text:
US20070016505A1 - Method and system for automatically identifying discrepancies from sale of a gift card - Google Patents
Method and system for automatically identifying discrepancies from sale of a gift card Download PDF
transactional data
Jonathan Shebson
Lauryn Watanabe
David Glettner
HQ Gift Cards LLC
2006-07-17 Application filed by HQ Gift Cards LLC filed Critical HQ Gift Cards LLC
2006-07-17 Assigned to HQ GIFT CARDS, LLC reassignment HQ GIFT CARDS, LLC ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: GLETTNER, DAVID A., SHEBSON, JONATHAN S., WATANABE, LAURYN J.
2008-01-18 Assigned to HG GIFT CARDS, LLC reassignment HG GIFT CARDS, LLC CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE EXECUTION DATES OF TWO OF THE ASSIGNORS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 018119 FRAME 0640. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE EXECUTION DATES AS LISTED HEREIN. Assignors: WATANABE, LAURYN J., GLETTNER, DAVID A., SHEBSON, JONATHAN S.
G06Q20/382—Payment protocols; Details thereof insuring higher security of transaction
G06Q20/403—Solvency checks
G06Q20/4037—Remote solvency checks
G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
G07F17/00—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services
G07F17/42—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services for ticket printing or like apparatus, e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
A method and system for automatically identifying discrepancies resulting from the initial sale and servicing of a third party gift card using a central reconciliation system. The central reconciliation system receives and analyzes gift card sale transaction data from multiple sources. A first source is a point of sale, such as a booth or kiosk at a store or shopping center, the second source is a processor, and a third source is a bank. The central reconciliation system receives transaction data associated with the gift card sale from each source and automatically analyzes and compares the data to identify any discrepancies so that any discrepancy can be resolved. Reports can be generated on-demand via menu-driven selections or options showing the discrepancies and reconciliation thereof, and the reports can be accessed by a user via a standard network connection, such as the Internet, or provided to a user.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of Provisional Patent Application No. 60/700,516 entitled "System and Method for Reconciling Gift Card Transactions" filed Jul. 18, 2005, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The invention generally relates to financial transactions and, in particular, to automatically identifying and reconciling accounting discrepancies resulting from the initial sale and servicing of a gift card.
Prepaid gift cards are becoming increasingly popular and replacing gift certificates to provide customers purchasing power anywhere the gift cards are accepted. Purchasing power using a gift card is thus limited by the programmed value. Common prepaid gift card denominations include $10, $50 and $100, however the funds load on to the gift card are variable from as little as $1 to thousands of dollars. A gift card entitles the purchaser or holder to subsequently purchase products or services at a commercial establishment, such as a store in a shopping mall, up to the programmed or loaded amount. The gift card can be for purchases of multiple retailer products in an individual store, a restaurant, an association or a group of stores (e.g., a mall or shopping center). In general, the gift card is typically redeemable for the programmed or loaded amount.
A gift card appears and functions like a credit card. However, gift cards are significantly different compared to a credit card since a gift card draws upon a pre-programmed, loaded or stored value. A credit card, in contrast, provides a line of credit that must be paid back at a later time. Further, a gift card, as the name implies, is often provided as a gift, whereas credit cards typically are not and remain with the credit card holder. Additionally, gift cards are not discount certificates or coupons since a discount certificate or coupon is redeemed for a discount on a purchase of an item, but does not provide a given programmed value or credit for the purchase of the item itself. Further, discount certificates or coupons typically are not provided as gifts.
Referring to FIG. 1A, one known system 100 for processing the initial sale or purchase of a gift card typically includes a point of sale (POS) 102, a card processor 104 and a bank 106. A POS "sells" the gift card to a customer or purchaser at a store or commercial establishment. The "initial sale" and "initial purchase" are synonymous and are different terms referring to the same initial sale but with respect to different parties in the transaction. For example, when a customer purchases a gift card, the POS 102 of that establishment directly communicates with the gift card processor 104 of the gift card and a banking institution when applicable. The gift card processor, however, typically does not communicate with the banking institution in which the purchased funds are deposited.
Referring to FIG. 1B, conventional up-data flow 150 occurs between a plurality of entities including POS (point of sale) terminals 158, mall management 156, regional-management 154, and port~folio/corporate management 152. In general, the portfolio/corporate management entity 152 represents one or more regional management entities 154, the regional management entities each represent one or more mall management entities 156, and the mall management entities 156 each represent one or more POS terminals 158 that are typically provided in perspective stores within the mall's retail area.
According to one embodiment, one or more POS terminals 158 send transactional data of gift card sales to the mall management 156, the mall management 156 transfers the gift card transactional data to the regional management 154, and the regional management 154 transfers the gift card transaction data to the portfolio/corporate management 152. Hence, transactional data of gift card sales is sent to the portfolio/corporate management 152 via up-data flow. In general, up-data flow refers to the direction of data flow from the POS terminal 158 to the portfolio/corporate management 152.
Reconciling the data generated by the sales of gift cards can be cumbersome since the parties do not reconcile transactions involving gift card sales with each other. The three parties do not check the amount of funds that is loaded matches the funds deposited into the bank which should match the amount sold. Given the lack of an effective tracking and reconciliation system, one or more discrepancies or errors in the reports of one or more parties may arise. For example, one known method of reconciling gift card sales involves an accountant who must manually review individual printed reports from each party involved in the gift card sale to determine whether any discrepancy exits. This manual process is tedious, labor intensive, expensive and time consuming. Moreover, this process can be prone to human error. In addition, the current system relies on reports being prepared by the mall, which is then passed on to the region, which is then passed on to the corporate offices. This method is error prone (e.g. a mall incorrectly calculated it sales, these errors are then rolled all the way up to the corporate office, which effect everyone's sales data). These shortcomings are compounded considering the large number of gift card sales and various POS, bank and processor parties, each of which may utilize different reporting formats which may or may not be compatible.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a method and system that can automatically identify and resolve discrepancies resulting from the initial sale (or purchase) of a gift card without the need for manual analysis. The method and system should achieve these results quickly, easily and accurately. The method and system should also allow users to generate reports showing various transactional data and discrepancies and how the discrepancies can be resolved. The method and system should also be accessible by various parties directly and remotely. Embodiments of the invention fulfill these unmet needs.
Embodiments of the invention are directed to a system and method for identifying any discrepancies that may result from the initial sale of a gift card including a third party gift card, e.g., at a shopping mall, store, a group of stores or other high volume commercial establishment.
According to one embodiment, a method for automatically identifying and reconciling a discrepancy resulting from a sale of a gift card includes receiving, at a central reconciliation server, first transactional data from a first source involved in the gift card sale, second transactional data from a second source involved in the gift card sale, and third transactional data from a third source involved in the gift card sale and automatically identifying any discrepancy in the first transactional data, the second transactional data and the third transactional data at the central reconciliation server.
According to one aspect, the method includes generating a report identifying any discrepancy, storing the report in the central reconciliation server and/or providing the report on demand over the Internet to a user. The user manages the gift card sale transaction, wherein the user, for example, is a shopping center or mall. The user may be provided access to the report via a standard network connection (such as the Internet) and on-demand menu-driven selections.
According to another aspect, automatically identifying any discrepancy includes automatically comparing the first transactional data, the second transactional data and the third transactional data from respective first, second and third sources to verify the accuracy of each transactional data received from each source. This may be performed without reliance on user input, and any discrepancy may be automatically reconciled.
According to another aspect, the first transactional data may be received from a point of sale device, a web-based pos application, an apparatus, a system, a store, service booth, a kiosk, online shopping website and/or a shopping center or a mall. The second transactional data may be received from a processor, such as, for example, a stored value processor or issuer. The third transactional data may be received from a bank in which the funds are deposited and swept.
According to another embodiment, a method for automatically identifying and reconciling a discrepancy resulting from a sale of a gift card includes receiving, at a central reconciliation server, first transactional data from a point of sale, second transactional data from a processor of the gift card and third transactional data from a bank. The method includes automatically identifying any discrepancy in the first transactional data from the point of sale, the second transactional data from the processor and the third transactional data from the bank at the central reconciliation server.
