CapitalOne allows a custom image on a portion of the front of the credit card. They host a design tool. Each design is OK'd by their staff.
Website with design tool to allow any design. Print on a sticker. Ship sticker to consumer.
How much can be charged for this service? $4.95 with shipping? Additional sticker with same design $1?
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Consulting For Branded Credit Cards
Consultant to help groups set up their own branded credit cards.
PreSale
Presentation.
Does it fit? Customer list, uptake, potential.
Continuing
Marketing: customer list, outside of group
Manage churn.
Incentives from the branded sponsor.
http://www.gobankingrates.com/credit-card-rates/how-to-create-your-own-credit-card
Contact a credit card issuer like Citibank or American Express and suggest the idea of a partnership between your companies. If the credit card issuer feels that there is a good market for your type of credit card, they’ll gladly create and maintain accounts for you, for a sizeable fee of course.
Again, in order to accomplish this, you’ll need substantial paperwork, proof that your card will be desired, money in order to pay not only for the design of the card but for the upkeep of consumer accounts AND the ability to sell the idea to a major credit card company. Cobranded credit cards are common, but few survive beyond just a few years. Make sure if you take this rout, you offer consumers a great cash or 0% balance transfer opportunity as incentive to get them to sign up.
A social card would allow purchaser, through a SMS, to quickly rate the merchant, share the review, and 4square checkin.
PreSale
Presentation.
Does it fit? Customer list, uptake, potential.
Continuing
Marketing: customer list, outside of group
Manage churn.
Incentives from the branded sponsor.
http://www.gobankingrates.com/credit-card-rates/how-to-create-your-own-credit-card
Contact a credit card issuer like Citibank or American Express and suggest the idea of a partnership between your companies. If the credit card issuer feels that there is a good market for your type of credit card, they’ll gladly create and maintain accounts for you, for a sizeable fee of course.
Again, in order to accomplish this, you’ll need substantial paperwork, proof that your card will be desired, money in order to pay not only for the design of the card but for the upkeep of consumer accounts AND the ability to sell the idea to a major credit card company. Cobranded credit cards are common, but few survive beyond just a few years. Make sure if you take this rout, you offer consumers a great cash or 0% balance transfer opportunity as incentive to get them to sign up.
A social card would allow purchaser, through a SMS, to quickly rate the merchant, share the review, and 4square checkin.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Chess Set With Customized Faces
Similar to the multitude of bobble-head doll manufacturers ($140+), make chess sets with custom faces.
One color semi-custom chess board $95
One color semi-custom chess board $95
Corporate Health Programs & Training
Backoffice, tracking, training material for businesses to outsource a health & wellness program.
choosehealth.aetna.com/business/costmanagement/promoteahealthyworkforce
2012 May Article about companies challenging employees to walk. This type of service with tracking could be SaaS and cheap or nearly free.
choosehealth.aetna.com/business/costmanagement/promoteahealthyworkforce
Reduce sick days
Improve productivity
Attract and retain top employees
Better manage health care costs
2012 May Article about companies challenging employees to walk. This type of service with tracking could be SaaS and cheap or nearly free.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Airline Baggage Tracking
For passenger baggage, why are airlines using bar codes instead of using RFID? Why not RFID for bags of premium customers?
How expensive is each rfid device? How expensive to roll out readers nationwide?
How expensive is each rfid device? How expensive to roll out readers nationwide?
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Avoid Credit Card Currency Conversion Fee
Visa and MasterCard have a standard 1 percent charge on foreign purchases and the issuing bank adds another fee. ...The credit card issuer or bank often charges an additional fee, usually 2 percent, which adds up to a 3 percent total charge on foreign purchases.
Every time you use your card outside the U.S., American Express, MasterCard, Visa or whichever network is handling the transaction charges your bank a percentage of the transaction (usually 1 percent) to convert your dollars to dinars, euros, yen -- the local currency. The bank that issues the credit card also charges a fee (usually 2 percent) for the transaction.
While there would be a limited market of those ordering from a website outside their home country, create a dynamic website pricing application that changes to any currency. Allow customer to choose their home currency as form of payment.
Uncertain how this would be handled, or even allowed, by merchant bank in order to get funds to the store.
Every time you use your card outside the U.S., American Express, MasterCard, Visa or whichever network is handling the transaction charges your bank a percentage of the transaction (usually 1 percent) to convert your dollars to dinars, euros, yen -- the local currency. The bank that issues the credit card also charges a fee (usually 2 percent) for the transaction.
