Systems and methods for securely generating digital gift cards

Abstract

A method includes accessing a swap service operating on a consumer device and authenticating a user of the consumer device based on biometric information linked to a unique user identification code that is further associated with contact information regarding the user. The method further includes retrieving, from storage, the contact information regarding the user. The method further includes automatically populating first fields of the swap service with the contact information. The method further includes generating, for utilization during a transaction by the swap service, a request for inputting first account information. The method further includes receiving a selection for the inputting and when selection is the scanning: displaying a scanner for obtaining, from a gift card, a digital representation of the first account information, encoding the first account information into a digital equivalent of the gift card, and storing the digital equivalent of the gift card in memory.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 accessing a swap service operating on a consumer device, wherein the swap service is configured to perform:   authenticating a user of the consumer device based on biometric information of the user, wherein the biometric information is linked to a unique user identification code, and wherein the unique user identification code is associated with contact information regarding the user;   retrieving, from storage, the contact information regarding the user based on the unique user identification code;   automatically populating first fields of the swap service with at least some of the contact information;   generating, for utilization during a transaction by the swap service, a request for first account information on a display of the consumer device, wherein the first account information is associated with a gift card, and wherein the request includes a prompt for the user of the consumer device to select inputting the first account information by one of (i) manually by the user, or (ii) scanning by the consumer device;   receiving a selection for the inputting; and   when selection is the scanning:
 displaying a scanner for obtaining, from the gift card, a digital representation of the first account information; 
 obtaining the digital representation of the first account information via the scanner; 
 determining the first account information is valid; 
 in response to determining the first account information is valid, encoding the first account information into a digital equivalent of the gift card; and 
 storing the digital equivalent of the gift card in memory associated with the consumer device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprises:
 obtaining second account information regarding a second account, wherein the second account is one of: a bank account, a credit card account, a debit card account, an open loop card account, a closed loop card account, a brokerage account, and a crypto currency account. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the second account information is inputted by one or more of: voice commands, extraction of information from a photo or video using optical character recognition, via near field communication, via Bluetooth low energy, and via a radio frequency identification (RFID) communication. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein when the selection is the manually by the user, generating for display on the display, a keyboard and input fields for receiving the first account information. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprises:
 monitoring for a triggering event; and
 when the triggering event is detected:
 obtaining a merchant identification code that uniquely identifies a merchant; 
 obtaining the contact information associated with the user from the memory; and 
 
 
 sending the contact information to a merchant computer associated with the merchant to facilitate correspondence from the merchant computer, wherein the correspondence is one or more of: a coupon, an offer of a discount, a reminder to use a remaining card balance associated with the gift card, and a notification of nearby merchant locations associated with the merchant computer where the gift card is redeemable. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the triggering event includes one or more of:
 a geographic location of the consumer device;   an ongoing transaction associated with the gift card;   a reloading of the gift card; and   accessing of a gift card account regarding the gift card.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the correspondence further comprises:
 an incentive for transferring value via the swap service;   an offer to transfer gift card to another user;   an offer to transfer gift card to multiple other users;   an offer to donate remaining balance of gift card to a charity; and   an offer to purchase another gift card.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the biometric information comprises one or more of:
 a fingerprint;   a handprint;   facial recognition;   an iris scan; and   a retina scan.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprises:
 generating, for utilization during the transaction by the swap service, a request for second account information on the touch screen of the consumer device, wherein the second account is associated with a second gift card, and wherein the request includes a second prompt for the user of the consumer device to select inputting the second account information by one of (i) manually by the user, or (ii) scanning by the consumer device;
 receiving a second selection for the inputting; and 
 when selection is the scanning:
 displaying the scanner for obtaining, from the second gift card, a second digital representation of the second account information; 
 obtaining the second digital representation of the second account information via the scanner; 
 determining the second account information is valid; 
 in response to determining the second account information is valid, encoding the second account information into a second digital equivalent of the second gift card; and 
 storing the second digital equivalent of the second gift card in memory associated with the consumer device. 
 
 
 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprises:
 generating, for utilization during a transaction by the swap service, a request for second account information on the display of the consumer device; 
 receiving an identification of the second account information; 
 when the second account information is associated with the user, retrieving the contact information from a cache of the consumer device; and 
 automatically populating second fields of the swap service with at least some of the contact information. 
 