According to one embodiment, a system for automatically identifying and reconciling a discrepancy resulting from a sale of a gift card includes a first source that generates an initial request related to the initial sale of a gift card and first transactional data of the gift card sale, a second source that authorizes the request for the initial sale of the gift card and generates second transactional data of the authorization, and a third source that receives funds for the initial sale of the gift card from the first source and generates transactional data of received funds. The system includes a central reconciler that receives the first transactional data from the first source, the second transactional data from the second source, and the third transactional data from the third source and automatically identifies any discrepancy between and/or of the first transactional data, the second transactional data and the third transactional data.
According to another embodiment, a system for automatically identifying and reconciling a discrepancy resulting from a sale of a gift card includes a point of sale that generates a request related to the initial sale of a gift card and first transactional data of the initial gift card sale, a processor that authorizes the request for the initial gift card sale and generates second transactional data of the authorization, and a bank that receives funds for the initial gift card sale from the point of sale and generates transactional data of received funds. The system includes a central reconciler that receives first transactional data from the point of sale, second transactional data from the processor, and third transactional data from the bank, and automatically identifies any discrepancies between and/or of the first, second and third transactional data.
These and other objects and advantages of the present teachings will become more fully apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1A is a block diagram of a conventional gift card processing method;
FIG. 1B is a block diagram of conventional up-data flow;
FIG. 2A is a block diagram of a system for identifying discrepancies resulting from the initial sale of a gift card that includes multiple sources, each of which provides transactional data to a central reconciliation system according to one embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2B is a block diagram of a system for identifying discrepancies resulting from the initial sale of a gift card including a point of sale, a processor and a bank that provide data to a central reconciliation system according to one embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2C is a block diagram of direct comparison of the transactional data by the central reconciliation system according to one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2D is a block diagram of down-data flow according to one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 illustrates reports that can be generated according to embodiments of the invention;
FIG. 4 is a transactional data flow diagram illustrating a method of identifying transactional data flow from the initial sale of a gift card according to one embodiment of the invention; and
FIG. 5 is a flow chart for determining whether any discrepancy results from the initial sale of a gift card according to one embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS
Embodiments of the invention provide a method and system for automatically identifying any discrepancies that may result from a sale of a gift card. Embodiments of the invention are directed to the initial sale and servicing (initial crediting or programming) of a gift card rather than processing subsequent purchases of goods and services using a gift card that was previously purchased programmed. The terms "initial sale" and "initial purchase" are synonymous since they both involve the initial crediting and programming of the gift card relative to different parties in the transaction. Embodiments of the invention provide a central reconciliation system or server that receives transactional data from each party or source involved in the initial sale (or purchase) of a gift card, including a Point Of Sale (POS), a bank and a processor including a stored value processor or issuer. The central reconciliation server, if necessary, formats or converts one or more sets of data from these sources into an understandable or common format, analyzes the data, and advantageously automatically identifies any discrepancies in the data. For example, one of the gift cards may have been in the amount of $100, but for some reason, a discrepancy may result in one of the other parties believing that that the amount programmed was other than $100. The central reconciliation server can also generate an indication of a discrepancy or a report that show transactional data and discrepancies of gift card sales. If any discrepancies are identified, they can then be resolved, e.g., by other research methods as appropriate. These and other advantages of embodiments of the invention are described with reference to FIGS. 2A-5.
Referring to FIG. 2A, according to one embodiment, a system 200 for identifying and reconciling any discrepancies resulting from the initial sale or purchase of a gift card includes a first source or party 202, a second source or party 204, a third source or party 206 and a central reconciler 210. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the central reconciler 210 can be a server, a computer or other processing unit or a team of people. For purposes of explanation, not limitation, this specification refers to a central reconciliation server 210.
The first source 202 generates a request to purchase a gift card and first transactional data 203 of the gift card purchase. The first transactional data 203 or first raw data can include files digitally transmitted in an open text format through a transmission network, like the internet, these files contain detailed transaction data of the actual gift card sales processed by the POS. The second source 204 authorizes the request for the gift card purchase and generates second transactional data 205 or second raw data of the authorization. The second transactional data can include files digitally transmitted in an open text format through a transmission network, like the internet, these files contain detailed funding data for funds loaded onto the gift cards. The third source 206 receives funds for the gift card purchase from the first source 202 and generates third transactional data 207 of the received funds. The third transactional data 207 or third raw data can include files digitally transmitted in an open text format through a transmission network, like the internet, these files include summary transactions of the amounts of funds deposited into various bank institutions and commercial banks. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the terms "first," "second" and "third" are used to refer to different sources and transactional data from these different sources. Thus, "first," "second" and "third" do not refer to a particular sequence or order since different transaction data may generated and provided to the central reconciliation server 210 at the same or different times.
Referring to FIG. 2A, the central reconciliation server 210 receives first transactional data 203 from the first source, second transactional data 205 from the second source 204 and third transactional data 207 from the third source 206. In some instances, one type of data may be in a different format than the other types of data. The central reconciliation server can reformat or reorganize the data (or the data fields) as necessary for subsequent processing and analysis. According to one embodiment, the first, second and third sources 202, 204 and 206 send respective data directly to the central reconciliation server 210, e.g., via a standard communication network, such as a telephone line, a wireless network, the Internet, an Intranet, etc. In the illustrated embodiment, data is transmitted from each source to the central reconciliation server as unidirectional or one-way communications. Thus, the central reconciliation server does not send data to the sources, and the sources do not communicate with each other.
The first, second and third transactional data 203, 205 and 207 are locally stored in the central reconciliation server 210, e.g., in memory, a database, a data store, etc. This specification refers to a database 212 for purposes of explanation. The central reconciliation server 210 analyzes the multiple sets of stored data 203, 205 and 207 and automatically searches for, locates and/or identifies any discrepancies of the transactional data and information received from the first, second and third sources 202, 204, 206. In one aspect, discrepancies can be identified by reviewing the data and looking for inconsistencies, for example the first source data may say that there has been $100 worth of cards sold while the second source data reports that there has only been $97 worth of cards sold. The system compares data 203 to 207 (the correct amount of funds have been loaded on the gift card), then 203 to 205 (the correct amount funds have been deposited into the bank), then 205 to 207 (the correct amount of bank funds to be available for processor or issuer sweeping, and subsequently swept) concurrently. Depending on where the discrepancy is identified, further research is done with the source that does not match the other two sources. The identification of discrepancies occurs throughout the various reporting modules for each data type.
The results 220 of the discrepancy analysis can be stored in the database 212 elsewhere as necessary. The results 220 can be in the form an indicator (whether or not any discrepancy exists). Alternatively, the central reconciliation server can generate a report as, for example, an output report. The report can show whether any discrepancy exists and/or related data relating to the comparisons of the transactional data and information received from each source 202, 204, 206. In addition, the central reconciliation server 210 locally stores the generated reports for each source in the database 212. In addition to the central reconciliation server 210 generating an indication or report, managers or accountants of shopping centers or malls can also directly input supplemental transactional data and information in the server and database. In one aspect, some of the supplemental information can generally be qualitative rather than quantitative including the company name, person name, address phone number that assist in contacting consumers for future promotions and/or include explanation and/or comments for any discrepancy or timing difference; e.g., the management/user can communicate with the central reconciliation server via a standard communication network to provide explanation or comments thereto.
Referring now to FIG. 2B, according to one embodiment, the first source 202 is a point of sale (POS) that provides reporting data on a transaction-by-transaction basis. The POS may be, for example, at a store, a shopping center or a mall. The POS can be within a common area of the shopping center or mall or within an individual store. Further, the POS can be a kiosk or a service booth, such as a self-service kiosk or service booth used by shoppers. In a further embodiment, the POS can be virtual or an online shopping website on a standard communication network, such as the Internet. It should be appreciated that the reconciliation system of the present invention can be used in any high volume multiple retailer location, such as, but not limited to, casinos, resorts, cruise lines, malls, city centers, universities, colleges, etc.
