Patent ID: 8190471

Claim:
A method for using a stored value rebate card, wherein the process of using the stored value rebate card is facilitated by at least a central processor and a point of sale (POS) terminal at a first retailer location, the central processor being in selective communication with the POS terminal, comprising: (I) a stored value rebate card activation process, comprising: receiving stored value rebate card activation request at the central processor from the point of sale-to activate the stored value rebate card in response to a first purchase transaction at the POS for one or more products eligible for a rebate; receiving at the central processor an identifier associated with the stored value rebate card; associating a rebate value in a rebate card account associated with the stored value rebate card based on the determining, the rebate card account having an identifying account number, the identifier associated with the account number at the central processor, and the rebate value comprised of a total of rebate values from each product eligible for a rebate; completing the first purchase transaction for one or more products at the point of sale; delivering the stored value rebate card to a customer of the one or more products during the purchase transaction; determining if one or more of the products eligible for a rebate have been returned to the first retailer; responsive to a determination that one or more products eligible for a rebate have not been returned to the retailer, activating the rebate value associated with the stored value rebate card at the central processor by accessing a database record thereby making the rebate value in the rebate card account available for use; responsive to a determination that one or more products eligible for a rebate have been returned to the retailer, preventing activation of the rebate value associated with the one or more returned products; (II) a redemption process, comprising a second purchase transaction process occurring at a second retailer, wherein the second retailer is the same as the first retailer, the second purchase transaction comprising: receiving a request to apply funds from the rebate account to a second purchase transaction for one or more products at the point of sale; and reducing a balance of the rebate card account by an amount applied to the second purchase transaction.