While there would be a limited market of those ordering from a website outside their home country, create a dynamic website pricing application that changes to any currency. Allow customer to choose their home currency as form of payment.
Uncertain how this would be handled, or even allowed, by merchant bank in order to get funds to the store.
Make Ormus
Liquid manufactured from sea salt that is claimed to help growth of plants & animals.
Links
Overview
Ormus for plants $55
Ormus Gold, 1 oz $84
Our Ormus Gold is created by concentrating metallic gold to 99.999% purity (most gold coins advertised as pure or 99.999% are actually 98.4% to 98.6% pure). We take pure gold and purify it. This metallic gold is then transformed into Ormus Gold via our patent pending process developed over 13 years of research.
Recipe
Equipment needed:
2 Stainless steel or pyrex bowls, to hold at least ½ gallon volume each
Coffee filters
Strainer to hold coffee filters (coffee pot top is ok unless aluminum.) Do not use aluminum.
Squirt bottle with good lid, or dropper bottle
pH paper that tests up to at least 11 (I’m happy with strips ordered from www.indigo.com )
Glass jar (spigot at bottom is useful)
Turkey baster or 50cc syringe (esp. if you don’t have a spigot on the jar)
Pyrex measuring cup.
Ingredients needed:
Coarse sea salt. The gray kind that looks damp—clumps together—is best. I get it from Trader Joe’s for $3.79/2-cup jar. Or you can order Dead Sea Salt directly from www.snowdriftfarm.com
Lye (Red Devil Lye is in most groceries in the Drano section). You can also order food grade lye from www.snowdriftfarm.com
Gallon of Distilled water
White distilled vinegar
Preparation: Do this over the sink, out of the way.
Pour one cup of distilled water in Pyrex measuring cup that’s sitting in the sink. Add two tablespoons of lye powder. Standing back from the sink so fumes don’t get in your eyes, stir powder til it dissolves. Note: The water will get hot. If lye powder contacts your skin or clothes, remove it immediately with water and soap---take off the clothing immediately. The powder will eat through clothing and skin.
Place the squirt bottle or dropper bottle in the sink and pour the lye solution into the bottle. If water is still hot, leave the lid loosely placed over the top. You can fasten it later, when the water cools down.
Instructions:
Pour 4 cups of water in a bowl and dissolve 1cup of salt in the water. (Different brands of salt have different yields. Dead Sea salt takes 1/8 cup per gallon.)
Strain salt water thru coffee filters into the second bowl. You will probably have to use many coffee filters, as there’s a lot of “stuff” in sea salt.
With pH paper ready, start adding dropperfuls (or very small squirts) of lye-water to the salt water, STIRRING CONSTANTLY. (Vary your stir pattern, as the lye-water will tend to concentrate on one section unless you blend it everywhere.)
Check the pH of the water. You want the pH to reach 10 without going as high as 11. It will rise slowly til it gets to about 9, and then will go faster. When it gets to about 10 it will suddenly rise FAST. If it gets as high as 11, add a few drops of vinegar to bring the PH back down.
Note: The reason for the exact pH reading is that the m-state elements will drop out of the water at just over 10.5. If you go too high, other elements (“Gilchrist Elements”) will drop out of the water, and they are bad for you. So you want the pH to stay under 11. (10.78 to be exact).
When the correct pH is reached, check several places in the water to make sure it’s evenly distributed.
Pour water in large jar. Let it settle for at least 4 hours. Overnight is best. A white or grey precipitate will form at the bottom of the jar.
When 4-12 hours has passed, drain or siphon off the clear water (salt water), and refill the bottle with distilled or good drinking water. (You may keep this water, adding more distilled to it and raising the pH to get more precipitate.) Shake it and let it settle again. This is called “washing the precipitate”.
Wash the precipitate at least 3 times with clean water, each time shaking it and letting it settle at least 4 hours before repeating.
After the last wash, pour the “slurry” of grey/white powder and water into a glass jar with a lid and save it for use. Store it away from electric or magnetic fields.
Since Ormus is strongly affected by intent and by energy fields, it seems to increase its potency if you surround it with high-energy objects. These range from crystals, to photos of beloved teachers or grandmothers, to written intentions of goals, etc.
How to use If you choose to ingest it, start with about a half teaspoon twice a day. If you take too much at the beginning you may go into a “healing crisis” as your body detoxes.