In one aspect, the shopping centers or malls manage login to the POS system through which the cards are sold, manage collection of payments, such as paper payments (cash or check) and credit card payments, e.g., Visa, MasterCard, Discover, Amex, etc., and manage depositing of funds in the shopping center banking institution. The POS provides basic reporting on gift card sales at the transaction level. The transaction data that is received from the POS is disseminated from the POS back to the management and filtered down through the management structure.
As shown in FIG. 2B, according to one embodiment, the second source 204 is a stored value processor or issuer. Stored value processors produce and maintain electronic records that represent the accounts for supporting gift cards. The accounts are generally guaranteed by the issuers who hold funds and make the gift cards available for redemption. Redemption generally rides over electronic fund networks. The processor, like the POS, also provides data on a transaction by transaction basis.
According to one embodiment, the third source 206 is a bank or other similar banking institution, such as a commercial bank where a business or shopping center conducts banking transactions. The bank manages one or more bank accounts. The management office deposits funds into the one or more bank accounts. The funds that can be deposited include cash, check and electronic funds transfer. (EFT) deposits. EFT deposits can include large orders as well as funds received for purchases made with credit cards.
Referring to FIG. 2C, according to one embodiment, the central reconciliation server 210 advantageously automatically identifies any discrepancies in the transactional data 203, 205 and 207 from respective sources 202, 204 and 206 by directly comparing the received transactional data from each source 202, 204, 206 and verifying the similarity of the received transactional data and identifies any differences. The results of this analysis, according to one embodiment, are presented in a summary of the results or a report 220 of FIG. 2B, which may be stored in the database 212 of FIG. 2B.
Referring to FIG. 2D, according to one embodiment, down-data flow 250 occurs between the central reconciliation server 210 and a mall management entity 256, a regional management entity 254, and a portfolio/corporate management entity 252. The central reconciliation server 210 receives transactional data from the sources 202, 204, 206, processes the transactional data by identifying and/or reconciling the transactional data as discussed herein, and then provides via down-data flow one or more reports 220 of any discrepancy analysis to the portfolio/corporate management 252, the regional management 254 and/or the mall management 256, which may include the management/user 230 of FIG. 2A. In general, down-data flow refers to the direction of data flow including report data 220 from the central reconciliation server 210 to the portfolio/corporate management 252, the regional management 254, and the mall management 256 including management/user 230.
According to one aspect, at least the mall management 256 or management/user 230 may access the reports 220 from the central reconciliation server 210 via a standard communication network, including the Internet, email, facsimile, etc.
Referring to FIG. 3, the central reconciliation server 210 of FIGS. 2A-2D receives transactional raw data and information from one or more sources that is sometimes unclear and difficult to understand. During processing, the central reconciliation server 210 refines the received raw data into a user-friendly report, and pertinent data is pulled for relevant discrepancy reports. The report 220 can be generated by the central reconciliation server 210, or the data from the reconciler can be provided to another element that generates the report. The received transactional data and information from each source 202, 204, 206 and any generated reports for any of the sources 202, 204, 206 can be stored in the database 212 of the central reconciliation server 210 or another data store or memory.
According to one embodiment, the central reconciler 210 generates at least one report 352 of the reconciled transactional data for each source 202, 204, 206. The one or more generated reports 352 may include discrepancy data and information from any financial transactions, including gift card sales transactions, during a selected period of time with on-demand menu-driven selections or options. The generated reports 352 are formatted through an online web-based application, for example, and can be run in a selected period of time that may refer to daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually and/or annually depending on a desired report schedule or selected dates, products, measurement criteria, etc.
In one embodiment, the types of reports 352 that can be generated include reconciliation reports, discrepancy reports and additional reports 354, such as, but not limited to, inventory reports, resource reports, managements reports, sales reports, corporate sales reports and "paid by mall" reports. The reconciliation type reports may include banking discrepancy reports, credit card discrepancy reports, settlement/processor discrepancy reports, POS discrepancy reports, daily sweep reports, and various other generally known reconciliation type reports. One or more reports can be generated for each source 202, 204, 206 as well as comparing the data received from the links between each source 203, 205, 207.
A banking discrepancy report captures the daily total of cash, checks and credit cards that should have been collected according to the POS apparatus and the amount received by the bank, wherein the discrepancy may include a cash, check & credit card "overs" or "shorts". Sometimes, a "short" is a source of "slippage" that the mall reimburses out of its own budget each month. Corporate sales reports are used for tracking waived fees for sales analysis and for marketing purposes. Paid by mall entries track how malls spend their marketing budget to supplement the purchase gift cards. Sales reports include a reporting component for comparison of past performance, sales viewed annually, monthly and daily, for example. Inventory management reports monitor the movement of cards at the malls, compare amount of gift cards sold and tracks lost cards that expose the mall to potential fraud, wherein proper inventory management reduces risk and keeps costs low. Monthly statements reports summarize statistics and track mall invoices, slippage, credit card information, settlement, inventory, consumer fees, commissions, sales performance analysis, etc.
The report can be provided 232 (FIGS. 2A-2D) to a user, such as management, accounting or other persons requiring access to the reports. In another embodiment, the central reconciliation server 210 is a server having the database 212 as an integrated part of the server, and a web-based operating system or application. This configuration allows a user to access 234 (FIGS. 2A-2D) and view the report and/or transactional data and related information through a web browser via a standard communication network, such as the Internet, using assigned usernames and passwords. Any discrepancies can then be identified or resolved, e.g., automatically by the central reconciliation server 210.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a system 400 for reconciling the initial sale of a gift card and further illustrates method steps associated with a gift card purchase and embodiments of the invention that identify any discrepancies resulting from the gift card purchase. A customer or gift card purchaser 402 issues (1) an initial or first request to purchase a gift card from the first source 202, such as the POS 202 (e.g., service booth or kiosk at a store or mall). The request is transferred (2) from the first source or POS 202 to the third source 206, such as the bank. Upon approval, the bank 206 funds the gift card and provides authorization (3) to the POS 202. The request is then transferred (4) from the POS 202 to the second source 204, such as the stored value processor. Authorization for the request is sent (5) from the second source 204 or processor to the POS 202, and the customer receives (6) the gift card from the first source 202. The customer may then, at a later time, use the credited gift card for future use as a financial instrument in retail location or store in the shopping center or mall. Embodiments of the invention, however, are directed to reconciling transactional data associated with the initial sale of a gift card rather than subsequent transactions following the initial sale.
FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method 500 for identifying any discrepancies resulting from the initial sale of a gift card. The method 500 includes issuing a first request to purchase a gift card from the first source (e.g., POS) in response to a customer request to purchase a gift card in step 505. The first request is transferred from the first source to the second source (e.g., processor) in step 510, and the second source sends authorization for the first request from the second source to the first source in step 515. Additionally, in step 518, the first request is also transferred from the first source to the third source (e.g., bank), and the third source receives funds for the gift card and sends authorization for the first request to the first source in step 520. Each source generates transactional data corresponding to its respective step in the gift card sale process.
In step 525, the first source generates first transactional data or first raw data and sends this data to the central reconciliation server, the second source generates second transactional data or second raw data and sends this data to the central reconciliation server, and the third source generates third transactional data or third raw data and sends this data to the central reconciliation server. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the sources may generate transactional data at the same time and/or at different times. Thus, in various aspects, the central reconciliation server can receive transactional data in parallel from multiple sources, in series, or in parallel from some sources and in series from other sources. Thus, FIG. 5 provides a single step for three separate steps for purposes of explanation and illustration, not limitation.
Continuing with step 540, the central reconciliation server automatically analyzes the data from each source to determine whether there is any discrepancy in the received sets of data. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the central reconciliation server can process and analyze data in different sequences and steps. For example, in step 545, if any discrepancy is identified, the discrepancy can be researched. According to one other embodiment, the central reconciliation server can assist with the resolution of any discrepancy. According to still one other embodiment, any discrepancies are automatically identified or resolved to the maximum extent possible by a third party reconciliation server, e.g., by the central reconciliation server.
The system and method of the invention provide for efficient reconciliation of initial sales of gift cards utilizing a central reconciliation server. Embodiments provide a web-based server and a web-based application that provides the user with convenient access to transactional data and information via a standard communication network, such as the Internet. Reconciliation and discrepancy reports can be generated in a time efficient manner and conveniently accessed via the online server and application. Systems and methods of embodiments of the invention compare and analyze transactional data and information from multiple sources (at least three different sources in the illustrated embodiments) involved in the initial gift card sale. The central reconciliation server of the invention can automatically generate daily audits and identify any discrepancies in the transactional data and information received from any of the sources. The received transactional data and information and the generated reports can be stored locally in a database on the central reconciliation server. Thus, embodiments provide significant improvements over known systems, which do not have or utilize a centralized reconciliation system, thereby providing more efficient and accurate reconciliation of gift card sales.
In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments thereof. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the above-described process flows are described with reference to a particular ordering of process actions. However, the ordering of many of the described process actions may be changed without affecting the scope or operation of the invention. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense. These and other embodiments of the present invention may be realized in accordance with the above teachings, and it should be evident that various modifications and changes may be made to the above described embodiments without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense and the invention measured only in terms of the claims.
1. A method for automatically identifying and reconciling a discrepancy resulting from a sale of a gift card, comprising:
receiving, at a central reconciliation server, first transactional data from a first source involved in the gift card sale, second transactional data from a second source involved in the gift card sale, and third transactional data from a third source involved in the gift card sale; and
automatically identifying any discrepancy in and between the first transactional data, the second transactional data and the third transactional data at the central reconciliation server.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating on demand a report identifying any discrepancy.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising storing the report in the central reconciliation server.
4. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing the report to a user.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the user comprises a third party that manages the gift card sale transaction.
6. The method of claim 4, wherein the user is a shopping center or mall.
7. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing a user access to the report via a standard network connection including the Internet.
8. The method of claim 1, automatically identifying any discrepancy further comprising automatically comparing the first transactional data, the second transactional data and the third transactional data from respective first, second and third sources to verify the accuracy of each transactional data received from each source.
9. The method of claim 1 being performed without reliance on user input.
10. The method of claim 1, receiving the first transactional data further comprising receiving first transactional data from a point of sale.
11. The method of claim 10, receiving the first transactional data from the point of sale further comprising receiving first transactional data from a store, a shopping center or a mall.
12. The method of claim 10, receiving the first transactional data from the point of sale further comprising receiving first transactional data from a service booth or kiosk.
13. The method of claim 12, receiving the first transactional data from the point of sale further comprising receiving the first transactional data from a service booth or a kiosk at a store, a shopping center or a mall.
14. The method of claim 10, receiving the first transactional data from the point of sale further comprising receiving first transactional data from an online shopping website.
15. The method of claim 1, receiving the second transactional data further comprising receiving second transactional data from a processor.
16. The method of claim 1, receiving the third transactional data further comprising receiving third transactional data from a bank.
17. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically reconciling any discrepancy.
18. A method for automatically identifying and reconciling a discrepancy resulting from a sale of a gift card, comprising:
receiving, at a central reconciliation server,
first transactional data from a point of sale,
second transactional data from a processor of the gift card, and
third transactional data from a bank; and
automatically identifying any discrepancy in the first transactional data from the point of sale, the second transactional data from the processor and the third transactional data from the bank at the central reconciliation server.
19. The method of claim 18, further comprising generating on demand a report identifying any discrepancy.
20. The method of claim 19, further comprising storing the report in the central reconciliation server.
21. The method of claim 19, further comprising providing the report on demand to a user.
22. The method of claim 19, further comprising providing a user access to the report via a standard network connection including the Internet.
23. The method of claim 18, automatically identifying any discrepancy further comprising automatically comparing the first transactional data from the point of sale, the second transactional data from the processor, and the third transactional data from the bank to verify the accuracy of each transactional data received from each source.
24. The method of claim 18 being performed without reliance on user input.
25. The method of claim 18, receiving the first transactional data from the point of sale further comprising receiving first transactional data from a service booth or a kiosk.
26. The method of claim 25, receiving the first transactional data from the point of sale further comprising receiving first transactional data from a service booth or a kiosk at a store, a shopping center or a mall.
28. The method of claim 18, further comprising automatically reconciling any discrepancy.
29. A system for automatically identifying and reconciling a discrepancy resulting from a sale of a gift card, comprising:
a first source that generates an initial request related to the initial sale of a gift card and first transactional data of the gift card sale;
a second source that authorizes the request for the initial sale of the gift card and generates second transactional data of the authorization;
a third source that receives funds for the initial sale of the gift card from the first source and generates transactional data of received funds; and
a central reconciler that receives the first transactional data from the first source, the second transactional data from the second source, and the third transactional data from the third source and automatically identifies any discrepancy of the first transactional data, the second transactional data and the third transactional data.
30. The system of claim 29, wherein the first source is a point of sale.
31. The system of claim 30, wherein the point of sale is in a store, a shopping center or a mall.
32. The system of claim 30, wherein the point of sale is a service booth or kiosk.
33. The system of claim 32, wherein the service booth or kiosk is in a store, a shopping center or a mall.
34. The system of claim 29, wherein the point of sale is an online shopping website.
35. The system of claim 29, wherein the second source is a processor.
36. The system of claim 29, wherein the third source is a bank.
37. The system of claim 29, wherein the central reconciler generates a report identifying any discrepancy.
38. The system of claim 37, wherein the central reconciler provides the report to a user on-demand using menu-driven selections or options.
39. The system of claim 37, the central reconciler being configured to allow a user access to the report via a standard network connection including the Internet.
40. The system of claim 29 being configured to automatically identify any discrepancies without reliance on user input.
41. The system of claim 29, wherein the central reconciler automatically reconciles any discrepancy.
a point of sale that generates a request related to the initial sale of a gift card and first transactional data of the initial gift card sale;
a processor that authorizes the request for the initial gift card sale and generates second transactional data of the authorization;
a bank that receives funds for the initial gift card sale from the point of sale and generates transactional data of received funds; and
a central reconciler that receives first transactional data from the point of sale, second transactional data from the processor, and third transactional data from the bank, and automatically identifies any discrepancies of the first, second and third transactional data.
43. The system of claim 42, wherein the point of sale is a point of sale at a store, a shopping center or a mall.
48. The system of claim 47, wherein the central reconciler stores the report.
49. The system of claim 47, wherein the central reconciler provides the report to a user on-demand via menu-driven selections or options.
50. The system of claim 47, wherein the central reconciler allows a user access to the report via a standard network connection including the Internet.
51. The system of claim 42, wherein the central reconciler automatically identifies discrepancies without reliance on user input.
