Patent ID: 7613658

Claim:
A method of redeeming a stored-value card, the method comprising: a host computer receiving information of a sale of the stored value card to a consumer, the received information comprising a card identifier stored in the stored value card, and initial value of funds stored in the stored value card; the host computer establishing under a main account, a sub-account, wherein an individual consumer is identified as a holder of the sub-account, and wherein the sub-account is associated with the card identifier stored in the store value card and the host computer credits the sub-account with the initial stored value of funds as an account balance; receiving a redemption request at the host computer via one or more computational devices at a point-of-sale establishment communicably coupled with the host computer, the redemption request comprising a card identifier extracted from the stored-value card and a payment amount to be redeemed; the host computer identifying the sub-account associated with the stored-value card from the card identifier associated with the redemption request; the host computer generating a negotiable instrument in an amount of the payment or less than the payment based on the account balance of the identified sub-account, the negotiable instrument payable to the identified holder of the sub-account; and the host computer transmitting the generated negotiable instrument to the point-of-sale via the one or more computational devices at the point-of-sale establishment.