It has also been applied directly to the skin to improve scars, age spots, wrinkles, discolorations, etc.
Pets and plants love it. (You don’t need to use much on plants to get huge yields. If you use TOO much, yield drops. The ratio, for what it’s worth, is 3 gallons per acre once a season. I’ve also heard one-half cup per five gallons of water.) Flowering plants bloom like mad after receiving just a drop of Ormus in their water.
Links
Overview
Ormus for plants $55
Ormus Gold, 1 oz $84
Our Ormus Gold is created by concentrating metallic gold to 99.999% purity (most gold coins advertised as pure or 99.999% are actually 98.4% to 98.6% pure). We take pure gold and purify it. This metallic gold is then transformed into Ormus Gold via our patent pending process developed over 13 years of research.
Recipe
Equipment needed:
2 Stainless steel or pyrex bowls, to hold at least ½ gallon volume each
Coffee filters
Strainer to hold coffee filters (coffee pot top is ok unless aluminum.) Do not use aluminum.
Squirt bottle with good lid, or dropper bottle
pH paper that tests up to at least 11 (I’m happy with strips ordered from www.indigo.com )
Glass jar (spigot at bottom is useful)
Turkey baster or 50cc syringe (esp. if you don’t have a spigot on the jar)
Pyrex measuring cup.
Ingredients needed:
Coarse sea salt. The gray kind that looks damp—clumps together—is best. I get it from Trader Joe’s for $3.79/2-cup jar. Or you can order Dead Sea Salt directly from www.snowdriftfarm.com
Lye (Red Devil Lye is in most groceries in the Drano section). You can also order food grade lye from www.snowdriftfarm.com
Gallon of Distilled water
White distilled vinegar
Preparation: Do this over the sink, out of the way.
Pour one cup of distilled water in Pyrex measuring cup that’s sitting in the sink. Add two tablespoons of lye powder. Standing back from the sink so fumes don’t get in your eyes, stir powder til it dissolves. Note: The water will get hot. If lye powder contacts your skin or clothes, remove it immediately with water and soap---take off the clothing immediately. The powder will eat through clothing and skin.
Place the squirt bottle or dropper bottle in the sink and pour the lye solution into the bottle. If water is still hot, leave the lid loosely placed over the top. You can fasten it later, when the water cools down.
Instructions:
Pour 4 cups of water in a bowl and dissolve 1cup of salt in the water. (Different brands of salt have different yields. Dead Sea salt takes 1/8 cup per gallon.)
Strain salt water thru coffee filters into the second bowl. You will probably have to use many coffee filters, as there’s a lot of “stuff” in sea salt.
With pH paper ready, start adding dropperfuls (or very small squirts) of lye-water to the salt water, STIRRING CONSTANTLY. (Vary your stir pattern, as the lye-water will tend to concentrate on one section unless you blend it everywhere.)
Check the pH of the water. You want the pH to reach 10 without going as high as 11. It will rise slowly til it gets to about 9, and then will go faster. When it gets to about 10 it will suddenly rise FAST. If it gets as high as 11, add a few drops of vinegar to bring the PH back down.
Note: The reason for the exact pH reading is that the m-state elements will drop out of the water at just over 10.5. If you go too high, other elements (“Gilchrist Elements”) will drop out of the water, and they are bad for you. So you want the pH to stay under 11. (10.78 to be exact).
When the correct pH is reached, check several places in the water to make sure it’s evenly distributed.
Pour water in large jar. Let it settle for at least 4 hours. Overnight is best. A white or grey precipitate will form at the bottom of the jar.
When 4-12 hours has passed, drain or siphon off the clear water (salt water), and refill the bottle with distilled or good drinking water. (You may keep this water, adding more distilled to it and raising the pH to get more precipitate.) Shake it and let it settle again. This is called “washing the precipitate”.
Wash the precipitate at least 3 times with clean water, each time shaking it and letting it settle at least 4 hours before repeating.
After the last wash, pour the “slurry” of grey/white powder and water into a glass jar with a lid and save it for use. Store it away from electric or magnetic fields.
Since Ormus is strongly affected by intent and by energy fields, it seems to increase its potency if you surround it with high-energy objects. These range from crystals, to photos of beloved teachers or grandmothers, to written intentions of goals, etc.
How to use If you choose to ingest it, start with about a half teaspoon twice a day. If you take too much at the beginning you may go into a “healing crisis” as your body detoxes.
