Abstract:
A greeting card assembly is provided with a greeting card, the greeting card having indicia for encoding a gift certificate. The indicia is preferably provided on a removable gift card. Goods or services, or monetary credit for goods and services, are given to the recipient upon presentation by the recipient of the indicia. A method for transmitting credits from a giver to a recipient is also disclosed.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates generally to credits for goods and services, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for transferring such credits to recipients.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Credits, or the purchase of goods and services, have become a popular gift item because such credits are available in varying credit amounts and permit the recipient to apply the credit to the purchase of goods and services which are preferred by the recipient. Thus, the purchaser does not have to make a selection of goods or services for the benefit of the recipient. The credit amount can be applied to purchase different goods, or as a credit against the cost of goods or services in excess of the credit amount, or can be combined with other gift credits. In some instances, the credits can be for selected goods or services sold by the seller of the credit, or can be for any goods or services sold by the seller, or other sellers.  
           [0003]    Gift cards typically are made of plastic in the form of traditional credit cards, and have structure for encoding the credit in a machine-readable format. This encoding structure is most commonly in the form of a magnetic strip, which is encoded by known methods to activate the card and/or to also code the card for the particular credit that has been purchased. The credit is typically a purchase amount which the recipient can apply to the purchase of goods and services in the amount indicated by the credit. In many instances, these cards are reusable, such that if the total amount of the credit is not used in an initial purchase, the remaining amount may be used in a subsequent purchase.  
           [0004]    Gift cards are typically provided to recipients without gift wrapping, as gift wrapping a small gift card is difficult, even if the gift card is mounted on a cardboard or plastic backing. Also, in the context of making a gift, a greeting card frequently must be purchased separately. In such event, the gift card must either be removed from the backing and placed in the greeting card, or wrapped separately. If placed in the greeting card, the gift card lies loose, can fall out when the card is removed from the envelope, and does not provide a pleasing presentation.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    A greeting card assembly according to the invention comprises a gift card having indicia for encoding a gift credit. A greeting card is provided with engagement structure for removably engaging the gift card. The gift card can be encoded according to the wishes of the giver, or in predetermined credit amounts. The gift card preferably includes a magnetic strip for encoding the gift credit, such that the gift card can be encoded with varying amounts or types of credits. Alternatively, the gift card can be encoded with indicia which is entered into a computer system which identifies the recipient and the amount and/or type of credit and awards the credit to the recipient.  
           [0006]    The structure for removably engaging the gift card preferably comprises a pocket or slotted engagement portion on the gift card for removably engaging the gift card. The gift card is preferably made of a plastic or paper body, generally in the dimensions of a typical credit or debit card, and fits within the slotted engagement portion. Alternatively, the gift card can be removably adhered to the gift card by an appropriate adhesive.  
           [0007]    A system for transferring a credit to a recipient includes a greeting card having indicia for encoding the credit, and a website for access by the recipient. The website has computer programming which awards the credit to the recipient upon the transmission of the indicia by the recipient, or by a merchant, to the website.  
           [0008]    A method for transferring a credit to a recipient includes the steps of providing to the recipient a greeting card with a detachable gift card. The gift card has indicia for encoding the credit. The greeting card is given to the recipient, whereupon the recipient can apply the card towards the purchase of goods or services. According to a further embodiment of the invention, the gift card is encoded with the indicia at the point of purchase of the card, according to the wishes of the giver and the purchase amount. The gift card is encoded and then engaged to the greeting card, which are then given together by the giver to the recipient. The credit can be used by the recipient for the purchase of particular goods and services.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    There are shown in the drawings embodiments which are presently preferred, it being understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown, wherein:  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a greeting card assembly according to the invention.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a rear plan view of a gift card according to the invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a perspective view, partially broken away, of a first embodiment of a greeting card assembly according to the invention.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is a side elevation of a second embodiment.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 6A-C are schematic diagrams illustrating the purchase, giving, and redemption of a greeting card assembly according to the invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0016]    A greeting card  10  according to the invention is shown in FIG. 1. The greeting card  10  comprises at least a front portion  12  and a back portion  14 , separated by a crease  18 , although other greeting card designs are known in the art and within the invention. The greeting card  10  comprises a gift card  20  that is removably secured to the greeting card  10 . The gift card  20  includes indicia for encoding a gift credit.  