US11/489,406 2005-07-18 2006-07-17 Method and system for automatically identifying discrepancies from sale of a gift card Abandoned US20070016505A1 (en)
US11/489,406 US20070016505A1 (en) 2005-07-18 2006-07-17 Method and system for automatically identifying discrepancies from sale of a gift card
US11/489,406 Abandoned US20070016505A1 (en) 2005-07-18 2006-07-17 Method and system for automatically identifying discrepancies from sale of a gift card
US20080093438A1 (en) * 2006-10-24 2008-04-24 Berntsen William O Method, system and apparatus for the establishment of a virtual banking environment in a merchant venue while increasing the deposit-based assets of optionally interfaced traditional banking institutions subject to fractional-reserve banking
US20080162719A1 (en) * 2004-12-31 2008-07-03 Emc Corporation Versatile information management
US20100280878A1 (en) * 2009-04-30 2010-11-04 Wilson Matthew J System and method for managing, reconciling, balancing, and forecasting financial media in self-service devices
US20110112964A1 (en) * 2006-10-24 2011-05-12 Thea Financial Services, Ltd. Method, system and apparatus for the establishment of a virtual banking environment in a merchant venue while increasing the deposit-based assets of optionally interfaced traditional banking institutions subject to fractional-reserve banking
US5372386A (en) * 1993-11-26 1994-12-13 Mills; William B. Automated reconciliation system
US5984180A (en) * 1997-10-06 1999-11-16 Albrecht; Jerry L. Method and system for gift credit card
US6000608A (en) * 1997-07-10 1999-12-14 Dorf; Robert E. Multifunction card system
US20020046116A1 (en) * 2000-09-08 2002-04-18 William Hohle System and method for loyalty program distribution and settlement
US20020091631A1 (en) * 2000-11-20 2002-07-11 International Scientific Co., Ltd. E financial gift card
US20020152141A1 (en) * 2001-04-11 2002-10-17 Carter Odie Kenneth Method and computer program for building and replenishing cash drawers with coins
US6575361B1 (en) * 1999-08-19 2003-06-10 E-2 Interactive, Inc. System and method for managing stored-value card data
US20030208406A1 (en) * 2001-03-28 2003-11-06 Okamoto Steve Atsushi Method and apparatus for processing one or more value bearing instruments
US20030229641A1 (en) * 2002-06-11 2003-12-11 The Regents Of The University Of California Using histograms to introduce randomization in the generation of ensembles of decision trees
US20030229541A1 (en) * 2002-06-10 2003-12-11 First Data Corporation Methods and systems for reconciliation of discount certificates
US20030236755A1 (en) * 2002-06-03 2003-12-25 Richard Dagelet Enhanced point-of-sale system
US20040030645A1 (en) * 2001-04-16 2004-02-12 Stephen Monaghan Method and system for performing a transaction utilising a thin payment network (mvent)
US20040059633A1 (en) * 2002-07-18 2004-03-25 Andrew Rankin Dining system
US20040153398A1 (en) * 2003-01-30 2004-08-05 First Data Corporation Financial settlement systems and methods
US6793135B1 (en) * 1999-11-30 2004-09-21 Dacom Cyberpass Inc. Electronic payment system using multifunctional prepaid cards and method of selling prepaid cards
US20040215573A1 (en) * 2003-04-23 2004-10-28 Gift Cards Llc Method and system for authorizing the use of merchant specific gift cards
US20050027648A1 (en) * 2003-07-29 2005-02-03 Knowles W. Jeffrey System and method of account reconciliation for electronic transactions
US20050060248A1 (en) * 1999-08-19 2005-03-17 O'neal Jonathan System and method for confirming transaction or billing communications
US20050171902A1 (en) * 2001-08-15 2005-08-04 Nguyen Martin K. Item exchange using a trusted party
US20050177494A1 (en) * 2004-02-11 2005-08-11 Kelly Dogulas F. Method and system for processing electronic financial transactions
US20050192892A1 (en) * 2002-02-23 2005-09-01 Wow! Technologies Automated clearing house compatible loadable debit card system and method
US20050199706A1 (en) * 2004-03-12 2005-09-15 American Express Travel Related Services Company, Systems, methods, and devices for selling transaction instruments via web-based tool
US20060026073A1 (en) * 2005-10-24 2006-02-02 Kenny Edwin R Jr Methods and Systems for Managing Card Programs and Processing Card Transactions
US6999569B2 (en) * 1998-10-28 2006-02-14 Mastercard International Incorporated System and method for using a prepaid card
US7146332B2 (en) * 2000-12-01 2006-12-05 Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation Methods and systems for automatic tracking and balancing billing data
US7340421B1 (en) * 2000-12-22 2008-03-04 General Electric Company Account reconciliation methods and systems
US7403917B1 (en) * 2000-03-24 2008-07-22 Intuit Inc. Reconciling combinations of transactions
US6189787B1 (en) * 1997-07-10 2001-02-20 Robert E. Dorf Multifunctional card system
US8494937B2 (en) * 2006-10-24 2013-07-23 Th Financial Services, Ltd. Method, system and apparatus for the establishment of a virtual banking environment in a merchant venue while increasing the deposit-based assets of optionally interfaced traditional banking institutions subject to fractional-reserve banking
US8484129B2 (en) 2013-07-09 System and method for varying electronic settlements between buyers and suppliers with dynamic discount terms
US8185439B2 (en) 2012-05-22 Patronage incentive saving system and method for retail businesses
US6594647B1 (en) 2003-07-15 Real time bank-centric universal payment system
US9747614B2 (en) 2017-08-29 System and method for a multiple merchant stored value card
JP5643856B2 (en) 2014-12-17 Transaction at the time foreign currency translation
US7392224B1 (en) 2008-06-24 System and method of operating a debit card reward program
US6886741B1 (en) 2005-05-03 Electronic transaction system
US7496524B2 (en) 2009-02-24 System and method for networked loyalty program
US8930270B2 (en) 2015-01-06 Smart payment instrument selection
US6405182B1 (en) 2002-06-11 System for dispensing prepaid debit cards through point-of-sale terminals
US9922326B2 (en) 2018-03-20 System and method for processing and for funding a transaction
US8407141B2 (en) 2013-03-26 System and method for processing multiple methods of payment
KR100877375B1 (en) 2009-01-07 Point-of-sale electronic receipt generation
US7431208B2 (en) 2008-10-07 Systems, methods, and devices for selling transaction instruments via web-based tool
US7841519B2 (en) 2010-11-30 Systems, methods and devices for selling transaction instruments
US7580856B1 (en) 2009-08-25 Systems and methods for distributing targeted incentives to financial institution customers
US6105865A (en) 2000-08-22 Financial transaction system with retirement saving benefit
US7788129B2 (en) 2010-08-31 System and method for redeeming vouchers
US6343279B1 (en) 2002-01-29 System integrating credit card transactions into a financial management system
US9031859B2 (en) 2015-05-12 Rebate automation
US6592030B1 (en) 2003-07-15 Financial transaction system with retirement saving benefit
US8025217B2 (en) 2011-09-27 Method and system to create and distribute excess funds from consumer spending transactions
US8086539B2 (en) 2011-12-27 Value processing network and methods
US6169974B1 (en) 2001-01-02 Method for closed loop processing of transactions utilizing bank card association
US20020120537A1 (en) 2002-08-29 Web based system and method for managing business to business online transactions
Owner name: HQ GIFT CARDS, LLC, CALIFORNIA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:SHEBSON, JONATHAN S.;WATANABE, LAURYN J.;GLETTNER, DAVID A.;REEL/FRAME:018119/0640;SIGNING DATES FROM 20060714 TO 20060717
Owner name: HG GIFT CARDS, LLC, CALIFORNIA
Free format text: CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE EXECUTION DATES OF TWO OF THE ASSIGNORS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 018119 FRAME 0640. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE EXECUTION DATES AS LISTED HEREIN.;ASSIGNORS:SHEBSON, JONATHAN S.;WATANABE, LAURYN J.;GLETTNER, DAVID A.;REEL/FRAME:020389/0323;SIGNING DATES FROM 20060714 TO 20060717


Students of German from two Hanoi universities explored the country's emerging sustainable tourism sector on a field trip organized by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES). The two-day trip covered a farmstay and an ecolodge in two locations north of the capital, and included presentations on the sustainability challenges and opportunities for tourism in Vietnam and Germany.
While the tourism sector offers economic growth and job opportunities, the downside impacts on the environment and the local culture are too often overlooked.
The first stop was a small, out-of-the-way farmstay in Thai Nguyen, around 60 kilometres north of Hanoi, founded by German Christian Oster, a long-time Vietnam resident who wanted to offer a quiet, rural experience off the main tourist track. The visit included a presentation by Anemi Wick, a German journalist and author of a travel book on Vietnam. "Sustainable Tourism not only respects nature and the environment, but also supports the local economy and preserves natural resources for future generations," she said. The students from the Vietnam National University (VNU) then gave a presentation discussing the problem of unsustainable tourism in the country, where most sites are run to maximise footfall and profit.
In the discussion that followed, the students demonstrated a deep understanding of the conflicts of tourism in an emerging economy like Vietnam. While the sector offers economic growth and job opportunities, the downside impacts on the environment and the local culture are too often overlooked. Eco-tourism is growing in popularity in Vietnam, but there are no controls or standards over the attribute "eco".
Mr. Christian Oster explains the rice cultivation that feeds the residents of the farmstay. Photo by FES Vietnam.
After lunch, a final tour across the farmstay and the surrounding rice fields completed the programme of the first day of the excursion.
The project, which calls itself a community tourism development project implements the principle of sustainability through own education, respect for the environment and local culture preservation. A long-term goal is to improve the lives of the Dzao minority people living in the region. After the introduction from Mr. Tiberghien, the students from Hanoi University (HANU) added a presentation on tourism concepts in Germany to the second's day program, providing another perspective from an industrialized country.
For more information on the work by FES in Vietnam visit the country office website and follow their daily updates on the Facebook fan page.
The ongoing revision of Vietnam's Labour Code is an opportunity to ensure workers' rights are better protected in the economy of the 21st Century.


Get your expert high-quality articles on BJW Cranes published on multiple partner sites.
BJW Cranes Fonolive.com, #1 Social Classifieds.
Here at BJW Cranes Ltd we offer Crane Hire to Scunthorpe and surrounding areas. We offer Mobile Crane Hire, CPA Hire and CPA Contract Lifting. . . . .
Share your BJW Cranes, Scunthorpe ,Lincolnshire experience.


Twilight Ascendant Council (sometimes just called "Twilight Ascendants") is a "council" boss encounter of Bastion of Twilight. They are Twilight's Hammer members who have ascended and become elementals.
Even the pre-encouter trash can be a headache if not handled correctly, but after three phases, the council was convened for good.
Boss Kills are for Chumps!
150,000 Critters Downed in under 2 hours. Who says we don't have fun? Ok we were really bored. In under 30 minutes a small band of folks wiped up 50,000 critters for the 'Critter Kill Squad' for a 10pt Guild achievement and unlock the adorable Armadillo Pup. /whisper 'he's so cute!
"But wait, lets do 100,000 more", said a brave Warlock. Another 1 hour was spent killing another 100,000 critters for the guild achievement of 'Crittergeddon'.
The second boss encounter in Bastion of Twilight, Valiona and Theralion make up two dragons, brother and sister sharing an HP (32,209,000) and threat.
They do not reset upon landing or taking off, making them quite a challenge. But was it challenging enough? No. They perished at the hand of a mighty crew.
Halfus Wyrmbreaker, the first boss encounter in Bastion of Twilight died at the hands of 10 mighty raiders of the Elder Tribunal.
The Proto-Behemoth with 4 friendly drakes and a gaggle of whelps could not keep ET down. Congrats guys.


text:
Cape Canaveral, Florida
Cape Canaveral is a city in Brevard County
Brevard County, Florida
Brevard County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida, along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the population is 536,521, making it the 10th most populous county in the state. Influenced by the presence of the John F. Kennedy Space Center, Brevard...
, Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 8,829 at the 2000 census. As of 2008, the estimated population according to the U.S. Census Bureau was 10,147. It is part of the Palm Bay
Palm Bay, Florida
Palm Bay is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population as 100,786 on 1 July 2008; it is the most populous city in the county...
Melbourne is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. As of 2009, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 78,323. The municipal area is the second largest by size and by population in the county. Melbourne is a principal city of the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida...
Titusville is a city in Brevard County, Florida in the United States. It is the county seat of Brevard County. Nicknamed Space City, USA, Titusville is on the Indian River, west of Merritt Island and the Kennedy Space Center and south-southwest of the Canaveral National Seashore...
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The city of Cape Canaveral is located at the northern tip of a barrier island
Barrier island
Barrier islands, a coastal landform and a type of barrier system, are relatively narrow strips of sand that parallel the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a few islands to more than a dozen...
on the Atlantic coast of Florida. It is due south of the geographical feature Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral, from the Spanish Cabo Cañaveral, is a headland in Brevard County, Florida, United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic coast. Known as Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated from it by the Banana River.It is part of a region known as the...
(known as Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973). It is separated from the mainland by the Banana River
Banana River
The Banana River is a lagoon that lies between Cape Canaveral and Merritt Island in Brevard County, Florida in the United States. It is part of the Indian River Lagoon system, and connects at its south end to the Indian River; it is the only part of the lagoon system not in the Intracoastal...
, Merritt Island
Merritt Island, Florida
Merritt Island is a census-designated place in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is located on the east coast of the state on the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2000 census, the population was 36,090. It is part of the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area...
and the Indian River
Indian River (Florida)
The Indian River is a waterway in Florida, a part of the Indian River Lagoon system which forms the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. It extends southward from the Ponce de Leon inlet in New Smyrna Beach, Florida [Volusia County] southward and across the "Haulover Canal" and along the western shore...
from east to west. Port Canaveral
Port Canaveral is a cruise, cargo and naval port in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is one of the busiest cruise ports in the world with nearly 2.8 million multi-day cruise passengers passing through during 2010. As a deep water cargo port, it has a high volume of traffic. Over of bulk...
is an important port for cruise liners, which take passengers for cruises to the Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
Cape Canaveral is located at 28.388382°N 80.603498°W.
According to the United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 2.3 square miles (6 km²). 2.3 square miles (6 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.85%) is water.
On August 20, 2008, Tropical Storm Fay dropped 20.03 inch of rain.
The first permanent settlement in present-day Brevard was established near Cape Canaveral in 1848. After the establishment of a lighthouse, a few families moved in and a small, but stable settlement was born. Gradually, as the threat of Seminole Indian attacks was becoming increasingly unlikely, people began to move into the area around the Indian River.
In the early 1920s, a group of Orlando journalists invested more than $150,000 in the beach acreage that now encompasses the area of presidentially-named streets in Cape Canaveral. They called their development Journalista (now Avon-by-the-Sea) in honor of their trade. This seasonal retreat for inland residents was anticipated to become as popular a resort area as Cocoa Beach to the south, due to the construction of wooden bridge connecting Merritt Island to the area.
At that time, fishermen, retirees, and descendants of Captain Mills Burnham—the original official keeper of the Cape Canaveral Light
Cape Canaveral Light
The Cape Canaveral Light is a historic lighthouse on the east coast of the U.S. state of Florida.-History:The current Cape Canaveral Light is not the first lighthouse on Cape Canaveral. A 60-foot tall brick structure was built on the Cape in 1848. The light consisted of 15 lamps each with a...
—resided in the northern part of the present city. They owned acreage named Artesia that occupied the area that is now Port Canaveral
Due to the hardships caused by the Great Depression, many investors defaulted on their holdings. Much of this land was recovered by newspaper owner R.B. Brossier and his son, Dickson, after they sold their Orlando home and used the remaining $4,500 to purchase much of the Avon area. It was their dream that a port would be developed and a direct route to Orlando would be constructed.
By 1958 the area had grown with the Space Program. At that time, an adjacent city could annex an unincorporated area without a vote of the residents, so property owners were discussing the feasibility of forming a new city to prevent possible annexation by the City of Cocoa Beach. Landowners were asked for their opinion on this matter, and, due to substantial city debt and land taxes, most residents preferred not to become part of Cocoa Beach. So it was decided that the time was right to pursue incorporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
and create a city
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
of their own.
Cape Canaveral is run by a Council-Manager government
Council-manager government
The council–manager government form is one of two predominant forms of municipal government in the United States; the other common form of local government is the mayor-council government form, which characteristically occurs in large cities...
. The City Council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
consists of 5 members, including the mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
. All seats on the City Council are filled by nonpartisan election as outlined in the City Charter. The City Manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a council-manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief executive officer or chief administrative officer in some municipalities...
is an appointed position that acts as the city's administrative leader and carries out the council's acts and directives.
Mayor - Rocky Randels
Mayor Pro Tem - Bob Hoog
Councilmember - Jim Morgan
Councilmember - Buzz Petsos
Councilmember - Betty Walsh
City Manager (appointed) - David Greene
City Clerk (appointed) - Angela Apperson, CMC
In 2007, the city had a taxable real estate base of $1.46 billion.
In 2009-10, the city paid $833,100 for solid waste disposal
Municipal solid waste , commonly known as trash or garbage , refuse or rubbish is a waste type consisting of everyday items we consume and discard. It predominantly includes food wastes, yard wastes, containers and product packaging, and other miscellaneous inorganic wastes from residential,...
. This was furnished at a cost from $4.95 to $7.38 monthly per residence.
Federally, Cape Canaveral is part of Florida's 15th congressional district
Florida's 15th congressional district
Florida's 15th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Florida. The district contains most of Brevard County south of the city of Cocoa, all of Indian River County, most of Osceola County, and a very small portion of Polk County...
, represented by Republican Bill Posey
Bill Posey
William "Bill" Posey is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. He formerly served in the Florida Senate and the Florida House of Representatives....
, elected in 2008.
As of the census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 8,829 people, 5,066 households, and 2,097 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 3,788.0 inhabitants per square mile (1,463.0/km²). There were 6,641 housing units at an average density of 2,849.3 per square mile (1,100.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.68% White, 1.43% African American, 0.32% Native American, 1.70% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.42% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.40% from two or more races. Out of all of which Hispanics or Latinos of constituted 3.48% of the population, regardless of race.
There were 5,066 households out of which 11.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.7% were married couples
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 58.6% were non-families. 47.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.74 and the average family size was 2.41.
In the city the population was spread out with 11.3% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 23.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 109.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,858, and the median income for a family was $43,109. Males had a median income of $33,571 versus $22,423 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $23,537. About 9.2% of families and 11.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.7% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.
Cape Canaveral is mostly residential. Many residents work in the service industry and at the Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...
to the north.
In 2007, the average size of Cape Canaveral's labor force was 5,824. Of that group, 5,533 were employed and 291 were unemployed, for an unemployment rate of 5%.
In 2008, no building permits were issued. This was down from 5 permits for 6 units in 2007, which was down from 19 permits for 42 units in 2006.
The median home price in 2007 was $215,000.
Tourism is a major part of the economy as in any Florida beachside community.
The largest hotel in Brevard is located in the city. It has 284 rooms and 30000 ft2 of meeting space.
The primary transportation is by road.
SR A1A
Florida State Road A1A
State Road A1A is a Florida State Road that runs mostly along the Atlantic Ocean, with sections from Key West at the southern tip of Florida, to Callahan, just south of Georgia. It is the main road through most oceanfront towns. SR A1A is designated the A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Highway, a...
is the major road, running north-south within the city.
To the north of Cape Canaveral, SR 528 heads east, connecting the city to Merritt Island, the mainland, and Orlando.
To the south of Cape Canaveral, SR 520 provides a similar eastward route, but while 528 is an freeway, 520 has many stop lights and intersections.
A group of east-west roads is named for U.S. presidents in order of their administrations, starting with Washington in the north of town to Harding in the south, and skipping identical last-named presidencies of the second Adams and the second Harrison.
Public transportation is provided by Space Coast Area Transit
Space Coast Area Transit
Space Coast Area Transit is the municipal bus system serving the Brevard County, Florida area. Besides providing routine transportation, low cost service is available to disabled and disadvantaged citizens....
(SCAT). The #9 Beach Trolley bus line circles through Cape Canaveral and runs down to Cocoa Beach and connects with other SCAT bus lines serving Brevard County.
serves the region as a deep-water cargo and cruise
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
Allison Anders
Allison Anders is an American film and television director. Anders has directed many independent films, on which she frequently collaborates with fellow UCLA film school graduate Kurt Voss.-Biography:...
, raised in the city, filmed Things Behind the Sun
Things Behind the Sun
Things Behind the Sun is a 2001 film starring Kim Dickens and Gabriel Mann and directed by Allison Anders. Its title is taken from a song by Nick Drake....
in Brevard County in 2001.
Kloten, Zurich
-External links:* -References:...
, Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
Sagres, Faro
Sagres Point , is a windswept shelf-like promontory located in the southwest Algarve region of southern Portugal. Only 4 km to the west and 3 km to the north lies Cape St. Vincent which is usually taken as the southwesternmost tip of Europe. The vicinity of Sagres Point and Cape St...
, Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
Guidonia Montecelio, Lazio
Guidonia Montecelio is a town and comune in the province of Rome, Lazio, central Italy.- Geography :The community of Guidonia Montecelio lies to the north-east of Rome, some kilometres from the Grande Raccordo Anulare - a ring-shaped motorway which forms a circle around the capital...
, Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Ithaca, Kefallinia
Ithaca or Ithaka is an island located in the Ionian Sea, in Greece, with an area of and a little more than three thousand inhabitants. It is also a separate regional unit of the Ionian Islands region, and the only municipality of the regional unit. It lies off the northeast coast of Kefalonia and...
, Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
City of Cape Canaveral official site
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Home Articles Places Counties Towns Browse Places Browse Articles Adopt a Town
Calhoun, among the earliest settlements in Gregg County, was probably founded in the 1850s and was located on or near Rabbit Creek in the southern portion of the county, near the site of the present western edge of Kilgore. Maps show a settlement in the area in the mid-1850s, and a post office operated there from 1853 to 1855. After the Civil War Calhoun disappeared, and no trace remains.
Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.
Continue Reading at the Handbook of Texas
Christopher Long | © Texas State Historical Association
Belongs to
Calhoun is part of or belongs to the following places.
Gregg County
Adopt a Town
The Texas Almanac's Land Rush program lets you adopt the town or county of your choice and share your message with the world. 100% of the proceeds benefit education in Texas.
Adoption Status: ✅
This place is available for adoption!
Adopted by:
Your name goes here
Dedication Message:
Your message goes here
Currently Exists
Calhoun is classified as a Town
Has Post Office
Is Incorporated
Proud to call TX home?
Put your name on the town or county of your choice.
Search Places »
We are the premier source for trusted information about Texas.
Would you like to submit an article, provide feedback, or just get in touch? We'd love to hear from you.
Does your community have an annual fair or festival you'd like to have listed on our site, or in the next Texas Almanac? Tell us about it!
Find out the correct way to pronounce Mexia—along with hundreds of other places all across Texas—by downloading our helpful Pronunciation Guide (.pdf file)
Almanac Teacher's Guide
Whether you are a teacher or home-school parent, you will find our Teacher's Guide to be an invaluable tool for teaching all things Texas to your students.
Browse our curated list of helpful links for students and researchers.
Missed out?
Get your free copy of the 2018–2019 Texas Almanac eBook
Adopt the TX Town or County of your choice and share your message with the world. Proceeds benefit education in TX.
Browse the Almanac Archive
Presented by Texas State Historical Association
Search and browse the first 148 years of the Texas Almanac, hosted on the UNT Portal to Texas History. The first 62 editions of the Texas Almanac are fully searchable to aid researchers and students of Texas history.
Copyright © 2021 Texas Almanac | Site created and maintained by Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) | Terms of Use Policy Agreement | About


Our Reception intake includes two classes, each benefitting from experienced teaching and support staff. We operate on a daily basis through a flexible timetable where children experience a mix of adult directed teaching alongside long uninterrupted periods of child initiated learning both inside and outside.
We maintain these relationships through personal conversations and our online Learning Journey - Tapestry.
Children are provided with opportunities to read and write throughout the environment and resources are put out to suit children's interests and needs. We work closely with our on-site school nursery as well as private nurseries to ensure a smooth transition into school and work closely with families to support both children and parents with any anxieties they may have with starting school.