It has also been applied directly to the skin to improve scars, age spots, wrinkles, discolorations, etc.
Pets and plants love it. (You don’t need to use much on plants to get huge yields. If you use TOO much, yield drops. The ratio, for what it’s worth, is 3 gallons per acre once a season. I’ve also heard one-half cup per five gallons of water.) Flowering plants bloom like mad after receiving just a drop of Ormus in their water.
App/Hardware For Avalanche Beacon
Avalanche beacon transceivers cost over $200. Can the antenna/amp be packed so it communicates with a smartphone app that has the logic?
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Credit Card Case Attached To Smartphones
Until smartphones widely allow for mobile payment, we will continue to carry credit cards.
This case fits on the back of an Apple iPhone. At $19.95 it seems overpriced. The two screen protectors are typical bundling for Costco products. Price includes shipping & handling.
This case fits on the back of an Apple iPhone. At $19.95 it seems overpriced. The two screen protectors are typical bundling for Costco products. Price includes shipping & handling.
Capture Heat & Make Charcoal
Can this be scaled up to 55 gallon drums?
What improvements?
What improvements?
- wood size, dryness, type
- rotate drum for stirring
- air/oxygen control
- capture heat
- measure: burn duration; oxygen in; oxygen and other gases out; heat out
For Truckers: ScaleOpenOrClosed.com
If doing video reading of scales, create a website that shows if scale is open or not. scaleOpenOrClosed.com
Factoring
Factoring is a financial transaction whereby a business job sells its accounts receivable (i.e., invoices) to a third party (called a factor) at a discount.
There must be good margin in this business, as firms are advertising on the web to consumers.
We Buy Structured Settlements, Annuities & Lottery Payments for Lump Sum Cash.If We Do Not Beat Your Offer We Will Give You $500.00 Cash
There must be good margin in this business, as firms are advertising on the web to consumers.
We Buy Structured Settlements, Annuities & Lottery Payments for Lump Sum Cash.If We Do Not Beat Your Offer We Will Give You $500.00 Cash
Hobby Plastic
Shape-moldable plastic is used by hobbyists. Likely very cheap in large quantities.
How much profit to buy large quantities, repackage, and resell?
1/2 kilo is $24.95
How much profit to buy large quantities, repackage, and resell?
1/2 kilo is $24.95
Medic Alert via Smartphone App
Established services may be taken by a smartphone app/service. The monthly fee could subsidize a smartphone, or subsidize the dongle that would communicate via bluetooth to a smartphone.
http://www.lifestation.com
Annual $26.95/month
Quarterly $27.95/month
Monthly $28.95/month
http://www.medicalalert.com
29.95/month
http://philips.lifelinesystems.com
monthly fee
2 services:
"The standard Lifeline Service provides quick access to help at the push of a button."
"All the benefits of our standard medical alert service plus the only medical alert pendant that can call for help if it detects a fall."
__________________________________________________
This hardware starts at $275. Built on home DIY monitoring system.
__________________________________________________
Free smartphone pedometer app:
http://www.amazon.com/Tiger-SmartExercise/dp/B004VSHFI2
__________________________________________________
Kyocera, a Japanese company, is manufacturing this device in hardware with an easy-use phone. In the USA, there is a non-smart phone targeted at elderly that is a stripped-down flip phone with big buttons.
1) Basic cell phone with a simple 2-inch QVGA display, three large buttons (and hardly any other bells and whistles).
2) Pedometer that tracks how many steps the user has taken and sends this data to a caretaker automatically via e-mail.
With GPS module, caretaker can monitor the location of the user and which routes they have taken.
[ Reports from: Pedometer + GPS ]
Sensor into the cradle of the phone which counts the number of times the user passes by the cradle and emails this data to caretaker.
[ RFID or Bluetooth. Seems worthless, if Pedometer + GPS is working. ]
3) Alarm function. In the case of an emergency, users can pull strap attached to phone to trigger an alarm sound and send an email to caretaker.
[ Make an RFID pendant to wear around neck that communicates with smartphone and/or charging base. ]
Early earthquake warning function and shortcuts to certain emergency numbers.
[ Add-on features ]
http://www.lifestation.com
Annual $26.95/month
Quarterly $27.95/month
Monthly $28.95/month
http://www.medicalalert.com
29.95/month
http://philips.lifelinesystems.com
monthly fee
2 services:
"The standard Lifeline Service provides quick access to help at the push of a button."