         [0017]    The indicia for encoding a gift credit can be any suitable form, but preferably is in the form of magnetic coding on a magnetic strip  24 . The magnetic strip  24  can be coded by methods known in the art with information about the credit. This information can be the monetary amount of the credit, or the goods or services that can be purchased with the credit and the stores or locations where the credit can be used. Other information can also be contained therein, including the store, date of purchase, purchaser and the like. The gift card  20  can be in any suitable form and made from any suitable material, but is preferably of the size and shape of a standard credit or debit card. The gift card  20  can be made from suitable materials such as plastic or coated paper. Other forms of gift cards are also possible.  
         [0018]    The gift card  20  can be secured to the greeting card  10  by any suitable means. In a preferred embodiment, the gift card  20  is provided with an engagement structure suitable for removably engaging the gift card  20 . One such suitable engagement structure contains slots  30  which are provided in the greeting card  10 . The corners  34  of the gift card  20  are positioned in the slots  30  so as to secure the gift card  20  to the greeting card  10 .  
         [0019]    Other methods for securing the gift card  20  to the greeting card  10  are also possible. There is shown in FIG. 3 a pocket  38  into which the greeting card  20  can be removably secured. In FIG. 4, there is shown a greeting card  10  to which the gift card  20  has been secured by a suitable adhesive  42 . The adhesive  42  is a weak adhesive such that the gift card  20  can be readily removed from the greeting card  10 .  
         [0020]    An alternative embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 5. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the greeting card  10  has indicia such as alphanumeric indicia  48  printed or otherwise embossed directly thereon. It is alternatively possible to place the indicia  48  on the greeting card  10  by other means, such as labels and the like. It is further possible to secure the indicia from view, as by applying scratch-off coatings over the indicia  48 . The indicia  48  is a code which identifies the credit which has been purchased for a given recipient. A suitable computer, data storage, and access programming are utilized such that, when the indicia is provided to the store or seller by the recipient, the indicia can be used to recall from a computer memory the type or amount of credit which has been purchased by the giver for the recipient.  
         [0021]    The invention is readily adaptable to internet-based transactions. The giver purchases the credit either at a store or through an internet based consumer transaction. The greeting card  10  is provided with certain indicia  48 . The giver purchases either a certain monetary amount of credit for the recipient, or alternatively can purchase particular goods and services for the recipient which are identified by the indicia  48 . Upon receipt of the greeting card  10 , the recipient either brings the greeting card  10  and/or gift card  20  to the store or enters the indicia directly through an internet-based transaction. In either event, the indicia  48  is used to recall from computer memory the monetary amount or particular goods and services represented by the indicia which were purchased by the giver for the recipient. The recipient can then purchase goods and services with the monetary amount of the credit, or can purchase the particular goods and services that are specified by the credit.  
         [0022]    A website can be provided for access by the recipient. The website includes a computer program for communicating the credit to the recipient upon the transmission of the indicia to the website by the recipient. It will be appreciated that this indicia can be either printed on the greeting card  10 , or can be provided on a gift card  20  or can be provided by any other suitable means for conveying the indicia to the recipient.  
         [0023]    A method for providing a credit from a giver to a recipient is illustrated in FIGS.  6 A-C. There is shown schematically in FIG. 6 a seller  60  which can be either a store or a website. In either case, the giver  58  purchases a monetary amount of a credit, or purchases particular goods and services for a given monetary amount. The monetary amount or goods and services of the credit are transmitted to a computer  64  which records the transaction and records the indicia  48  to represent the transaction. This indicia  48  can be applied to the gift card  20  through suitable magnetic encoding apparatus  70  (FIG. 6A), after which the gift card  20  is placed in the greeting card  10 . Alternatively, the indicia  48  can be printed directly on the gift card  10  or applied by suitable structures such as labels and the like. The greeting card  10  is then given by the giver  58  to the recipient  74  (FIG. 6B). The recipient  74  takes the card  10  and delivers it either to the store  78  where it is read by suitable decoding apparatus such as a magnetic reader or computer  64  calling from memory the credit represented by the indicia  48 . The recipient can then purchase goods or services  80 . Alternatively, the recipient  74  can use the card  10  to enter indicia onto an appropriate website  88 , from which goods or services  80  can be purchased.  
         [0024]    This invention can be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof. Accordingly, reference should be had to the following claims, rather than to the foregoing specification, as indicating the scope of the invention: