming cards may also be purchased as limited edition cards, as discussed above, where the purchased item(s) may correspond to the imagery on the limited edition card.
In other advantageous embodiments in accordance with the disclosed principles, kiosks as disclosed herein may be employed for the bulk purchasing and printing of gift cards. Bulk purchasing herein refers to the purchase of three or more cards using a single transaction, but more practically includes the purchase of ten or more cards in a single transaction. In many instances, however, the bulk purchase may include upwards of dozens or even hundreds of cards in single transaction. Such bulk purchased gift cards may be printed at a remote printer physically separated from the kiosk through which the bulk purchase is made. Physically separated herein refers to a printing device that is not next to or in close proximity (i.e., within arm's length) of the kiosk used to create and order the bulk gift cards. Such bulk purchases are time consuming when conventionally made at a retail establishment, as the clerk is typically required to enter and encode each gift card of the bulk purchase individually. This tedious situation is exacerbated when multiple varieties/amounts of gift cards are bulk-purchased. Moreover, in addition to the time required to bulk produce and print a large number of gift cards for one transaction, completing a large bulk transaction exclusively on a single kiosk as disclosed herein could exhaust that kiosk of its entire inventory of card blanks, which would then limit the kiosk's use in future transactions until its inventory is replenished. Furthermore, the kiosk's card stacker may not contain a sufficient number of card blanks to fulfill the entire bulk order if the order is too large a number. The time constraint of awaiting the printing of a bulk purchase of gift cards from a single kiosk as disclosed herein may also be untenable to a user even if the kiosk was capable of printing the bulk order.
To address these issues associated with bulk gift card purchases, the disclosed principles also provide for the selection and ordering of the bulk gift cards via a kiosk as disclosed herein, but then transmitting the production and printing of the bulk gift cards to a remote gift card printer via a computer communications wide area network (WAN). Such a remote gift card printer would be physically distant from the kiosk though which the bulk order is placed, and in exemplary embodiments could be geographically separated from the retail establishment housing the kiosk. For example, the bulk printer could be located at a manufacturing facility typically associated with bulk printing of items, such as a local printing house or office supply store that customarily bulk-print items. Also, the remotely located bulk printer could be located at a commercial shipping facility for mailing of the produced bulk gift cards, or even at a retail shipping merchant, such as a FedEx Office® or UPS Store®, for either shipping of the produced bulk gift cards or to be made available for pickup by the purchaser or other authorized person. Still further, the remote printing equipment for printing the gift cards in bulk could be within the same retail establishment where the kiosk is located. In such embodiments, when a threshold number of gift cards are being purchased via the kiosk, the user may be notified that the gift cards will be produced via a remote printer and provided to the user at the same establishment (e.g., within a stated time) so that the user is not required to wait at the kiosk as all the bulk-ordered gift cards are produced and printed. In yet other embodiments, the bulk purchased gift cards could be shipped to the intended recipients if the contact information for the recipients is provided to the kiosk. For example, contact information of intended recipients may be provided by manual entry or may even be provided via data transfer from the user's mobile device, such as a near field or other wireless communication. Similarly, the bulk printed gift cards could be shipped to the company, and perhaps even to the targeted departments within the company, where they may be distributed to the intended recipients. In sum, the bulk purchased and produced gift cards may be received in any advantageous manner.
Employing kiosks as disclosed herein for such bulk gift card purchases may be similar to the techniques discussed above for non-bulk gift card purchases. For example, the user would interact with the kiosk using the Kiosk Processor Interface, and step through the offered options discussed above. In addition to simply selecting a large number of the same type of gift card for a bulk purchase, the kiosk would allow the user to select multiple varieties and amounts for the bulk gift card purchase. For example, if the user was purchasing bulk gift cards to be distributed to employees and/or affiliates of their company or organization, the user could select a first amount of gift cards for a first monetary value, then a second amount of gift cards for a second monetary value, and so on. In such an embodiment, the first set of gift cards could be for distribution to the administrative staff of the company, while the second set of gift cards could be for a higher value for distribution to upper level employees of the company. However, the bulk order could simply be placed during a single transaction at the kiosk, and thus paid for in a single transaction. The user could then also be offered a selection of locations where the bulk gift cards may be produced/printed, or even the option to have the bulk gift cards shipped to a desired location. The bulk order would then be transmitted from the kiosk to the selected remote printing location/facility for production. The bulk-produced gift card would then be available for pick up at the selected location (or shipped if that option is selected) at the date and time provided (or selected) by the user via the kiosk.
Moreover, a kiosk as disclosed herein may provide a number of additional options for such bulk gift card purchases. The bulk gift card platform disclosed herein offers personalization options that are not currently offered in-retail for bulk purchases for personal or business customers. In one embodiment, in addition to allowing a user to select varying amounts for various sets of gift cards, the kiosk may also provide the user with the option to “bulk personalize” the gift cards. For example, if a first set of bulk gift cards are intended for a certain group within a company, the user may use the kiosk to create a message on the gift cards personalized for that particular group, such as “Thank you for being the best administrative staff in world!” while the user may create a different personalized message for a second group of gift cards intended for a different group within the company. Similarly, in addition to different amounts, the user could select one type or brand of gift cards intended for one group and a different type or brand for another group. In addition, all of the gift card options discussed herein, such as card size, individual personalized messages (rather than group messages), color, graphics/images, logo (including the option to place the logo of the user's and/or recipients' company on the bulk gift cards) and/or the use of an NFC chip may also be made available to the user when making their bulk gift card purchase. Also as before, the user may be offered a discount or “bonus funds” if the gift cards are for use at the retail establishment where the kiosk is located, if desired. Still further, the amount of any such discount or bonus funds could be variable in proportion to the size and/or value amounts of the bulk gift card order, thus incentivizing not only the purchase of gift cards affiliated with the retailer housing the kiosk, but also the amount of value for the bulk-purchased gift cards. Such incentivizing based on the value of the bulk gift cards being purchased may also be provided for the merchant's or type of gift card being bulk ordered, and thus is not limited to simply gift cards for use at the retailer at which the kiosk is located.
