Importance

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Abstract

A gift registry providing a partial payment option for gift givers and a mandatory and contingent gift substitution for gift recipients. The gift recipient registers any type of gift idea from any store or establishment, for any occasion with an associated gift amount in the registry. The registrant is able to name their own gift price by selecting a gift amount not necessarily the same as the retail cost of the gift idea. The gift recipient also indicates whether they will accept a contingent substitute of gift or cash if the system is unable to provide the gift idea at the gift amount. The recipient can also select mandatory substitution of gift or cash. The difference between mandatory and contingent substitution is that mandatory substitution automatically occurs while contingent substitution occurs if and only if the selected gift is unavailable at the specified gift amount or could not be delivered in time. In effect, mandatory substitution for cash allows the registrant to arrange for automatic gift return and receipt of a cash gift. Gift givers are able to review gift ideas and associated gift amounts and select them. A gift giver is also able to select a gift idea and make a partial contribution toward purchase of the gift idea. This allows higher cost gifts to be purchased by multiple gift givers and thereby provides recipients and givers with greater flexibility in their gift selection. When a mandatory or contingent substitution for cash is provided, the system includes incentives, such as coupons. The coupons or incentives are independently profitable and help to offset the cost of managing the mandatory and contingent substitutions.

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First Claim