Patent ID: 8055542

Claim:
A method of delivering one or more goods or services via a medium, comprising: issuing an encoded medium in an inactive state, the encoded medium identifying goods and/or services that may be received by a holder of the medium; assigning the encoded medium to one or more assignees; generating data in a database associated with a central computing station in response to the assignee communicatively linking the encoded medium with the central computing station, wherein the data generated in the database identifies the assignments, the identity of the assignees, and the identity of goods and/or services identified by the medium assigned; generating data in the database associated with the central computing station in response to a provider of goods or services communicatively linking the encoded medium with the central computing station, wherein the data generated in the database identifies the goods and/or services provided; establishing a value for the medium, wherein the medium assumes different values based on various conditions; updating the value of the medium and recording the updated value in the database in response to the provider of goods or services providing goods and/or services to the holder of the medium.