Patent ID: 7739168
Filing Date: 2010-06-15
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: acquiring a plurality of charge accounts via a database computer software application process tangibly embodied in a physical storage device executable by a physical computer hardware database server and executing on the physical computer hardware database server from a host system computer software application process tangibly embodied in a physical storage device executable by a physical computer hardware host server and executing on the physical computer hardware host server of an account issuer, of a type normally issued with an associated physically producible card which may be presented as evidence of an existing charge account, the physically producible cards bearing human readable account numbers and expiration dates, the plurality of charge accounts being capable of being gifted to a party, after acquisition; receiving by the database computer software application process executing on the physical computer hardware database server via a computer software interface application process tangibly embodied in a physical storage device executable by a physical computer hardware interface server and executing on the physical computer hardware interface server a request from a first party entered by the first party on a first party personal computer software application process tangibly embodied in a physical storage device executable by a physical hardware first party personal computer and executing on the physical hardware first party personal computer to gift a charge account to a second party having a name, without both the issuance and provision of a physical card for the charge account to the second party, the first party and the second party being different from each other the charge account being usable in the name of the second party at any merchant, unrelated to the transfer instrument issuer, who is capable of seeking authorization, using an authorization infrastructure, for purchases involving charge accounts for which the physically producible cards are issued, whether or not the physical cards evidencing the accounts are presented by purchasers when a purchase is made; accepting by the database computer software application process executing on the physical computer hardware database server an account parameter selected by the first party and entered by the first party on the first party personal computer software application process executing on the physical hardware first party personal computer, informing the second party of the account and directing the second party to perform a specified action in order to cause an activation of the account with the transfer instrument issuer by the database computer software application process executing on the physical computer hardware database server via the computer software interface application process executing on the physical computer hardware interface server and a second party personal computer software application process tangibly embodied in a physical storage device executable by a physical hardware second party personal computer and executing on the physical hardware second party personal computer; activating the account for usage by the second party according to the account parameter by the database computer software application process executing on the physical computer hardware database server coupled to the host system computer software application process executing on the physical computer hardware host server; receiving an indication by the host system computer software application process executing on the physical computer hardware host server that the second party has made a purchase from a merchant, unrelated to the transfer instrument issuer entity, using the account; and undertaking a settling transaction involving the account with the issuing bank by the host system computer software application process executing on the physical computer hardware host server with the database computer software application process executing on the physical computer hardware database server after the usage by the second party without the involvement of the first party.