A two-ply remote activation gift card comprises a first and second ply, each such ply having an exterior surface and an opposed interior surface, the interior surfaces of which are in contact with one another, the exterior surface of the first ply having a media area and corresponding non-peelable adhesive material, the exterior surface of the first ply further having a gift area and a corresponding peelable adhesive, and the second ply being divided into two portions by a perforation where one of those two portions is a media portion and the other portion is a non-monetized gift card.

An example embodiment may involve receiving a representation of a location of the mobile device as provided by way of location-determining hardware of the mobile device; transmitting, to the mobile device, representations of one or more merchants with physical presence within a radius of the location; receiving, from the mobile device, representations of a gift card request, a first amount, and a merchant, where the merchant was selected from the one or more merchants; transmitting, to the mobile device, a digital gift card branded by the merchant, where the digital gift card is associated with a code; receiving, from a point-of-sale device associated with the merchant, a request to validate the code, where the code was obtained by the point-of-sale device scanning the code as displayed by the mobile device; and transmitting, to the point-of-sale device, validation of the code.

A method for providing a locked electronic item includes receiving a selection of an electronic lock and the electronic item from a first computing device associated with a sender. The electronic lock includes a lock clue and a lock solution. The method includes determining an answer input field configuration that includes a number of input boxes and spaces that may be arranged to correspond to the lock solution. The method includes transmitting the lock clue and the input field configuration to a second computing device associated with a recipient for display by the second computing device and receiving an attempted lock solution from the second computing device. The method further includes transmitting the electronic item to the second computing device for display or use by the second computing device in response to determining that the attempted lock solution matches the lock solution.

A method for providing a locked electronic item includes receiving a selection of an electronic lock and the electronic item from a first computing device associated with a sender. The electronic lock includes a lock clue and a lock solution. The method includes determining an answer input field configuration that includes a number of input boxes and spaces that may be arranged to correspond to the lock solution. The method includes transmitting the lock clue and the input field configuration to a second computing device associated with a recipient for display by the second computing device and receiving an attempted lock solution from the second computing device. The method further includes transmitting the electronic item to the second computing device for display or use by the second computing device in response to determining that the attempted lock solution matches the lock solution.

A system for adding, authorizing, or activating pre-paid wireless service includes a sticker, and a server. The sticker has an authorization code. The sticker is configured to be affixed to a surface of a product. The server is configured to receive the authorization code. The server is further configured to verify that the received authorization code is authentic. The server is further configured to at least one of add, authorize, and activate wireless service in response to receiving and verifying the received authorization code.

A computer-implemented method for providing payment account information in a user account by receiving payment card information by a card reader at a point of sale. An account can be created when the payment card information is read by the card reader. Optionally, a gift card can be scanned prior to the creation of the account, and the gift card information can be combined with the payment card information. The gift card can be an electronic gift card which can be personalized with textual, visual, video, and/or audio portions.

Various embodiments are directed to a method and system for provisioning a merchant-specific payment apparatus, such as a temporary payment card, via a computing device, such as an automated teller machine (ATM). A user, such as a customer, may specify a merchant. A record of known payment acceptance types at that merchant may be returned, which may be used to determine what type of temporary payment card gets issued to the user.

A payment card benefit assessment system and method includes a computing device accepting payment card benefit catalog information from a payment card issuer and payment card transaction data from a payment card processing network. The payment card transaction data is analyzed to group cardholders into one demographic clusters and to determine an estimated benefit value for each of the demographic clusters. Individualized payment card benefit options are presented to an individual cardholder based on the individual cardholder's payment card transactions and the determined estimated benefit value for a corresponding one of the plurality of demographic clusters.

A method, user device, and computer-readable storage media for registering and activating accounts is provided. One method includes transmitting a first input from a user regarding opening an account at an institution, establishing a communication session based on exchanging encryption keys between the user device and the computing system, in response to establishing the communication session, automatically installing a client application, displaying, via the client application, a graphical user interface (GUI) including a request for a user verification, transmitting, via the communication session, a received user verification, receiving a second input to add the account a mobile wallet on the user device, prompting the user for a value regarding the account, and receiving and storing, via the communication session, a payment token for transactions via the mobile wallet before a physical card associated with the account of the computing system is received.

The following processes are performed: a control process for issuing a VP card such that information on a card number is associated with information on at least a user ID, a value, and an expiration date, a control process for, regarding a VP card specified as a gift target by the first user, newly associating between the VP card and a user ID of the second user other than the first user, a process of setting a return condition regarding the VP card specified as a gift target, a control process for displaying information on usage status of the given VP card to the second user on condition that login with a user ID of the first user is completed, and a process of performing a control for at least invalidating the association between the virtual prepaid card and the user ID of the second user.