System and method for providing a gift card which affords benefits beyond what is purchased

Abstract

A system, computer product and method are provided for a card issuer providing a prepaid gift card to a purchaser, the gift card usable by a recipient of the card to pay merchants who participate in a financial network. The method includes receiving a payment of a predetermined amount, and loading the predetermined amount received from the purchaser into the prepaid gift card. The method further includes activating the loaded prepaid gift card, the activated prepaid gift card being usable by the recipient for paying any of the merchants in the financial network until the predetermined amount loaded in the prepaid gift card is exhausted, and being usable by the recipient to obtain a benefit beyond what is purchased from at least some of the merchants in the financial network.

1 . A method comprising:
 offering, by a computer based system for facilitating benefit data and via a website, new transaction account offers associated with a transaction account, wherein the transaction account is associated with a theme of a plurality of themes, wherein a particular transaction account is selected by a purchaser based in part on a particular offer;   obtaining, by the computer based system, benefit data associated with a merchant, wherein the benefit data represents a benefit that is beyond what is purchased by the transaction account, wherein the benefit data associated with use of the transaction account is provided via the website, wherein the merchant is part of a subset of merchants associated with the theme, and wherein the merchant provides benefit data to the website; and   associating, by the computer based system, the benefit data with the transaction account.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transaction account includes a transaction instrument associated with the transaction account including a surface displaying an indication of the associated theme, and wherein the benefit data is related to the theme. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the theme is at least one of weddings, movies, restaurants, children, teens and birthdays. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the computer based system, discount data or promotion code data for use in connection with the benefit data. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the computer based system, purchase transaction data including data representing the merchant, wherein the purchase transaction data is a result of using the transaction account in a transaction with the merchant. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the computer based system, that the merchant is part of the subset of the merchants within a financial network. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the obtaining the benefit data is in response to a determination that a merchant is part of the subset of the merchants. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transaction account is at least one of a charge account, a credit account, a stored value account, a debit account, an access account and a pre-paid account. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the benefit data is automatically obtained in response to using the transaction account in a transaction with the merchant determined to be part of the subset of the merchants associated with the theme. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the issuing further comprises associating, by the computer based system, an identifier with the transaction account to obtain the benefit. 
     
     
         11 . A system comprising:
 a processor for facilitating benefit data,   a tangible, non-transitory memory configured to communicate with the processor,   the tangible, non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to be capable of performing operations comprising:
 offering, by the processor and via a website, new transaction account offers associated with a transaction account, wherein the transaction account is associated with a theme of a plurality of themes, wherein a particular transaction account is selected by a purchaser based in part on a particular offer; 
 obtaining, by the processor, benefit data associated with a merchant, wherein the benefit data represents a benefit that is beyond what is purchased by the transaction account, wherein the benefit data associated with use of the transaction account is provided via the website, wherein the merchant is part of a subset of merchants associated with the theme, and wherein the merchant provides benefit data to the website; and 
 associating, by the processor, the benefit data with the transaction account. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the transaction account includes a transaction instrument associated with the transaction account including a surface displaying an indication of the associated theme, and wherein the benefit data is related to the theme. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the theme is at least one of weddings, movies, restaurants, children, teens and birthdays. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising receiving, by the computer based system, discount data or promotion code data for use in connection with the benefit data. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising receiving, by the computer based system, purchase transaction data including data representing the merchant, wherein the purchase transaction data is a result of using the transaction account in a transaction with the merchant. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising determining, by the computer based system, that the merchant is part of the subset of the merchants within a financial network. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the obtaining the benefit data is in response to a determination that a merchant is part of the subset of the merchants. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the transaction account is at least one of a charge account, a credit account, a stored value account, a debit account, an access account and a pre-paid account. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the benefit data is automatically obtained in response to using the transaction account in a transaction with the merchant determined to be part of the subset of the merchants associated with the theme. 
     
     
         20 . An article of manufacture including a non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computer-based system for facilitating benefit data, cause the computer-based system to be capable of performing operations comprising:
 offering, by the computer based system and via a website, new transaction account offers associated with a transaction account, wherein the transaction account is associated with a theme of a plurality of themes, wherein a particular transaction account is selected by a purchaser based in part on a particular offer;   obtaining, by the computer based system, benefit data associated with a merchant, wherein the benefit data represents a benefit that is beyond what is purchased by the transaction account, wherein the benefit data associated with use of the transaction account is provided via the website, wherein the merchant is part of a subset of merchants associated with the theme, and wherein the merchant provides benefit data to the website; and   associating, by the computer based system, the benefit data with the transaction account.