"All the benefits of our standard medical alert service plus the only medical alert pendant that can call for help if it detects a fall."
__________________________________________________
This hardware starts at $275. Built on home DIY monitoring system.
__________________________________________________
Free smartphone pedometer app:
http://www.amazon.com/Tiger-SmartExercise/dp/B004VSHFI2
__________________________________________________
Kyocera, a Japanese company, is manufacturing this device in hardware with an easy-use phone. In the USA, there is a non-smart phone targeted at elderly that is a stripped-down flip phone with big buttons.
1) Basic cell phone with a simple 2-inch QVGA display, three large buttons (and hardly any other bells and whistles).
2) Pedometer that tracks how many steps the user has taken and sends this data to a caretaker automatically via e-mail.
With GPS module, caretaker can monitor the location of the user and which routes they have taken.
[ Reports from: Pedometer + GPS ]
Sensor into the cradle of the phone which counts the number of times the user passes by the cradle and emails this data to caretaker.
[ RFID or Bluetooth. Seems worthless, if Pedometer + GPS is working. ]
3) Alarm function. In the case of an emergency, users can pull strap attached to phone to trigger an alarm sound and send an email to caretaker.
[ Make an RFID pendant to wear around neck that communicates with smartphone and/or charging base. ]
Early earthquake warning function and shortcuts to certain emergency numbers.
[ Add-on features ]
Automatically Mute TV
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Roll Cigarettes To Avoid Taxes
'Roll your own' machines means profits for operators and smokers -- and losses for tax collectors
The following is over-stated. Use 3 turns per hour, instead of 5. http://www.ryofillingstation.com/profit.php
The store would be private, only for those in the partnership/co-op. Each member can bring in a guest, though the guest may not purchase anything.
Sell organic and non-organic bulk tobacco. Rent rolling machine by the use/minute.
Sell herbs and remedies.
Sell free-range non-hormone meats, eggs, cheese. Sell raw milk.
Franchise/license the back-office support, startup, and management coaching of this business model.
Risk - change of state tax law or federal tax law.
After they buy the loose tobacco and the tube papers, they rent time at the smoke shop's $35,000, freezer-sized rolling machine, which can roll a full carton in about 10 to 15 minutes. Eight ounces of loose tobacco -- which isn't assessed a wholesale tax in Pennsylvania, the only state without such a tax -- nets 200 cigarettes.
Employees of the tobacco shops will guide novice buyers through the process of using the filling stations, but they don't operate the machines themselves.
... They only make four cartons an hour," or about 800 cigarettes.
... RYO Machine Rentals boasts that tobacco store owners will see a 300 percent return on investment in the first year of putting in a machine, depending on what they charge to use the machine. "You can expect a 20-30 percent margin on a carton of RYO produced in your store," the company says.
The following is over-stated. Use 3 turns per hour, instead of 5. http://www.ryofillingstation.com/profit.php
The store would be private, only for those in the partnership/co-op. Each member can bring in a guest, though the guest may not purchase anything.
Sell organic and non-organic bulk tobacco. Rent rolling machine by the use/minute.
Sell herbs and remedies.
Sell free-range non-hormone meats, eggs, cheese. Sell raw milk.
Franchise/license the back-office support, startup, and management coaching of this business model.
Risk - change of state tax law or federal tax law.
Skin Lotions
Emu oil is good for lotions, though somewhat expensive.
Create lotions for specific ailments:
Create lotions for specific ailments:
- super dry flaking skin
- herbs for anti-inflammatory
- hot pepper for anti-pain
Low-Income Mobile Phone Subsidy
Apparently MetroPCS Communications provides subsidized mobile phone service to those who qualify for low-income assistance. Buy space on a MVNO network for this purpose.
2012, Another MVNO startup:
2012, Another MVNO startup:
Ting stack up against other providers that use Sprint's network? A plan from Ting that gets you 500 minutes of talk time, 4,000 text messages, and 1GB of data costs $50 per month. A similar plan from Sprint costs $49.99 per month, with an additional $15 or $30 for data, depending on the services you choose.
Boost, meanwhile, offers unlimited talk, text, and data for Android phones for $55 per month. That price reduces by $5 every six months you pay your bill on time, until you reach $40 per month. Virgin offers the same unlimited option for $55 per month, minus the price reduction over time. Or you can get unlimited text messages and data with 300 minutes of talk time for $35 per month, or with 1,200 minutes of talk time for $45.