In yet other embodiments, a user may employ a kiosk as disclosed herein to bulk purchase eCodes for gift cards to be distributed as desired. In such embodiments, the user may conduct a bulk purchase in the same or similar manner as discussed above for bulk purchasing of physical gift cards. As such, various sets of bulk purchase amounts, as well as bulk, group, or individualized personalization may be selected and purchased via a kiosk as disclosed herein. In these embodiments, however, instead of the bulk printing of gift cards provided by a remote printer or printing affiliate, the bulk purchase is solely for eCodes redeemable for gift cards. The bulk purchased eCodes may then be distributed to the intended recipients. Such distribution may be via any manner, such as through printed eCodes, electronically delivered eCodes, and even bulk purchased greeting cards having such eCodes included therein. Once received, recipients may then use their eCodes at a kiosk as disclosed herein to cause a physical gift card to be produced and printed at the kiosk in accordance with the features and details associated with the eCode. In other embodiments, the eCodes may be employed in a digital manner within, for example, a mobile device application employable for organizing and storing electronic gift cards and other types of payment vehicles. In such embodiments, the need for bulk printing of physical gift cards all at once may be eliminated.
Bulk purchasing at a kiosk as disclosed herein may also be for bulk greeting cards. As discussed above, disclosed kiosks may be used for designing, purchasing and printing greeting cards, with or without an associated gift card or eCode, and thus a user may also employ a disclosed kiosk to bulk purchase greeting cards. For example, it is very typical to send numerous holiday cards to friends, colleagues and clients of one's company and/or profession during the holiday season. A user could therefore employ a kiosk as disclosed herein to bulk design and purchase such greeting cards. As with bulk gift card purchasing, the bulk greeting cards could also be all the same or could be separated into various groups, as well as optional group and/or individual personalization. The bulk purchased greeting cards could then be printed, as discussed above, at a remote printer for either pickup by the user, shipping to the user, or even direct shipping to the intended recipients.
Also, in all embodiments, disclosed kiosks employed for bulk gift card purchasing may include all of the features discussed above, including consolidation of preexisting gift cards for value, which can be applied to the bulk gift or greeting card purchase. In advantageous embodiments, the user could import a preset selection of contacts (e.g., from the user's mobile device) as the intended recipients of the bulk greeting cards, bulk gift cards or bulk eCodes to ease the bulk purchasing process. Such importing may be using any manner, including wireless communication with the user's mobile device. Moreover, my importing the intended recipients in an automated manner, kiosks as disclosed herein may also offer the option to simply mail each of the bulk purchased cards, or electronically transmit each of the bulk purchased eCodes, to the contact information associated with each intended recipient in the user's imported contact list. In such embodiments, the bulk purchasing provided by a disclosed kiosk is even more convenient for the user in that once the desired selections and options are made for the bulk purchase, the user would not need to pick up and handle the delivery of the bulk purchased cards. Furthermore, the disclosed kiosks may permit the user to create a user profile that is stored in an affiliated database, which would allow the user to save their bulk purchase selections, preferences, and even the list of intended recipients (and any division and personalization associated with the intended recipients) so that future bulk purchases are simplified even further.
The present invention system anticipates a wide variety of variations in the basic theme of kiosk gift card system, but can be generalized as a kiosk gift card system in a retail establishment comprising:
This general system summary may be augmented by the various elements described herein to produce a wide variety of invention embodiments consistent with this overall design description.
The present invention method anticipates a wide variety of variations in the basic theme of implementation, but can be generalized as a kiosk gift card system purchase method wherein the method is performed on a kiosk gift card system comprising:
This general method summary may be augmented by the various elements described herein to produce a wide variety of invention embodiments consistent with this overall design description.
The present invention anticipates a wide variety of variations in the basic theme of kiosk gift card system. The examples presented previously do not represent the entire scope of possible usages. They are meant to cite a few of the almost limitless possibilities.
This basic system and method may be augmented with a variety of ancillary embodiments, including but not limited to:
One skilled in the art will recognize that other embodiments are possible based on combinations of elements taught within the above invention description.
A kiosk gift card system and method for purchasing gift cards at a kiosk has been disclosed. The system/method includes a gift card distribution kiosk located at a retail establishment that provides a user with access to a multitude of different forms of gift cards that may be purchased and printed onto a customizable card with a personalized message. The kiosk includes a kiosk processor interface, a gift card dispenser, a card reader and gift card management server connected to a network. The gift card management server, through the kiosk processor interface, provides vendor options to users to select and pay via the card reader. In another embodiment, the kiosk is used to redeem unused user gift cards for a reduced value user selected gift card, reduced cash value, full value store card, rewards points, bank debit, and/or electronic code user towards online purchases.
This disclosure is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/792,735, filed Feb. 17, 2020, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/667,088, filed Oct. 29, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/359,447, filed Nov. 22, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,679,287, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/697,318, filed Apr. 27, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,508,064, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/596,990, filed Jan. 14, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,460,311, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/108,837, filed May 16, 2011, now abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/839,294, filed Jul. 19, 2010, now abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/505,342, filed Jul. 17, 2009, now abandoned.
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