US Patent 7013292 Method and system for universal gift registry

A gift system and method enable gift givers to, among other things, each make a respective commitment for a monetary contribution of any giver-desired amount toward a gift for a gift recipient. This system and method may, for example, be implemented by providing an on-line display of gift ideas to the gift givers. This on-line display of the gift ideas reflects uncommitted balances of purchase prices for one or more of the gift ideas having the partial purchase option. When the monetary contribution from the gift givers exceed the purchase price of the gift, a purchase request is generated.