Vehicle Oil/Engine Pre-heat
Small element powered by battery to heat engine oil or engine coolant. These are widely available in plug-in models.
Like coolant in the Toyota Prius, use an insulated canister that traps the heat. This can be integrated with a smaller heating device and integrated with electric coolant circulator. Heating considerable energy, so capacitor storage may be appropriate, if this would be worthwhile for the heat generated.
Like coolant in the Toyota Prius, use an insulated canister that traps engine oil heat. Could be very useful in vehicles with electric engine oil pump.
This would be useful in very cold climates to help engine starting.
Like coolant in the Toyota Prius, use an insulated canister that traps the heat. This can be integrated with a smaller heating device and integrated with electric coolant circulator. Heating considerable energy, so capacitor storage may be appropriate, if this would be worthwhile for the heat generated.
Like coolant in the Toyota Prius, use an insulated canister that traps engine oil heat. Could be very useful in vehicles with electric engine oil pump.
This would be useful in very cold climates to help engine starting.
Saturday, October 08, 2011
SaaS - Program Management For Literacy
This firm is going SaaS.
JOB DESCRIPTION
The Software Developer will possess a solid, consistent track record of development experience in a web oriented n-tier ASP.NET environment. You will have a broad background in ASP.NET, C# and XML technologies, as well as an advanced understanding of SQL Server 2005 or later including complex queries, stored procedures and triggers.
JOB DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
• The primary job duties of the Software Developer are as follows:
• Work with the team to determine software development projects, project requirements, and business priorities
• Work with your team to accurately define work estimates, development priorities, schedules, resource requirements, and release plans
• Drive yourself and the team to meet deliverables in different phases of software development: technical design, implementation, testing, and deployment
• Drive and influence the team to create robust, maintainable, and high performance code baselines
WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TEAM:
Technical Skills
• 2+ years of ASP.NET, C# and XML experience.
• 2+ years of MS SQL 2005/2008 experience
• Experience in analyzing and writing complex queries and stored procedures
• Understanding of agile development processes
• 1+ years of object oriented design experience
• 1+ years Windows IIS web server experience
• 1+ years of web technology experience: HTML, CSS, AJAX, ASP.NET;
• Experience in reports development is preferred; (SSRS, LogiXML Ad-Hoc and/or ActiveReports for .NET is optimal)
Thursday, October 06, 2011
Liquor Law Compliance
"ShipCompliant provides compliance software for wineries, spirits producers and importers to comply with local and state wine and liquor regulations."
Wednesday, October 05, 2011
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
IRS Vehicle Expense Log
For those not using per-mile and instead using actual costs, there needs to be a log. This ties in to the vehicle fuel / odometer apps.
Gift Certificate / Prepaid Card
Provide plug-in web service to allow tiny restaurants to sell gift certificates and prepaid cards.Service would take credit card, mail physical gift cert, and load prepaid card onto person's account which they carry on their phone.
Store/restaurant would take paper gift certs like usual - with tracking number managed by the service and tracking number / bar code so store can scan to validate and mark it as used.
For prepay, customer holds up picture on phone, or sends acct # via rfid. Store's dedicated smartphone (or small appliance) reads, goes to web service to validate and deduct from their account.
As add-on, upsell simple website for tiny restaurants that have no web presence.
If restaurant wants, put them on a list of all available restaurants.
Consider allowing someone to buy $ into an overall card that works at any of the restaurants.
___________________________________________________________
Most retailers outsource their gift-card operations to third-party processors, such as First Data, Ceridian Stored Value Solutions, and Safeway (SWY). These companies tend to function more like IT operations than financial institutions because they control databases of information as opposed to cash.
Store/restaurant would take paper gift certs like usual - with tracking number managed by the service and tracking number / bar code so store can scan to validate and mark it as used.
For prepay, customer holds up picture on phone, or sends acct # via rfid. Store's dedicated smartphone (or small appliance) reads, goes to web service to validate and deduct from their account.
As add-on, upsell simple website for tiny restaurants that have no web presence.
If restaurant wants, put them on a list of all available restaurants.
Consider allowing someone to buy $ into an overall card that works at any of the restaurants.
___________________________________________________________
Most retailers outsource their gift-card operations to third-party processors, such as First Data, Ceridian Stored Value Solutions, and Safeway (SWY). These companies tend to function more like IT operations than financial institutions because they control databases of information as opposed to cash.
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