Patent ID: 7197477

Claim:
A periodical subscription order system for processing a subscription order, the system comprising: a giftcard having a unique identifier; a point of sale terminal receiving the unique identifier and receiving a payment from a purchaser of the giftcard, the point of sale terminal coupling the unique identifier with data representative of the payment; a subscription database receiving and storing, from the point of sale terminal, the unique identifier and data representative of the payment; and a subscription ordering controller coupled to the subscription database, the subscription ordering controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor, the subscription ordering controller programmed to allow a giftcard user to provide the unique identifier to the subscription ordering controller, the subscription ordering controller programmed to compare the unique identifier provided by the giftcard user with the unique identifier stored in the database, the subscription ordering controller programmed to allow the giftcard user to choose at least one subscription to a periodical from a plurality of periodicals provided by a single periodical publisher, each of the plurality of periodical subscriptions having an associated value, the subscription ordering controller programmed to determine whether the associated value of the chosen at least one periodical subscription is less than or equal to the value of the data representative of the payment; and the subscription ordering controller programmed to fulfill the at least one periodical subscription if the compared unique identifier provided by the giftcard user and the unique identifier stored in the database match, and if the associated value of the chosen at least one periodical subscription is less than or equal to the value of the data representative of the payment.