System for brand name gift card exchange

Abstract

The present invention provides for exchanging a gift card. Data associated with a first gift card is provided. The data associated with the first gift card is validated. With a money rebate associated with the first gift card, or a second gift card is selected. The first gift card is exchanged for either a money or the second gift card. An exchange fee is generated by both the vendor associated with the gift card and the company performing the exchange.

1 . A system for exchanging a gift card, comprising:
 at least one consumer input device;   a consumer transaction server coupled to the at least one consumer input device;   a transaction exchange server coupled to the consumer transaction server and configured to exchange the gift card for either: (i) a monetary amount dependent upon a total value of the gift card, or (ii) another gift card;   a vendor transaction server configured to release funds as a function of the exchanged gift card; and   wherein the transaction exchange server is configured to purchase the another gift card with the released funds.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an exchange database coupled to the transaction exchange server. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising a data mining and query system coupled to the exchange database. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a printer coupled to the consumer transaction server. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the consumer input device comprises a telephone. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the consumer input device comprises a personal computer. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the consumer input devices comprises a kiosk. 
     
     
         8 . A computer program product for exchanging a gift card, the computer program product having a medium with a computer program embodied thereon, the computer program comprising:
 computer code for providing data associated with a first gift card;   computer code for validating the data associated with the first gift card;   computer code for selecting either a money rebate associated with the first gift card, or a second gift card;   computer code for exchanging the first gift card for either a money rebate or the second gift card; and   charging a first service fee for issuing the second gift card.   
     
     
         9 . A processor for exchanging a gift card, the processor including a computer program comprising:
 computer code for providing data associated with a first gift card;   computer code for validating the data associated with the first gift card;   computer code for selecting either a money rebate associated with the first gift card, or a second gift card;   computer code for exchanging the first gift card for either a money rebate or the second gift card; and   charging a first service fee for issuing the second gift card.