     
     
         11 . A non-transitory computer readable memory comprising:
 computer code that directs a swap service operating on a consumer device to perform:
 authenticating a user of the consumer device based on biometric information of the user, wherein the biometric information is linked to a unique user identification code, and wherein the unique user identification code is associated with contact information regarding the user; 
 retrieving, from storage, the contact information regarding the user based on the unique user identification code; 
 automatically populating first fields of the swap service with at least some of the contact information; 
 generating, for utilization during a transaction by the swap service, a request for first account information on a display of the consumer device, wherein the first account information is associated with a gift card, and wherein the request includes a prompt for the user of the consumer device to select inputting the first account information by one of (i) manually by the user, or (ii) scanning by the consumer device; 
 receiving a selection for the inputting; and 
 when selection is the scanning:
 displaying a scanner for obtaining, from the gift card, a digital representation of the first account information; 
 obtaining the digital representation of the first account information via the scanner; 
 determining the first account information is valid; 
 in response to determining the first account information is valid, encoding the first account information into a digital equivalent of the gift card; and 
 storing the digital equivalent of the gift card in memory associated with the consumer device. 
 
   
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer readable memory of  claim 11 , wherein the computer code directs the swap service operating on the consumer device to further perform:
 obtaining second account information regarding a second account, wherein the second account is one of: a bank account, a credit card account, a debit card account, an open loop card account, a closed loop card account, a brokerage account, and a crypto currency account.   
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer readable memory of  claim 12 , wherein the second account information is inputted by one or more of: voice commands, extraction of information from a photo or video using optical character recognition, via near field communication, via Bluetooth low energy, and via a radio frequency identification (RFID) communication. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer readable memory of  claim 11 , wherein when the selection is the manually by the user, the computer code directs the swap service operating on the consumer device to further perform generating for display on the display, a keyboard and input fields for receiving the first account information. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer readable memory of  claim 11 , wherein the computer code directs the swap service operating on the consumer device to further perform:
 monitoring for a triggering event; and
 when the triggering event is detected:
 obtaining a merchant identification code that uniquely identifies a merchant; 
 obtaining the contact information associated with the user from the memory; and 
 
   sending the contact information to a merchant computer associated with the merchant to facilitate correspondence from the merchant computer, wherein the correspondence is one or more of: a coupon, an offer of a discount, a reminder to use a remaining card balance associated with the gift card, and a notification of nearby merchant locations associated with the merchant computer where the gift card is redeemable.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer readable memory of  claim 15 , wherein the triggering event includes one or more of:
 a geographic location of the consumer device;   an ongoing transaction associated with the gift card;   a reloading of the gift card; and   accessing of a gift card account regarding the gift card.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer readable memory of  claim 15 , wherein the correspondence further comprises:
 an incentive for transferring value via the swap service;   an offer to transfer gift card to another user;   an offer to transfer gift card to multiple other users;   an offer to donate remaining balance of gift card to a charity; and   an offer to purchase another gift card.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer readable memory of  claim 11 , wherein the biometric information comprises one or more of:
 a fingerprint;   a handprint;   facial recognition;   an iris scan; and   a retina scan.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable memory of  claim 11 , wherein the computer code directs the swap service further to perform:
 generating, for utilization during the transaction by the swap service, a request for second account information on the touch screen of the consumer device, wherein the second account is associated with a second gift card, and wherein the request includes a second prompt for the user of the consumer device to select inputting the second account information by one of (i) manually by the user, or (ii) scanning by the consumer device;
 receiving a second selection for the inputting; and 
 when selection is the scanning:
 displaying the scanner for obtaining, from the second gift card, a second digital representation of the second account information; 
 obtaining the second digital representation of the second account information via the scanner; 
 determining the second account information is valid; 
 in response to determining the second account information is valid, encoding the second account information into a second digital equivalent of the second gift card; and 
 storing the second digital equivalent of the second gift card in memory associated with the consumer device. 
 
   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable memory of  claim 11 , wherein the computer code directs the swap service further to perform:
 generating, for utilization during a transaction by the swap service, a request for second account information on the display of the consumer device;   receiving an identification of the second account information;   when the second account information is associated with the user, retrieving the contact information from a cache of the consumer device; and   automatically populating second fields of the swap service with at least some of the contact information.