US 5,513,117 · Granted 1996-04-30

Apparatus and method for electronically dispensing personalized greeting cards and gifts

A vending machine which allows a customer to design and personalize a greeting card also allows the customer to integrate an electronically vendable gift along with or directly onto the card. A stand-alone kiosk includes a credit card verifier, an alphanumeric keyboard, a video screen, a color printer printing on blank or partially printed card stock, and a gift calculator and vender, all controlled by a CPU. In an alternative system and method, a central terminal downloads card and gift selection data to PC's or interactive television via a modem and a user of the PC or interactive television remotely personalizes the card and selects a gift and amount. The card is then printed and physically mailed or sent to the recipient via electronic mail by the central terminal. Examples of gifts available through either system include prepaid long distance telephone calling cards and any other gift accessible via long distance carriers. The gift value and other enabling information such as a predetermined telephone access number and an authorized PIN number can be associated with the personalized card, printed directly onto the personalized card, or printed out at the recipient's terminal.

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