We hold open mornings in October and January, where you can come and visit our environment and see us in action! If you would like to visit us at another time, please call us and arrange a visit, we look forward to meeting you.


text:
Air Force Improvises With 3D Printing to Overcome Supply Chain Challenge
NIST measures trees' impact on 5G networks
Army to Deploy Virtual Reality Capabilities to Combat Sexual Assault
Alexa, Webex headed to the moon
The metaverse offers a future full of potential – for terrorists and extremists, too
How agencies are benefitting from AIOps
The Technology that Drives Government IT
PlayStation Vita: Ready for your network?
By John Breeden II
Almost anything these days could become a client on your network, even a portable gaming console such as the Vita, with all the advantages and risks that entails.
Portable or Handheld Devices
The big technology news over the past week, non-government division, is the release of the PlayStation Vita, the latest portable gaming console from Sony. And it's selling really well, with more than a million units already flying off the shelves.
One interesting difference between the Vita and its predecessor, the PlayStation Portable — or most portable gaming consoles for that matter — is that it can do more than just play games. I doubt the Defense Department is going to be deploying them anytime soon, but it's conceivable that at least a few Vitas might make their way into government service in some areas.
Granted, the Vita isn't a full network client, but I was surprised to find a rudimentary browser and an integrated Twitter application on board. The LiveTweet application isn't completely elegant, but tweeting is relatively easy on the on-screen keyboard that pops up.
And following government agencies' Twitter feeds, or those of your favorite government-focused tech publication, is surprisingly easy.
There are two main models of the Vita. The first uses just Wi-Fi to connect to the Internet, and the second uses a cellular modem like a smart phone. The Wi-Fi-only model seems to be more popular right now, which leads me to believe that most people probably do see the Vita as a simple gaming console and figure they can download their games when in range of their own Wi-Fi hub or when hooked up to their main PlayStation 3 console.
This, of course, increases the chance that a Vita will eventually connect to the Internet through a government Wi-Fi network. They probably already have.
I'm not saying the Vita is a security risk or anything. It's more secure than a Windows-based device, given that there are no known viruses for it yet. But it is something to think about. Almost anything these days could become a client on your network, even a portable gaming console such as the Vita, with all the advantages and risks that entails.
It's just another indication that the world is changing fast. Oh well, for now, sit back and enjoy "Uncharted: Golden Abyss," one of the coolest games you'll ever play on the small screen.
NEXT STORY: DARPA's $40K 'quest' tests social media's ability to help in emergency
Maintaining zero trust over time: Why set-it and forget-it won't work
Tech use in courts skyrockets, challenging those without internet access, study finds
Network upgrades support heath care growth in rural Iowa
Miami to deploy air-quality monitoring on Algorand blockchain
Cyber vulnerabilities could impact municipal finance
6 Ways SASE Can Help Federal IT Improve the Nation's Cybersecurity
GCN uses cookies for analytics and personalization. By continuing to use this site, you agree to our use of cookies. Read our Privacy Policy to find out more.


India is a land of great musical heritage and every fourth Indian has singing talent. They usually get less opportunity to show their hidden magic. Djpunjab gives a big platform for these types of singers. We have a big collection of songs of those artist who hailed from small town in Punjab with only ambitions in his pocket, and today, he rules the music world. For them, music has been their savior, their mentor, and their motivation. Besides this, particular and popular tracks of each movie and album is available under this. While navigate the page, you will find all the songs are sorted in month wise, artist wise and album wise.


Late last year, India announced a noble project to the world: The country would create the "world's cheapest tablet computer," intended for students and offered at the lowered price of $35, and later on in stores for $60. Available as of October 2011, the Aakash -- eventually called the Datawind Ubislate 7 on retail availability -- features a 366 MHz Conexant CPU, 256 MB of RAM and 2GB of storage (expandable via microSD).
Instead of a capacitive touch screen, however, the tablet has a 7-inch resistive LCD display, runs on the Android 2.2 operating system and has access to the Getjar market instead of the traditional Android Market. Though it notches a rather short battery life of three hours -- and even shorter when you're playing HD video -- the endeavor is still an altogether laudable one for a population where most commercial tablets have simply been out of reach.
The Aakash education-focused tablet from India later gave rise to a successor, the Aakash 2. Both tablets are technically tweaks on the Datawind Ubislate, but the Aakash 2 is a more ramped up version with a 7-inch capacitive touch screen, a 700 MHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor and a 3200 mAh battery -- notably, specs that are almost twice as good as the original project blueprint. In terms of software, the Aakash 2 is surprisingly set to get Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and finally gives users access to the beefier Android Market apps ecosystem. Connection methods include WiFi and GPRS. Picking up this slate will run you either $40 or $60, according to a couple of different sources.
Aside from garnering a cult following, the Raspberry Pi also inspired a wave of imitators -- and it's easy to see why. These thumb-sized, cheap and Linux-powered devices gave a new population access to technology and innovation, and the (relatively new) Mele A1000 doesn't stray from this philosophy.
Already out in the market for $70, the Mele A1000 is an ARM PC that runs Android 2.3 originally, but can be tweaked to run Ubuntu Linux as well. It's powered by the ARM-based Allwinner A10 chip and a 1.2 GHz Cortex A8 ARM core processor. Graphics-wise, a MALI400MP OpenGL ES 2.0 GPU is onboard, and if you ever get the itch to run apps on a TV, the Mele A1000 can handle this task with aplomb. The device also features an SD card slot and USB ports for additional attachments, along with an external SATA port and Ethernet. Computer tweakers, start using your imagination.
Sneakily stuffed into a package that resembles a USB flash drive, the $74 MK802 is a mini PC that vaunts a 1.5 GHz Allwinner A10 processor, 512 MB of RAM, 4 GB of storage and runs Android 4.0. Not bad for a little stick that weighs just 7 ounces and measures a diminutive 3.5 x 1.4 x 0.5 inches. If you've been lusting after FXITech's $200 Cotton Candy, but weren't feeling partial to its heftier price tag, this is the alternative to consider.
It's worth noting that this competitor doesn't have an HDMI connector, only an HDMI port, and you're only getting a single core processor instead of Cotton Candy's 1.2 GHz Samsung Exynos dual core chip. But for less than half the price, the Chinese-manufactured MK802 -- with free shipping to the US from AliExpress.com -- is worth a serious look.
Pricing details are scant on Intel's NUC or "Next Unit of Computing," slated for release in the second half of 2012, but if the advertised specs are anything to go by, it's worth keeping a close watch on the product. Inside the 10 x 10 cm demo box, you've got a choice of either a Core i3 or Core i5 Sandy Bridge processor, with connection options that include Thunderbolt, HDMI and USB. In terms of graphics, you'll see the decent integrated Intel HD 3000 onboard.
Apparently Intel told press outlet Just Press Start that the NUC will "not be in the hundreds or thousands range," and that different SKUs would likely be available -- that's good news for the mainstream public, although it has never been made clear where the product will ship. But either way, with one of the biggest names in the industry behind the endeavor, we're interested to see how this project takes shape.
It's usually a safe bet to write off a $120 Android tablet as a flop, but the Ainol Novo 7 is actually worth considering. The slate features a 1024x600 IPS display, 8GB of Flash memory (expandable up to 16GB via microSD) and 802.11 b/g/n WiFi. Even better, it's run by a 1.2-GHz ARM Cortex processor and comes dripping in Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, so you should be able to watch movies, play popular casual games and surf the Internet with ease -- up to its rated battery life of 8 hours, to boot.
If you're not averse to having a naked motherboard on your desk and you're attracted to extremely cheap price tags, the VIA Technologies' APC 8750 could be the Raspberry Pi alternative of your dreams. This tiny, barebones PC measures 17 x 8.5 cm and can be plugged directly into a TV or monitor, or stuffed into the undersized chassis of your choice (a standard Mini-ITX or microATX, for instance).