Patent ID: 8768787

Claim:
An electronic gifting method, comprising: receiving from a first purchasing system a first purchase request including (i) a first unique telephonic identifier associated with a first wireless gift recipient system, (ii) a first vendor identification associated with a first selected one of a plurality of vendors, and (iii) a first purchase request amount; sending to a payment authorization system a first payment authorization request corresponding to the first purchase request; determining, by a processor, to approve the first purchase request amount and sending a first payment authorization of the first purchase request amount; determining by a processor, that a first payment authorization corresponding to the first payment authorization request is received, and crediting the first purchase request amount to a first stored account balance associated with (i) the first unique telephonic identifier, and (ii) the first vendor identification; receiving a first redemption amount from a first point of sale system associated with the first selected one of the plurality of vendors; sending in a first message format a first authentication request addressed to the first wireless gift recipient system; receiving a first authentication confirmation corresponding to the first authentication request; and sending a first redemption authorization for the first redemption amount to the first point of sale system.